A Single Date (Dating Just Got Serious) (3 page)

“We’re not
married,” Drew replied as he stepped in front of Yani.

“No.” She gave the
salesman a stern look. “We just want to see your kitchen displays.”

The salesman
pointed them in the proper direction and scurried away to help another
customer.

“You didn’t have
to bite off his head,” Drew said.

“Why would he make
the assumption we were married?”

“He was just being
very friendly, hoping to make a sale. Besides, I was holding your hand.”

“Why are you
taking his side?” she asked.

“What’s really got
you so riled up about his comment? You couldn’t see yourself married to a man
who makes a living working with his hands, or one who drives a truck, or is it
both?”

The cheerful
expression vanished from her face, replaced by uncertainty. She blinked.
“You’re a nice man, Drew. We’re just different. But I’d marry anyone as long as
they thought I was more important than how the Dow closed or the final football
score. Do you think I’m asking for too much?” She cut her gaze away and focused
on a contemporary kitchen setup, like she’d said too much.

He had to tilt his
head down to see her. “No, that’s not too much at all.”

“Besides, he shouldn’t
make those kinds of inferences to people he doesn’t know.”

“Look at me and
say that.” He spun her around to see her if her eyes were in agreement with her
words. He wanted to know the truth about her concern. Did she think he wasn’t
good enough for her?

“I think he was
unprofessional. Nothing more. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll prove it.”
She leaned over and planted her lips against his. The quick gesture surprised
him. She pulled away before he could get a good taste. But his body perked up.

“Oh, you want to
tease, do you?” He wrapped an arm around her waist and pushed his tongue into
her mouth. He expected her to pull away. Instead, she welcomed him by sliding
her tongue over his in a kiss so sweet, trouble had to be close behind.
Together they performed an intimate performance in the middle of the store that
only the two of them could enjoy.

She eased away
from him. “Okay, I think we both made our points.” Her eyes twinkled like
ornament lights. “And you’re a good kisser.” Her voice was husky.

“That’s because I
had so much to work with.” He held her gaze.

Several seconds
ticked by. Her eyes zipped over his face and he wanted to say more, but the
time wasn’t right. “Look, we better start shopping or your reno won’t be
complete until Labor Day.”

Getting back in the
messy truck at the end of the day was easy. Yani was too exhausted to care
about the collection of refuse. She kicked aside as she placed her head against
the headrest. After looking at an endless selection of stone, tile, granite,
and cabinets, she should have been able to forget about her desire for him. But
her attraction wouldn’t tap out.

“That was more
exhausting than I imagined. I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired after
shopping.” She closed her eyes.

“We’ll have to make a
few more trips, but we’ve done enough to get started.”

“I thought we’d have
more than a hot dog for lunch. I’m starved,” she said without opening her eyes.

He snorted. “I’m just
trying to please the customer by not wasting time with fancy meals. You claimed
time was of the essence. The sooner I can get started, the sooner I’ll finish.”

“You can tell Mr.
Bryant that you were perfect. I didn’t even mind having to go to three
different quarries to find the right back-splash for the kitchen.”

“I deserve hazard pay
for trying to keep you on budget. I thought you were going to bite me when I
tried to talk you out of that marble.”

She smacked his arm,
with a laugh. “Thank you. I do tend to get a little carried away. I have to
work so hard because I live so well.”

He pulled the truck to
a stop in front of her condo and turned it off. She didn’t want to leave him
yet. Even though they hadn’t been on a date, her stomach had turned into a nest
of nerves. A single date with Drew would be better than all the dates she’d had
in the past year combined.

“Why don’t you come in?
After the way I treated you the least I can do is fix you dinner. I can feed
you better than you fed me. I might even have some beer.”

He opened the truck
door and walked around to help her out. “Dinner sounds good, the beer not so
much. But if you have another bottle of wine, I’ll accept.”

“I’m sure I’ve got more
wine, a bottle of sparkling red I’ve been dying to try, but I wanted to share
it with someone.” She waved him up the walk. The last man she’d invited to
dinner was her father, and that was several months ago. The forward woman
opening the door for Drew was unrecognizable to her. The only personal thing she
knew about him was he had a goddaughter who liked teddy bears. But his swagger had
secretly serenaded her all day and she didn’t want to ignore it. Wherever her normally
cautious alter ego was tonight she hoped she wouldn’t return to spoil the fun. The
pretend kiss in the middle of the showroom floor wouldn’t release her thoughts
all day. It was supposed to be a joke, but she wanted more.

“If you want to
clean up first, the guest bath is right down that hall on the left.”

The way he gazed
at her face made her both uncomfortable and jubilant at the same time. There
was nothing boring about him. He stood less than a foot away. The slight
dimples in his cheeks puckered as he reached for her and drew her closer.

“This is what I
want to do.” He kissed her again, slower this time. The move was so smooth her
body responded without hesitation. His big hands cupped the back of her neck,
sending a spray of tingles cascading over her. She wrapped her arms around his
waist and melted into him. The warm sweet taste of his tongue lingered on hers.
He pressed her against the wall.

She released his
tongue to breathe. Her heart raced so fast, she had to fist her hands to
control the pace. Drew’s intense gaze penetrated her thoughts. He leaned
closer, his lips slightly parted. She pressed her palm to his chest, unable to
bear anymore without losing the little self control she had left.

“I’ve been
thinking about doing that again, all day,” he said.

“I thought only
hard surfaces got you excited.” She allowed her palm to linger on his chest.

“That depends on
where they’re located.” He trailed a finger across her throat, a blaze of heat
left in its wake.

“Wait a minute.
This is happening so fast.” She turned her head to get a breath of air that
didn’t have his scent in it. She wanted more, but fear paralyzed her.

“Not for me. But I
understand.” He held up his hands in surrender and stepped back.

“It’s just that I
don’t know you very well. And…and you’re going to be working on my house— I’m
not sure this is the right time to get involved. Things could get very messy. I
don’t even know if you’re married, engaged, or living with someone.”

He nodded without
breaking eye contact. “Well, let’s see. I’m not married, or engaged, and I live
alone. Do you require any more information before I can kiss you again?” He
stretched his arms, pinning her between them as he pressed his palms against
the wall.

“I think that’s
enough for now.” She used her thumb to swipe her lipstick from his mouth.

“If you keep
touching me like that, I can’t promise I’ll keep my tongue to myself.”

“That’s fair
warning.” She ducked under his arms and straightened her shirt.

“How about I meet
you in the kitchen in five minutes?” Drew strolled down the hall.

The view of him from
behind was just as awesome as the front view. She wiped her brow as he walked
away.

Hanging with Drew
felt comfortable. Worrying if her lip-gloss had stained her teeth, or if the
mustard from the hot dog they ate for lunch was smudged on her cheek had never even
crept into her head.

She hummed while
pulling the dinner ingredients and the wine out of the refrigerator. The distraction
helped her regain her composure. Since he paid for the hotdogs they ate for lunch,
she was happy he’d accepted her dinner invitation. Expecting him to treat her
to two meals in one day seemed unfair. Besides, based on the condition of his
truck, he couldn’t afford to be frivolous. Drew looked like a man who enjoyed
his steak and potatoes. The bone-in ribeye steaks were supposed to be for
dinner next week when her dad came for a visit. “He’ll understand,” she
murmured as she turned on the broiler.

“Who’ll understand
what?” Drew asked from the doorway of the kitchen. The red flush on his neck
was gone now.

“I was talking to
myself. I do that a lot.” She seasoned the meat while looking at him.

“I see.”

He came to stand
beside her. “I live alone and I don’t think I’ve ever talked to myself.”

“Sure you have.
You must hold conversations in your head. Everybody does. Just because you
don’t say it out loud, doesn’t mean you don’t.”

He laughed. A
hardy tone filled with happiness. “Shall I open the bottle?”

“Please.” She shoved
the steaks under the broiler, pretending not to watch as he removed the foil
and the cork. His movements were swift and sure, like it was an everyday
occurrence for him. In her kitchen, he was as natural as a knot on a log.

“You know, if you
cleaned up your truck, you could get a date.”

“You think so?”
The dimple in his cheek deepened. “And what makes you think I need help
dating?”

“You said you
weren’t married or shacking with someone.” She shrugged and turned on the
microwave for the potatoes. “Maybe that’s the reason.”

“Well, you’re not
married. It’s obvious you live alone and your car is spotless. So what’s your
excuse?” He handed her a glass of wine.

The comment stung
but she deserved it for venturing down this path. How many times had her
parents tried to figure out why at twenty-six she didn’t have a steady boyfriend
and the promise of grandchildren somewhere in their future?

“You sound like my
mother. To listen to her, you’d think I could pluck a man from a garden like a
ripe tomato. My parents have set me up on dates with every eligible bachelor
from their stable of affluent friends. If they aren’t bland, then they’re
demanding.”

“Ahh, I see. Then
you know what I’m talking about and it has nothing to do with cleanliness of
vehicles.” He came around the counter to stand next to her. His elbow brushed
hers.

“You’re much nicer
than I imagined.” His voice was heavy. Standing so close, she could see the
stubble on his chin. As hard as she tried she couldn’t tamp down her rising
interest in him. The kiss alerted her body and it seemed wide-awake now.

“I’m very nice.
Ask my friends. I’m just very focused on a contract. You see, my father thinks
I’m wasting my talents at the non-profit, so I’m trying to prove him wrong.
Until I wrap up the deal, my time is consumed. I’m not usually late nor am I
one to stand people up. Really, I’m not. You should never judge a book by its
cover.” She pulled the broiler pan from the oven and placed it on the trivet.

“I agree with you
and I never judge by minor indiscretions.”

“Let’s eat.” She
pulled the potatoes from the microwave and placed them on a plate along with
the steak. After handing him some napkins and flatware, they sat at the table
and ate while swapping dating horror stories.

“When my parents
moved to Florida, I thought I was going to get a reprieve from the constant
meddling, picking, and inspections of all my dates and boyfriends. But with my
mom so far away, she seems to have doubled her efforts to make sure her only daughter
is firmly attached to something permanent before they leave this earth.”

“I do the same
thing with my sisters. If nothing else, at least their men know to treat them
right because I’m watching.”

Yani sipped her
wine. Her mother’s idea of ideal wouldn’t be Drew Sizemore. Maybe it was time
to take her own counsel on dating, because the playbook her parents used wasn’t
working.

He ate the last of
his steak and put down his fork. “That was the best steak I’ve ever eaten.” He
wiped his mouth.

“You’re just being
nice, but thanks for the compliment.”

“You’re yawning,
and it’s getting late.” He looked at his watch. “I better get out of here.”
Drew pushed away from the table and stood.

“Wow, I didn’t
realize what time it was.” She stood too. “Thank you for a nice day. How soon
will you start on the project?”

“So you’ve decided
I’m the man, huh?” His smile was wicked.

She tried not to
blush, but her cheeks got warm anyway. “Yes, you’re the man.”

“Then I better get
my truck cleaned up.” He gave her the most enchanting smile.

In the foyer, he
loomed over her like a marble statute. “I’m very professional with my clients.
I don’t make a habit of kissing them, just in case you were wondering. But
you’re not like any client I’ve ever had.” He leaned in so close she froze.

“I’ll take your
word for it.” On her toes, she pressed her lips to his. Right now it was best
not to analyze the commotion in her gut. Her parents’ words were loud enough in
her head. But as she slipped her arms around his neck nothing else mattered.
Desire called her name and she had to answer. Drew was the mirage she dreamed
about after every bad date. Maybe he wasn’t the perfect man, but tonight he was
close enough. The heat from his skin kindled a desire in her that no
paper-pusher could match. But there was no such thing as a perfect man. She
tugged his ponytail loose causing his hair fall to his shoulders.

The playfulness of
their tongues grew more serious. He slowed the action down and increased the
intensity. She relished each twist and turn. Instead of feeling like he wanted
to be somewhere else, doing something else, he held her like she was the prize,
the golden ticket to be won and treasured.