“Of course.” She took the clipboard and pen, scrawling her signature where he indicated.
He took the clipboard and handed her the vase of flowers. “Have a good day.”
“Thanks. You too.” She closed the door and turned the deadbolt while she searched for a card. The small white envelope sat tucked under a large red petal.
Blank.Huh.
The waxy petals were smooth under her fingers. Flowers. Just because. Her cheeks hurt from the wide smile she couldn’t hold back. After centering the vase on the dining room table, she danced down the hall to her room. She had a date to get ready for.
The doorbell chimed, and a dog barked on the other side of the door. Charlie, probably. He’d noticed Polly wasn’t much of a barker.
Jase smoothed his hand down the front of his tie, trying to settle the nervousness trembling under his skin. The last time he could remember being nervous about picking up a woman for a date had been his high school senior prom. Adrenaline made him restless, and he slid his hands in his pants pockets.
Bree’s heels on the wood floor signaled her approach. He should have braced before she opened the door. His breath left him in a rush.
A small, light blue stone rested in the hollow of her throat. His gaze fell to the deep V of her blue sleeveless dress, exposing the gentle curve of her cleavage. Long auburn hair spilled over her shoulder in soft waves, the ends curling around the swell of her breasts. His gaze travelled down the short, flared skirt to her toned legs and sexy heels. A vision of her strappy black heels wrapped around his hips almost broke his resolve. Christ, she had to be trying to torture him. He swallowed hard and shifted his stance, trying to make room for the hard-on pressing against his zipper.
He dragged his gaze back up her body and met her sapphire blue eyes. A few shades lighter than her dress, they sparkled with amusement, and a smile tugged at the corners of her berry-stained lips. A faint hint of jasmine teased his nose.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi.”
They stared at each other. Her heels brought her up several inches so they were almost eye-to-eye.
“Are we still going?” she asked.
“What?”
“To dinner. On a date. Are we still going?”
His body jerked as he broke out of his daze. “Yes,” he said, a tad too loud. “Yes, we’re still going.” He took her hand in his and led the way to his truck. Opening the door, he waited to help her in, unsure whether she could manage in her skirt.
“You look good, too.” She winked and boosted herself into the truck, flashing a lot of thigh.
Jesus. He scrubbed a hand over his mouth and closed the door on her laughter. She totally had his number. He grinned and walked around the hood. After buckling his seatbelt he turned, one hand on the steering wheel. “You’re beautiful.”
“Thank you.” She leaned toward him and he met her over the center console. Her lips were soft and pliant. He growled low in his throat as erotic images of her lips tracing over his body flashed through his mind.
She created a small space between them. “Is everything alright?”
“It’s taking everything in me not to drag you back inside, strip you naked, and bury my cock in you while you dig those sexy heels into my ass.”
A small gasp escaped her parted lips and a flush bloomed high on her cheeks. “Do you, uh…” She licked her lips. “Want me to encourage or discourage those thoughts?” Her chest rose and fell with her quicker breath.
He forced himself to say the right thing. He wasn’t going to fuck this up again. She’d asked for space; she was going to get it until she told him she didn’t need it anymore. No matter what their bodies wanted.
“I need you to discourage me.”
“Oh.” Her disappointment evident, she bit at the corner of her mouth. He was ready to take his words back, but she pulled away and leaned against her door. “Where are we going to dinner?”
Her words sounded nonchalant, but her fingers clenched in her lap gave her away. He turned the key in the ignition, thankful one of them had the strength. “Catch 22.”
“Wow. Really? How did you get reservations? I had to call four months in advance to take Gran there for her birthday.”
“I called in a favor. The owner’s a buddy.”
“Yay for favors.”
