He lifted a brow. “I’ll own that. There was no way I was letting you slip away a second time.”
“Is that what I did?” Now she was outright laughing at him. “Or did I finish up a grueling fourteen-hour shift and look around to see if I could locate the intriguing SAR expert I’d just met, only to find an empty canyon?”
Noah crossed his arms, his grin widening. “You looked for me?”
The once-over she gave him put a hard flutter in his gut. “Of course. How else would you have had the opportunity to ask me to dinner?”
“Let me correct that grievous oversight immediately. Phone, please.” He held out his hand and curled his fingers in a gimme motion.
She didn’t hesitate, pulling it from a utility pocket in her pants, which was far sexier than he was expecting. “Are you entering your phone number so we can exchange text messages for a few days?”
“No, I’m entering my phone number so you can text me your address. I’m picking you up at seven.”
She laughed again, taking her phone back. “Bold. Efficient. I like that.”
“Life’s too short to waste time playing games. I’d like to get to know you better.” He shrugged. “Why bother pretending otherwise?”
Something flickered in her gaze that gave him the distinct impression she appreciated the sentiment. Good. They were starting out on the same page. Always an excellent place to be.
“Any dietary restrictions or preferences I should know about?” he asked.
“If it fits on a plate, I eat it.” Making a show of tapping on her phone, she glanced up as his buzzed. That same intensity that had drawn him yesterday sparked between them. “See you at seven then.”
CHAPTER 5
Sabrina couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this excited about a date.
Actually, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone on a date, but it had been warm outside. Over the summer maybe?
Her usual approach involved showing up in whatever she happened to be wearing, most often because she’d left work late.
But here she stood in front of her closet, actually caring what she put on. Actually wanting to make an effort.
That was new.
She surveyed her options: little and none. A shopping maven she was not, but she had a few things she’d picked up. For emergencies. And this counted as one.
“Best outfit it is,” she muttered to herself, pulling out a sweater dress in deep blue that hit mid-thigh. Paired with boots, she’d strike the right balance between looking like she’d tried and looking like herself.
Not that Noah Colton seemed like the type to care what she wore. The way he looked at her in uniform had sparked something she hadn’t felt in a long time. Maybe ever.
Of course, coming in hot with her best look meant she didn’t have a second-date outfit waiting in the wings, in the event she wanted to up her game. Possibly that wouldn’t be necessary. But she’d lay odds on a shopping trip in her future.
Her phone buzzed. Noah. Or rather,Sexy SAR Expert, the contact name he’d entered when he’d keyed in his number to her phone.
It was too cute to change. And kind of a fun way to keep their blossoming attraction under wraps. The only way someone would know whoSexy SAR Expertwas would be to ask her…and then admit they were paying attention to her text messages.
Sexy SAR Expert: I’m five minutes away.
Her phone time flipped to 6:55 p.m. Nice. A punctual guy who also kept her informed.
The flutter in her stomach was definitely anticipation. And maybe a touch of recognition that tonight could be the start of something fun. Fun because that’s all it could ever be. She’d long given up on finding her unicorn guy.
But Noah felt like an excellent Mr. Right Now.
She’d just slipped on her second boot when the doorbell rang exactly at 7:00 p.m. on the dot. Not that she’d expected anything less from a guy who handled search-and-rescue operations with precision and flair.
Though she did wonder if he’d waited outside her door for a few beats specifically so he could hit the buzzer at exactly the top of the hour. It felt like a detail he’d strive to get right.
