His gaze swung back to her before he said in an overly friendly tone, “No, thank you.”
“You owe me!” She pointed her index finger in his face. “You read my questionnaire. It’s only fair if you give me some answers yourself.”
“And if I say no?”
She abruptly snatched her phone out of his hand. “Then stop criticizing the questionnaire.”
Connor sighed heavily, his jaw working as he swirled his second whiskey, watching the amber liquid leave ripple patterns on the glass. “Fine,” he finally murmured darkly. “It’s no big deal, just…” He groaned softly and…was Connor Stone blushing? Impossible. “Many of our clients sign the final papers in our office and then storm off to the beach to ceremoniously throw their wedding rings into the ocean. Most aren’t particularly athletic and have the throwing power of a toddler. And the rings are actually always incredibly valuable. It seems like an absolute waste, so…I wait until they wash up again and go searching for them with Winnie. I have them melted down and give him the money. As a finder’s fee, so to speak. He accepts food, but doesn’t like hand-outs of money. But if he earns it himself…” He pressed his lips together.
With her mouth gaping, Rachel stared at him, her chest expanding and contracting. Then she started to laugh. “Shit. You’re right; your hobby is much more interesting. How long have you been doing this?”
“A few years,” he said sharply. “But we’ve been finding a lot more since we started using the metal detector.”
His cheeks were still red, as if he was uncomfortable with beingnice.
“May we continue now?” he asked, nodding at her phone.
She swallowed and handed it to him. She breathed through the fluttering pit in her stomach that she didn’t know how to handle. So, Connor was…notan asshole?
“What the hell?" He said then. "Your dream man 'isn’t too handsome.' Youwantsomeone average-looking? What’s wrong with you?”
Her question no longer mattered. “What’s wrong with that?” she replied belligerently.
“Nothing. When you fall in love, the other person becomes more and more attractive anyway. But you don’t really go on a date thinking,I want someone who’s just okay looking!’“
She jutted out her chin. “Handsome men have huge egos. You’re a great example.”
Intrigued, he smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Really? How handsome am I exactly? Tell me more,” he drawled…as he pressed his leg deliberately against hers.
“Shut up,” she grumbled, restraining herself from moving away from him. It would have felt like retreating from a battle. “History has shown that I get along better with average men who couldn’t inflate a hot-air balloon with their egos.”
“So you want a guy who isn’t overly self-confident?” Connor summed up simply.
“That has nothing to do with it!”
“It haseverythingto do with it,” he countered. “The word ego has such damn negative connotations, but as a psychologist, you should know that it’s defined as nothing more than a person’s idea of themselves. If you want a guy with a small ego, does that mean you prefer insecure men who might…give in more easily?”
She gritted her teeth. Now she understood why Izzie had warned her about Connor. She had never met a man who argued so infuriatingly well! Who was such a…an equal opponent.“There’s a difference betweencavingandnot imposing their opinions on me,” she informed him.
“So you want a man who will make your life easy. Who has no problem losing every argument to you.” He smiled and lowered his voice. “Meaning men who will eventually bore you.”
“No!” she snapped, while at the same time, a small, traitorous part of her mind went through every one of her past relationships…which had bored her one by one. “I just want a calm, relaxed relationship,” she managed. “A man who accepts that and understands it. Whofeelsit.”
“Ah, yes. What a nice transition to the next point of our discussion today,” he replied in a businesslike tone. “Your no-go is a man who doesn’t want to get married. Or is insensitive.”
“Correct.”
“Good. Let’s leave all the silly marriage talk aside. Do you think I'm an insensitive man?”
“I think you know the answer to that.”
He snorted. “What makes me insensitive?”
“Well, you obviously don’t realize how uncomfortable this situation is for me. After all, you’re telling me I filled out my own questionnaire incorrectly,” she replied irritably.
“Oh, I noticed,” he said, irritated. “But why should that stop me from continuing? You’re a grown woman, Rachel. If you want me to stop, tell me to stop. I can’t presume to know what you want.” His voice was so dark and earnest that it reverberated in her chest. “If I stopped asking you questions because I thought you couldn’t handle the conversation, I’d be patronizing you. The message would be that I think you can’t stand up for yourself. Which, damn it, I haven’t even considered for a single second since we first met. Ergo, in my opinion, it would be insensitive to consider your feelings if you don’t clearly ask me to. So, should I stop?”
She stared at him. Her breathing was faster and shallower than before.
