Page 25 of Vengeful Seduction
“Thank you,” I murmured, slightly warm and flushed. David offered me his arm and I took it, feeling strange and fluttery inside. He was such a gentleman, and even though it was all happening so quickly, I couldn’t help but be glad I’d decided to go for it and date him.
I could almost swear the soles of my black pumps didn’t even touch the ground as he swept me out to the car.
“Where are we going?” I asked as I settled myself in his car, which was a BMW that I was completely sure would make me dizzy if I knew how much it had cost him. I knew, logically speaking, that I owned quite a few expensive cars myself, but I had never driven any of them.
Which reminded me, was this the time to offer him the half of the money I’d inherited? I watched his profile and shook my head. No. It wasn’t the right time.
Probate hadn’t even fully cleared yet. I probably wasn’t even supposed to be living in the mansion and I hadn’t gotten anything yet. It would be better to wait, so if he said yes, I could hand him a check right away.
Besides, I wanted to enjoy this night without any money hanging over our heads. So when he reached for my hand, I let him have it, his fingers slipping through mine and our palms touching, almost caressing each other.
“You’ll see.” He smiled over at me, dark eyes shimmering. “It’s a surprise.”
We held hands for the whole drive, and I could almost feel my inner defenses—the ones I had built up so firm, strong, and tall around my heart—melting away a little at a time. He was so handsome, and the sun was setting around us, and I couldn’t honestly think of a time I had been happier.
I didn’t have to stay curious for long, as it didn’t take long for us to get there. He drove up to a gorgeous building, trendy and sort of funky, and my eyes felt like they couldn’t get any bigger.
The restaurant, The Chameleon, was one even I had heard of, and I wasn’t much for the whole fancy dining scene. It was charming, with lights strung up around it and a gorgeous patio.
“Oh, Mr. Black. I’m glad you and your lovely lady made it.” A man dressed all in white smiled at us, seeming genuinely glad to see us. “We’ve already cleared the floor for you. Please, come in.”
We were led in and seated, and I looked around, trying to take it all in. It was, no doubt, the fanciest restaurant I’d ever been in. It had this gorgeous chandelier, one just trendy and modern enough to fit in with Portland’s unique scene, while still being lovely and elegant.
The tables had been pushed aside, just as our host had said, and the wooden floor was revealed. There was even a live band playing soft jazz, and a few couples were dancing.
It was the height of sophistication, at least as far as I knew. I was no expert, but I was definitely impressed.
“You did this,” I realized, turning to look at him seated across the table from me. I saw his little smirk and knew I was right. They were accommodating us with a special request.
“I wanted our first date to be special,” he admitted, and those barriers around my heart melted just a little bit more. There wasn’t a lot left of them.
Our first date. But not, I now knew, our last. Not when he was making it so perfect. How hard had it been for him to find a place for a romantic, candle lit dinner with exquisite food and dancing in Portland?
“Dance with me,” I whispered, and I stood up, holding his hand in mine and tugging him up. He came willingly and then led me out onto the dance floor, where he turned and wrapped his arms around me as we swayed to the music.
“You know, you’re the most beautiful woman here,” he whispered in my ear as our bodies moved together like they had been made to do so. “I’m so glad you came out with me.”
I had to close my eyes, just for a second. I had never been so swept away—not by anything or anybody. Nothing got to me like David did, and I let myself fall into him, knowing somehow he would be there to catch me.
He had won me over and he didn’t even seem to be trying. My heart was pounding for him, and in that endless moment, swaying together in his arms, I felt I would do anything he wanted as long as he didn’t stop holding me.
The whole night was amazing. It was nothing short of magic. I had read the books and I had watched the movies, but I had never seen what the big deal about romance was.
I knew now, because of him. And I let myself get lost in the magic.
The night seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, we were back at my house. At my new house—the one I had been left by Theodore.
For the first time, it felt like it really was my home.
When he pulled me close to him, enfolded me in his strong arms, and kissed me, I felt like I was home. It didn’t make any sense, but maybe that was the very reason I trusted it so much.
I didn’t try to pull back. I let him have my mouth. I opened up to him and it was nothing short of glorious.
“May I come in?” he asked, and he was polite, but definitely interested.
I hesitated. I knew it was a bad idea. After the fantastic night we had just had, I was far too tempted to say yes, and yet I had never been the sort of girl who would tempt fate.
Inviting him into my house would be doing quite a bit of fate tempting. “I don’t …”
