He quickly glanced over at his table. Rachel hadn’t returned from the bathroom. He needed to focus on her and not Roxanne. The right thing to do would’ve been to go back to his table, wait for his date and forget about Roxanne. It’s what he should’ve done.
He pushed off the bar and weaved through the small crowd by the hostess area. He walked out the door and scanned the street. The restaurant didn’t offer a parking lot, so she must have come out through the front door. His search for her car with the huge dent courtesy of Cord turned up nothing. The dim lighting didn’t help. She must have left already. It was a good thing. He had no explanation, even for himself, of why he had just abandoned his own date to come look for her. He turned toward the door, opening it, and a pair of long tan legs caught his attention.
“Fuck,” he muttered.
Well, I found her. Now what?
She was leaning with her back against a streetlamp, her head bowed, looking at her phone. She was probably waiting for a ride. It made sense considering how many drinks she’d had. And he would know since he’d watched her most of the night.
His heart beat heavily against his chest.God, this damn woman and her long legs, dark hair falling down her back and crystal blue eyes.He shifted his legs trying to create more room in his pants. Thirty years old and sporting wood for a woman on the street. He grasped the back of his neck and cursed. What the fuck was wrong with him?
He gripped the door handle with too much intensity.Walk your ass back inside … to your date.There was no sensible reason he should feel conflicted.Go into the fucking restaurant.
She was pacing in front of the streetlamp, cocking her head from one end of the street to the other. Her ride would probably pull up any minute. It was a relatively safe area, and there were plenty of people around. She was safe. Rachel was probably back at the table by now, waiting for him.
Go back inside, asshole.
He released the door and walked toward her. Roxanne angled her head to the left. When she straightened and turned, her eyes widened, meeting his stare.
“Hey, Jonah.” Her breath hitched when she spoke his name, and for some reason, his own breath grew heavy.
He jerked his chin. “Waiting for a ride?”
“Yeah.” She cleared her throat, fidgeting with her phone. “Emory got hung up longer than she expected, and she was my DD, so I’m waiting on a car service. Should be here any minute.”
He tried his best to focus on her face, mainly her eyes. It proved harder than expected. She was dressed conservatively in a tight black blouse, which was unbuttoned at the top. She always looked like this. Put together in a way that made her look like she spent hours choosing what to wear. Her clothes fit as if specifically tailored for her, accentuating her curves in all the right places.
He balled his fists and averted his gaze, cursing his mini-infatuation.God, this woman is fucking with my head.
“Did you enjoy your dinner?”
For unknown reasons, a sense of guilt washed over him.
He nodded. A grown-ass man, only able to nod?
“We’re actually heading out now.” He was about to make a move that made no sense. He did it anyway. “How about I save you a few bucks, and give you a ride home?”
She blinked, and he caught the small gasp before her nose scrunched. “Uh, wow… that’s … um,” she stammered, and looked over his shoulder. “Where’s Rachel?”
You remember Rachel, right? Your fucking date.
“She’s using the restroom. Why don’t you cancel your car service, and I’ll go pay the bill.” He waited and watched closely. He hadn’t considered how Rachel might feel about it, though he didn’t think she’d mind. Rachel wasn’t like most women when itcame to competition. Besides, she was only interested in a date that ended up with them in bed.
He ignored the ache in his chest and the eagerness to avoid that outcome tonight. Ironic, since it was the sole reason for the date.
“Um … I uh …” A small blue sedan pulled up, stopping directly in front of them. “This is my ride. But thanks for the offer. It was nice seeing you again. Bye.” She rushed toward the curb and opened the door, not sparing him a glance. He watched the car drive off into traffic.
He grasped his neck trying to ease the tension in his muscles. It wasn’t working. He shifted around and started into the restaurant. He sighed as he made his way to Rachel, who was standing in the doorway. This was probably another play in Cord’s handbook. He was chasing after one woman while another waited for him.
“So, they’re being assholes and they want us to pay our bill.” She snickered, the sound easing some of Jonah's tension. He was sure she wouldn’t give him shit about leaving her at the table.
“Sorry about that …”
She lifted her hand. “Babe, it’s fine. Let’s just get back in before they make us do dishes or some shit.” She wiggled her fingers. “Do you know how much this manicure cost?”
Rachel was great about not asking why he’d followed Roxanne out of the restaurant. He had no explanation that made sense, even to himself. They left and headed back to her place. She spoke throughout the entire ride, which was the norm for them. He zoned out, though. All his thoughts were on a blue-eyed, dark-haired beauty.
When he pulled into her driveway, his mind was still on Roxanne, and for reasons he couldn’t explain, he no longer wanted the night to end in Rachel’s bed. He shifted the truck into park but made no move to turn off the engine.
