Taryn half-choked on the mouthful of water she was swallowing. “Uh—”
Cassie tilted her head. “What’s wrong? Fantasy or phobia? I’ve had both reactions.”
“Nothing’s wrong.” She dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin, and then the waiter returned for their order. “Sorry, we haven’t looked yet.”
Cassie held up her finger for his attention. “If this was the only time we were ever going to come to this restaurant, what would you recommend that we simply must try?”
“Do you have any dietary restrictions?” he asked. They shook their heads. “And how hungry are you?”
A wicked smile twitched at the corners of Cassie’s mouth, and she arched her eyebrow. “We don’t want anything too filling,” Cassie said. She had every intention of having Taryn for dessert.
“In that case, I would recommend our seafood platter.”
Taryn looked at Cassie, and she nodded her approval.
“That sounds perfect. I’ll have a glass of whatever wine you’d recommend to accompany that dish, please,” Taryn said.
After the waiter left, Cassie smiled. “What if the wine he recommends is three hundred dollars a bottle?”
“Then you bolt, and I’ll stay to wash dishes all week.”
“Which brings us nicely back to your reaction to my career.”
“It wasn’t your job that had me sputtering. It was the way you combined your compliment with your career, as if telling me I had beautiful eyes was something I heard every day.”
“Don’t you?”
“No,” Taryn said. “People don’t tend to pay much attention to my eyes.”
“People?” Cassie asked, making a quiet note of the flicker of sadness that accompanied Taryn’s response. “Is that your unique way of telling me you’re pansexual?”
“I wish you’d let me swallow before you drop your dry one-liners.” Taryn chuckled and put down her glass. “Would it be a problem if Iwaspansexual?”
“Of course not. You’re here with me right now. Why would I care who you’ve been with before and who will follow me?”
“You’re okay with knowing otherwomenwill follow you?”
Cassie snorted. “You think I’ve already fallen in love with you and want exclusive rights to your body? Why don’twomenpay attention to your eyes?” she asked without waiting for a response to her first question, which was vaguely rhetorical anyway.
Taryn rubbed her temples and shook her head. “My brain is going to explode. I can’t keep up with you.”
Cassie leaned across the table and whispered, “I really hope you can, or this is going to be a short evening.”
Taryn ran her hands through her hair. “Why do I feel like you eat bois like me for breakfast?”
“Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all the snacks in between,” Cassie said and wiggled her eyebrows.
“Jesus, you’re incorrigible.” Taryn held up her hands when Cassie opened her mouth to respond. “Which I love,obviously. I’ve just never met anyone quite so…everythingbefore. Okay. Let me talk for just a minute. I’m part of a stunt team, and we’ve just secured a residency at the Cosmos.Womenget a bit overexcited at those shows, and when they hang around after to meet me, they don’t spend too much time gazing into my eyes. They just want a night with Taryn Taylor, stunt rider. No, I don’t think you’ve fallen in love with me but yes, Idothink I’ll be able to keep up with you in the bedroom. And thank you for noticing my eyes.” Taryn leaned back in her chair and blew out a breath.
The waiter returned with a bottle of wine, which he uncorked and then poured a little into Taryn’s glass.
“Would you try that for me?”
Cassie held up her hand. “I know nothing about wine, only whether it tastes good to me or not.”
“That’s enough for me,” Taryn said.
“Okay.” Cassie took a small swallow and savored it for a moment. “Very nice.”
