A Single Date (Dating Just Got Serious) (8 page)

“I knew you would
come to your senses. Now go and have fun. And do everything I’d do, if you
know what I mean.” Cat laughed as she ended the connection.

Yani raced upstairs to
change clothes and tried to control her excitement. Not since her daring
college days had she done something so far from her normal convention. Her
heart raced as she pulled off her navy blue blazer and pencil skirt, and tossed
them on the bed. Instead of putting on her favorite black mini dress, she
rummaged through her closet until she found the silk butterfly halter sheath.
The way it caressed her butt, he’d have a hard time turning her down. Maybe Cat
was right, she thought as she dug in her closet for a pair of shoes to make her
legs longer and sexier. She could keep her nose in the air and be alone or
accept the crooked smile offered by Drew.

When the doorbell rang,
she grabbed her purse and charged down the stairs. Before she opened the door,
she took a deep breath to keep from hyperventilating. She had to calm down or
she might just jump into his arms when he walked inside.

“Ready?” he asked when
she opened the door.

She needed to breathe,
but looking at him made it hard. If she thought Drew was handsome in his jeans
and T-shirt that was only because she hadn’t seen him in a suit. The black suit
with fine grey pinstripes and the starched white shirt with black onyx cufflinks
made him look like he was prepared for a boardroom.

She strolled around him
while examining him from head to toe. “You look…you look like a different
person. Where’s the ponytail?” She brushed her fingers through his hair.

“Did you think I only
had a closet full of jean and work shoes?”

She shook her head. “I
sound like a snob, don’t I?”

He cupped her chin to
lift her face. “Only to people who don’t know you like I do.”

“Before we leave I need
to say something to you.” She paused long enough to manage the flutter in her
heart. “I was attracted to you from the very first day I saw you. But I have
been trying to resist the attraction. Some of the reasons aren’t so important,
but I will say I was afraid. I’m not afraid anymore, Drew.”

“I think I know the
reasons, princess. But you’re right, they aren’t important. I’m just glad
you’re finally ready to admit your feelings. I’ve been waiting on you to own
them.”

Could he
understand what she was going through? He grabbed her by the waist, his fingers
pressing into her. His lips hovered over hers. She couldn’t wait another moment
to taste him. She stretched up on her toes and kissed him. He yielded,
accepting her tongue. Spending the rest of her life wrapped in his arms and
attention would be wonderful.

“Anyway, one day I’ll
tell you all about it. But tonight’s not the time to discuss my shortcomings.
You’ll know them all soon enough,” she said.

His straw-colored
hair hung damp and curled in ringlets around his face. Yani swallowed, almost
overwhelmed by the heady emotions.

He stood several inches
taller, so she had to tilt her head to see his eyes. They blazed with such
intensity she took a quick breath.

Without saying a word,
he lowered his mouth over hers. She accepted it and relaxed, savoring the
moment. A warm commotion started at the base of her neck and flowed across her
skin like a wave of heated oil. His hand electrified her skin through the thin
fabric of her dress. If he was as hungry for her as she was for him, they’d
have instant sparks.

“I like your style,
Drew.”

“If that’s the
case, you’ll love me by the end of the night.”

She reached for his
hand as he led her to the car. She was a lot closer to loving him than he could
have imagined. But that bit of information she needed to keep to herself for
now. No use in scaring the man away when she just realized she was ready to change
her life for him.

He opened the
truck door for her.

“You cleaned up
the truck?” she said

“Yes, yesterday, before
you decided to stomp off to your bedroom. There’s something I want to tell you,
too. I’d planned to talk to you last night, but you weren’t in a listening
mood.”

Before pulling her feet
into the truck, she asked, “What is it, Drew?”

“I’ll tell you at
dinner. It’s not earth-shattering.”

“You’re sure?”

He tapped her leg. She
swung them around in the seat while still staring at him.

“I’m sure.”

He closed her door and
ran around to the driver’s side. He climbed into the driver seat and strapped
on his seat belt.

“Last night, your eyes
were saying you were going to accept my invitation until your friends showed up
and ruined your mood. They don’t do their little double team thing too often,
do they?”

“You knew what was
going on?”

“Of course. But teasing
you is so much fun. The more we piled on, the more your lips stuck out. You
have the prettiest pout I’ve ever seen.”

She faced him. “You’ve
been working on my house for almost two weeks and we’ve been pretending or
ignoring this thing between us. We really should talk.”

“Maybe over dinner
tonight, I’ll tell you a few things about me. You said you had some questions,
so I’ll answer every one of them.”

“There’s a lot about
you I want to know, I hope there aren’t any convictions or zombie in your past.
I really think that might be too much to handle in one night.”

“I think I can manage
your questions. I’ll answer some tonight, the rest the next night.”

“Maybe after
dinner we’ll both go running in opposite directions. You’re that sure of
yourself, huh?”

“Princess, I’ve been in
your kitchen and bathroom, the two most personal rooms in your house. I’ve seen
what you eat, I’ve seen those little things you call panties, and I’ve seen
what they are supposed to cover. I have a pretty good sense of who you are, and
I know you wouldn’t have let me near your precious body if you didn’t feel
something for me. So yes, I’ll be around tomorrow and the day after that and
the day after that one.” He nodded with certainty.

“You think you’re so
smart. Let me see what I know about you.” She glanced over the seat and
examined the car. “You love your big work boots. You must have ten pairs and
none of them appear to get much wear. Even when you’re wearing your ponytail,
your hair is cut to precision, so you must have a streak of vanity. You clean
up good, because even though I expect to see dirt under your nails, there’s
nothing there, ever, and you have a thing for pink teddy bears.”

“Very observant. I have
to hand it to you.” He pulled into the valet lane in front of the restaurant on
the pier.

“Yeah, but I don’t know
where you live. I know you have sisters, but I have no idea how many or if you
have any brothers. I do know there is one goddaughter in your life that I’d
love to meet.”

“I would answer your
questions now, but then you wouldn’t be able to interrogate me during dinner.”

Holding hands, they
strolled toward the entrance. An attendant opened the door as they approached.

They walked inside hand-in-hand.
All the apprehension about saying yes to him evaporated the moment she’d walked
down the stairs in her house. Somewhere she’d find the courage to stand up to
her parents. Drew was too good to keep hidden.

“This is quite an
exclusive place. I hear it can takes weeks to get a reservation, so how…”

He pressed his index
finger against her lips. “Again, hold on to the questions until after we’ve at
least had a glass of wine.”

“Mr. Sizemore, your
table is ready,” the hostess said as soon as they stepped up to the walnut
podium.

“How does she know your
name?” Yani asked.

“Shhh,” he
whispered.

Yani tried to
squash the dubious angst stirring in her stomach. They were seated at an
elegant circular booth. She slid in and Drew sat beside her. He didn’t need to
impress her. She was already committed to something with him, even if it was
hot dogs a few times a week.

The server placed the
wine menu on the table and disappeared. Drew looked as comfortable here as he
did spackling drywall. After ordering a three hundred dollar bottle of champagne,
he turned his attention to her.

“Are we celebrating
something?”

“Yes. Us.” He winked at
her.

“Okay, Drew, I’ve
almost bitten my tongue in half.” She glanced around the elegant dining room.
“This is very nice, but you don’t need to go overboard to impress me. I’m
hooked already.”

“Princess.” He
placed his hand over hers. “I’ve got this.”

She sighed and
leaned back against the leather booth. “Don’t you think it’s time you tell me
about yourself?” She folded her hands on the table and willed the butterflies
in her stomach to settle down. It was going to be a long night.

“I would have answered
your questions any time you wanted. All you needed to do was ask.”

“You could have
volunteered some information.”

“Maybe you’re right.
I’m Drew Sizemore. I don’t work for Brian Contracting, I own it. Brian is my
uncle, and since he’s retired, I’m trying to save his company.” He shrugged a
shoulder. “My father doesn’t think it can be done and my mother is hoping I
prove him wrong. I come from a very competitive family. I was only supposed to
spec out your job then turn it over to my crew, but when I saw you strutting up
your sidewalk, I knew I would find a way to stick around.”

“So when you’re not
deceiving women, what do you really do?” In the dim light of the restaurant she
had to shift to see his face.

“I own a consortium of
companies, but I really like working with my hands. I didn’t deceive you. I’m
very hands on, and so I’m often at a site supervising the work. In your case, I
decided to show up every day. It had extra benefits.”

“So why are you riding
around in the beat-up truck?”

“You don’t expect me to
do construction work in a luxury car, do you? Can you imagine what it would
look like with toolboxes and mud-caked shoes in the back seat?”

“I thought you were a
carpenter.” She dropped her head, hoping he wouldn’t see the stupid look in her
eyes.

“I am, but I’m more
than just a man with a hammer.”

The server returned and
popped the cork. After pouring the champagne, she disappeared.

“This whole time you
let me believe all the wrong stuff about you.”

He leaned away from
her. With his hands resting in his lap, he studied her. “You weren’t totally
incorrect about me, princess. Around you, I was myself. I didn’t have to worry
about what I said or how I said it or you cancelling the contract.” He planted
a tender kiss on her lips. “I didn’t even have to dress up everyday and you
still let me get between those legs.”

“Were you laughing at
me behind my back the whole time?”

“Not once. Every day I
hoped you’d invite me back into your bedroom. And I was thankful for every time
that you did.”

After their meal Drew
paid the check without taking his eyes off her. If it was possible she grew
prettier every time he looked at her. Somewhere between dinner and dessert she
seemed to relax. After their meal, she knew everything about him except the
name of his first grade teacher.

“I’d planned to take
you to a private showing of some new movie release. But I can’t remember the
name of the film, and I’d much rather take you back to my place. There aren’t
any ripped out walls and I have a priceless view of the city. So how about it?”
He placed his hand on her knee and inched upward.

She put her napkin on
the table and folded it. With her palm on top of the neat squared linen, she
said, “Are we a couple, now?”

Her boldness would
never get old. “We’ve been a couple for some time. I haven’t been seeing anyone
and neither have you. So if you’re ready to make it official, then we’re a
couple.”

Her whole face
brightened as her lips shifted into a big smile. “I kind of liked the idea of
you being my handyman. Thinking of you as a corporate tycoon is going to take
some getting use to.”

“I’ll be whatever you
want me to be. If you need something fixed tonight, I’ve got just the tool you
need.” He kissed her again.

“Then we better get
started on your new project. Me. Before all my plumbing goes haywire.”

He escorted her out of
the restaurant. In the car, her dress road up her legs, exposing her luscious
thighs. At each stop light, he stole a quick glance. By the time he pulled into
his garage he wasn’t sure if he’d get her upstairs before his need to devour
her took over.

“I should have known, she
said the moment they stepped into the exclusive penthouse elevator. When the
doors glided open, revealing his spectacular view of Center City, Philadelphia,
she spun around to face him. “Why does a single man need a place this big?”

“To impress you.”

“I was impressed
the moment you told me about the teddy bear.”

“You’re easy. I
could have made that up.”

“But you didn’t.
Now it’s my turn to impress you.” She dropped her purse on the floor and
slipped her left shoulder out of her dress, then her right one. She shimmed the
dress over her breasts and past her hips until it landed in a heap around her
heels. She discarded the dress and the shoes with a quick kick. The gesture was
so smooth and quick he couldn’t look away.

Standing in front of
him in nothing but a thong and willingness, his brain went numb. Her creamy
skin glowed from the city lights coming through the big window. He slipped off
his jacket, unbuttoned his shirt, and slipped off his shoes and socks. He
lifted her into his arms and carried her upstairs.

“Aren’t you going to
turn on any lights?” Her question was both a whisper and a giggle.

“No. I have a recurring
dream about what I want to do to you. I can do them with my eyes closed. But
believe me, they’ll be open, because I want to see every glorifying second with
you.”