Page 24 of Wanting the Winger

“Wait a minute.” He angles his head to the side, his eyes still locked on mine. “I can spend my time however I want, right?”

“Of course.”

“Well, I want to spend the next few hours with a beautiful, intelligent woman who I happen to find fascinating. That’s all my intentions are for tonight. Let go of all your worries and expectations.” The back of his fingers gently brush my cheek. “Can you do that?”

My lips curve upward and I nod. “Yes.”I’ll try.

His hands clap together one time. “Let’s do this, then.”

I fasten my seat belt as he backs out and begins driving down my street.

“Where are we going?” I ask.

“I have a surprise for you. I think you’re going to love it.”

I have little doubt he’s correct, which should be reassuring but causes more concern. If Darius keeps doing everything right, I won’t be able to resist him. If I can’t resist him, he’ll steal my heart in no time.

CHAPTER8

DARIUS

Evie staresup at the large sign above the windows. “No Doze Cafe. That’s a cute name.”

“It’s more literal than you probably realize. This place is open twenty-four hours a day.”

“Who drinks coffee in the middle of the night?” she asks.

“It’s right next to a couple of college campuses and a hospital,” I answer.

“That explains the crazy hours, then.”

Tugging on her hand, I lead her along with me. “They’re rumored to have the best coffee in the city.” I open the door and we step inside.

“Mmm,” Evie hums. “It smells wonderful.”

“Come on.” Our hands still joined, we walk to the front counter.

“Can I help you?” The barista gives us a welcoming smile.

“Hi, I’m Darius and this is Evie. I called earlier and spoke to Jane about sampling some coffee.”

“Yes, you spoke with me. If you’ll have a seat, I’ll bring everything to you.”

“Thank you.” I draw Evie with me over to a booth along the far side of the room. There are only a few other customers here, but I want as much privacy as possible.

“So, we’re drinking coffee? Do you want me to stay up all night?” She smiles teasingly at me from across the table.

“Don’t worry, I made sure we’re sampling decaf only.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“What made you choose this place?” she asks, propping her chin on her fist.

“One of my friends always raves about this place, so I know it’s good. When I was trying to come up with an idea of where to bring you, it occurred to me that I don’t know much about what you like and dislike, but I do know you love coffee. I figured this would be a safe idea for a second date that you’d enjoy.”

“I like how you put some thought into planning it.”

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