Page 51 of Nothing to Fear

“How was the dinner with Luxe Leathers?”

“I didn’t come here to talk about that,” he said and linked their fingers. “Have dinner with me tonight. I don’t care where. We can go for burgers or I’ll charter a jet for Italy. Whatever you want.”

She caught the cab driver’s eye in the rearview. “He’s kidding.” She shoved him closer to the door and whispered, “I don’t want to go to Italy.”

“Where do you want to go?” His fingers feathered across her cheek. “Lady’s choice.”

“I can’t.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“I have a… prior engagement tonight.”

She didn’t expect him to smile. “Competition? Oh, I can’t wait to crush his hopes and dreams.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to tell him about dinner with his mother or her appointment with his parents, but she wouldn’t play games. Whatever she and Darroch were or weren’t was separate from whatever she and Alice were or weren’t.

“That shouldn’t excite you.”

“You heard my mom say we’re competitive, right?” he asked. “Tell me about him.”

“I’m not going to tell you anything.”

“No inside track, I hear you. This guy is good.”

“This isn’t a challenge,” she said. “It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s a big deal to the guy you’re going to spend the rest of your life with.”

Though she shook her head, his confidence was amusing. “I haven’t seen you for a week.”

“Won’t slow me down.”

And his smirk only endeared her more. “I was sulking.”

“When?”

“You said I couldn’t have your number and I figured that meant you weren’t interested beyond the chase.”

“Baby, you’ve got to believe—”

“I jumped to conclusions, just like you said.”

“Is this an apology?”

“Let’s wipe the slate clean. I have something else on tonight and I’m working tomorrow during the day. But if you want, if you’d like, you could pick me up tomorrow at seven thirty.”

“For dinner?”

“For whatever you want.”

He sucked in some intrigue. “Risky giving a guy free rein like that.”

“There’s nothing free about it.” Her shoulders pushed back. “Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?”

“You asking me out on a date, Cherry?”

Playing with him wasn’t so bad. “Not anymore,” she said, sliding away.

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