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“And?” I wrench the door all the way open, taking pleasure in startling him.
“And you should really learn how to mask them.”
“So I can be an uptight, pushy, overbearing?—”
“So you can protect yourself,” he says, cutting me off.
“From what?”
His broad shoulders roll back as he steps a little closer, and those dark eyes all but whisper, me.
“Big dogs chew up kittens like you and spit them out without a second thought. I’ve seen it happen too many times to count in my world.” One hand smooths a lock of loose hair away from his temple. “Allowing your emotions to rule every move you make has consequences.”
“Spoken like a true businessman.”
A muscle feathers in his cheek, and I find it odd that I even notice. It’s odd that I’m entertaining him at all, but what other choice do I have? Five hundred thousand could do wonders for our community, and I’m damn near starving to death.
“Ask me nicely to go out with you, and maybe I’ll consider it,” I say while he silently digs his heels in.
I curl my hand in an out with it motion.
“I would like to take you out for dinner this evening,” he grits. “Will you accompany me, please?”
“All right. I’ll go.”
He looks shocked that I’ve agreed, and I can’t not gloat after that little comment he made. “Whose face is a billboard now, hmm?”
The way he raises his chin, as if miffed that I bested him, is equal parts bratty and adorable. Someone doesn’t like having to fight to get their way.
“You’re not going to wear that atrocious outfit, are you?”
I follow his glare to my dirt- and paint-smeared overalls, making a show of stuffing my hands inside my pockets. “Duh. They’re practical and stylish.”
He sighs. “Our dinner reservation is at seven o’clock.”
I’ll give it to him, he’s definitely better at shocking the hell out of me. “You already made reservations? Where?”
“Château De Montagne.”
No way. He’s taking me to one of The Michelin Guide’s highest rated restaurants in the country? A twinge of anxiety hits my gut. Can I really subject myself to another night of high society mockery?
“Not possible. They’re normally booked out with reservations for months.”
A shrug, and then, “Guess I have a way with words.”
My genuine laughter catches him off guard. “Yeah, that’s definitely not it.”
Putting some space between us, I backtrack to the register to lock the cash drawer, and then flip the lights off. The gentle hum from the fridge up front sounds three times louder with Rowan in here, taking up space with his broody presence.
Like a statue, he stands in the doorway, glowering.
“Scoot,” I say, shooing him outside so I can finish locking up.
I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this, and at this point, I’m convinced I’ve lost my mind. But beneath a flood of nerves lies a subtle hint of excitement. Rowan may be everything I shouldn’t want, but there’s a sense of safety I’ve come to recognize whenever I’m around him.
“I’ll pick you up at your house at six-thirty sharp,” he says when I twist the lock, and not for the first time, I curse myself for letting him take me home.
Luckily for me, the fancy pants folk around here don’t mingle much with those below them, but Dad would be pissed to know I took part in that auction.
