Page 13 of A Soldier's Temptation
“Physically, yes, but mentally you were far away. I don’t think you’ve heard a word I’ve said.”
“Oh.” How would she get out of that one? It wasn’t the first time she’d zoned out since all of this started happening, and each time she’d been mortified. It made her seem like a ditz since she couldn’t explain it to anyone. No, not couldn’t, more like wouldn’t. The first mistake she’d made was getting involved with someone at work. What had her mother always told her? Don’t shit where you eat—yup a lovely thought. Her mother had been a hard woman, cold, and unlovable. But you knew where you stood with her. If she wasn’t gone, she’d have given Ari hell for getting into this mess.
“You’re doing it again.”
“I’m sorry. I have a lot on my mind.”
“Do you want to talk about it? I’m a great listener.”
“I appreciate the offer. But I really don’t know you that well.”
“That’s why I invited you to dinner, so we can change that.”
She couldn’t resist his bright smile. Genuine. Sexy. It softened the lines of his face and crinkled the edges of his sparkling eyes. “Maybe, we’ll see.”
“The offer’s out there. Now, I hope you’re hungry because I heard this place is amazing.”
“I’ve heard that too. Lots of the people I work with love it here.”
“I called ahead for a table while you were getting ready. I wanted to make sure we could get one outside since we have Mr. Darcy.”
“Thank you. I should have thought about that.”
“No worries, I’ve got your six.”
“Six? Oh, right.” She couldn’t have held back her smile if her life depended on it. He really was a wonderful guy. Why couldn’t she have met him before Paul? How different life might have been? Then again, he probably wasn’t the type to settle down either. She needed to remember that because the last thing she needed was to get attached to the wrong man again.
Handing her Mr. Darcy’s leash, John went to check in with the hostess. While they waited, she looked around, taking note of the people and cars. At least she had Mr. Darcy at her side like he was on protection detail. It was cute and several of the diners smiled when they looked at them.
Nothing looked out of the ordinary that she could tell. But it wasn’t her job, it was the agent parked in the car across the street. Colin told her about them but not their names. It was weird, and so she named them all Shadow and added a number. Tonight’s detail, Shadow Four, looked the least friendly of all of them.
“We had perfect timing. Our table is ready.”
Still holding Mr. Darcy’s leash, she followed John and the hostess across the patio. She led them to a table tucked against the far wall. It looked very romantic. The best part was that both chairs were set against the wall so they could look out and neither of them would have their back to the street.
“Perfect, thank you. Mr. Darcy won’t be in anyone’s way here.”
“It’s what I was thinking too,” John said with a wide grin. Then he pulled out a chair and waited for her to sit down. She couldn’t remember the last time a man held a chair for her. In fact, she didn’t think it had ever happened. If she ever met his mother, she’d have to thank her for his manners.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. C’mere, Mr. Darcy. Have a seat next to me.” Ari couldn’t believe how well he listened to John. It almost made her jealous—almost.
"Mr. Darcy seems to really like you."
"I like him too. How did you meet him?"
"At the shelter. I started helping out on weekends. One weekend when I went in, he was there cowering in his cage. Someone found him lying by the highway and thought he was dead. They brought him to the shelter and the poor guy was starving and covered with fleas and ticks.”
“Wow, poor guy.”
“Right away I knew I had to bring him home with me. But he had a lot of healing to do first. They were also worried he wouldn’t ever be a good house pet because of all he’d probably been through. That it would take a while for him to let me touch him. But they were wrong.”
“How did you win him over?”
“I climbed into one of the large cages with him and offered him treats. After a couple of hours, he was eating out of my hand.”
"He's lucky to have you."
