Page 29 of Worth the Risk

When she turned to face him and murmured, “All set,” he took her hand and led her out to his car. As they drove to the restaurant, he took it again, entwining their fingers and then resting both on his thigh.

She’d never been with a man who like to hold hands and found the constant skin-to-skin connection intimate, sweet, and possessive all at once. The sexual tension between them was palpable, but she also felt at ease. Something about him made her feel safe. She wanted to climb him like a tree, wrap herself around his big body, and live there—permanently, which seemed insane considering he was both a dominant and a sadist. Bella could only imagine what he wanted to do to her, and had every night in her bed since she’d dumped frozen margarita on his head.

They had dinner at a bistro along the water, opting to eat inside where it was cool since the sun was still up and it was steamy with humidity. When she perused the menu, Bella’s eyes nearly popped out of her head at the prices. A pork chop was $38, and the filet and lobster combo $65.

A year ago, she wouldn’t have thought twice about it, if she’d noticed the prices at all. But she was a ramen noodles kind of girl now and rode around with her gas needle in the red zone most of the time.

She wasn’t sure of his financial situation. He had a new truck and had picked out this restaurant, but she didn’t know if the club paid their DMs as well as the wait staff. Therefore, she ordered conservatively.

“I’d like the crab cakes,” she told their waiter. “And ice water with lemon, please.”

Dan looked up from his menu, frowning. “That’s an appetizer, Bella, which is a small portion. Order what you like.”

“I like crab cakes.”

He handed his menu to the waiter. “I’ll have the center cut filet, medium. But don’t put our order in just yet. We’d like to start with the table-side guac for two. I’ll have a Corona with lime and bring the lady one of your prickly pear margaritas. Also, add a house salad to her crab cakes and make it an entrée.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll have those drinks right out.”

When he left, Dan reached across the table and took her hand. He was very touchy-feely, she noticed, not that she minded.

“I wouldn’t have brought you here if I couldn’t afford it, Bella.”

“I wasn’t sure...”

“I know, and I appreciate the thought, but it’s unnecessary. I’m not at the point where I can throw it around, but I do well enough to take my girl out for dinner some place nice and let her get what she wants.”

“Being on a budget, I assume everyone else is, I guess.”

“Should I call him back so you can order something else?”

“No, thank you. The crab cakes, which I really do like, with the salad and chips and guacamole will be plenty.”

He grunted but didn’t push it except to say, “I might be a hard man to compliment, but you’re a lot harder to spoil.”

That he wanted to, but even more so, the way he called herhis girl, made her heart do a little flip-flop.

After dinner, the sun had gone down, and they walked along the water, taking in the sights and sounds of the 2.5-mile section called the Downtown Reach. While they strolled, they window-shopped, stopped to listen to some local street musicians, and even walked by the historic Alamo Church, although it was closed, and they couldn’t go in.

They also talked a lot. Or mostly Dan did because Bella adeptly turned his most probing questions back around to him. She learned about him growing up in Texas and a little about his years in the service and his tours in Afghanistan, but he wasn’t as forthcoming about that, understandably so.

This allowed her to keep her secrets but also to listen to his deep voice and take in how handsome he looked in the moonlight.

Dan often put his hand on her back to guide her around an obstacle or to the side if passing others. Skin to skin because of her backless dress, sent a sizzling current of awareness through her body each time. On the way back to where they parked, they stopped on a small bridge to watch the gondolas and the moonlight shining on the water. After a few minutes of companionable silence, Dan turned, propped a forearm and hip on the stone wall, and gazed at her.

When he said nothing, she got a little embarrassed and let out a little laugh as she finger-combed her hair. “I bet I look like I stuck my finger in a light socket. It’s the humidity.”

“You look beautiful, especially your hair.” When she stopped fussing with it, he picked up a loose curl from her shoulder and rubbed it between his fingers. “You’ve evaded answering my questions, and I ended up monopolizing the conversation, learning nothing about you. Why is that?”

“Perhaps because you’re a much better storyteller than me?”

“Hmm, I think there’s more to it than that.” He wound the curl around his finger then gently tugged until she took a step closer, almost touching him. “Have you got secrets you don’t want to share with me, beautiful?”

“We all have secrets,” she replied. “Besides, I’ve always heard it’s better not to spill your guts on a first date if you’re hoping for a second.”

“Spilling your guts. That’s rather telling. Are you afraid the skeletons in your closet will scare me off? Don’t be,” he said without pausing for an answer, luckily. “There’s not much I haven’t seen. But I’ll give you tonight, and maybe that third date, but eventually I’ll want it all.”

“What happened to date number two?”

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