“Tell me about you, Lindsey.”
I set my glass down and smile. “What do you want to know?”
He’s leaning toward me, and maybe I should feel overwhelmed, but I don’t. Somehow, I’m not sure how he did it, but the whole restaurant is empty, and we’re sitting at a corner table. He’s sitting at my side, and the subtle hint of his cologne wafts over me.
“Everything,” he answers.
I look around the empty restaurant. “Did you kick everyone out?”
He shrugs. “I bought the space for the evening.”
“Why?”
He looks at me pointedly. “Because I didn’t want distractions. I wanted to be able to focus on you.”
I lay my hands in my lap. I’m no match for him, and he’s trying to impress me, but I don’t understand why. “Okay… you want to know about me. I have a sister. She’s two years older than me, a schoolteacher and my best friend. I have a nephew. He’s seven years old and a very cool kid.” I search my brain for something, anything that would be interesting. “I’m a photographer, as you know. I do some side jobs too. I’m growing my business. This shoot for the magazine is going to help that.” I roll my eyes. God, now I sound desperate. “Uh, my parents are both gone.”
I frown. Geez. That took a morbid turn. I pick up my glass again. “What about you? Tell me about you. I don’t even know what you do.”
He has one hand on the table, gripping the side. It’s almost like he wants to touch me but he’sstopping himself. I see the way he’s looking at me, and I know he wants me. Hell, the feeling is mutual, but I’m also self-aware enough to know that he would eat me alive.
He starts talking. “I’m in finance. I have an office downtown, but I work from my home office a lot. I have four brothers and one sister. We’re all close. Our mom and dad sort of forced it on us.” He chuckles, and I feel myself leaning toward him.
“Logan was in the military. He now owns a security firm in Whiskey Run. My sister, Skyler, is a baker. My brother Penn is a doctor, Guy is a professional baseball player, and Ozzy is a rancher.”
I say the first thing that comes to mind. “Your parents must be really proud.”
He tilts his head to the side. “Your parents weren’t proud of you?”
Shit. I didn’t realize he would read into my words. “Uh, well, actually, they had hoped I would go into something that had a more reliable paycheck.”
He searches my face. “But photography makes you happy?”
I couldn’t stop the smile if I wanted to. “Yes, I’m happy. Very happy.”
He nods. “I’m sure they would want you happy.”
I shrug because I’m not really sure. I hope so.
I look at his hand on the table and then to him. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
I gesture around the restaurant. “What is all this about? Is this your thing? You show off your money, feed them a good meal, get some drinks in them, and then take them back to your hotel room?”
He stares at me, and I wait for the anger. I know I’m pushing some of his buttons, and that was my intention. I want to see the real Miller, and maybe the way to do that is to piss him off a little bit.
He leans back in his chair. “You want the truth?”
I nod even though I’m not sure if I want the truth or not. Do I want to hear that I’m just one woman on a long list of others? No, I don’t.
“I haven’t been on a date with a woman in around five years. I haven’t slept with a woman in the same amount of time. I’m not trying to show off my money. I really wanted to spend time with you without people recognizing me or for our picture to show up on the tabloids in the morning.And well, as for taking you back to my hotel room… I would take you to my home.” He holds his hand up. “And before you ask, I’ve never had another woman there besides my mom, my sister, and my sister-in-law. But?—”
He stares at me, and I can’t stop myself from asking, “But what?”
He gestures to the empty glass of red wine in front of me. “Once you had a drink of that, I knew I wouldn’t take you home with me.”
He leans up, voice husky. “Because the first time we’re together, I want you to give me full, un-inebriated access, and I don’t want you to forget one second of me worshipping your body.”
