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“And if they have eyes, they know damn well why I want to devour you.” She’d dressed up for our date, casting off her sexy country cowgirl look in favor of a tiny red dress that had my mind focused on getting her alone and peeling that dress off her curves. “Have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight?”
Brenna smiled and looked down but not before I spotted the flush turning her skin a sexy shade of pink. “A time or two, but a girl never gets tired of hearing that all of her hard work is appreciated.”
“Very appreciated.” I lifted my tumbler of whiskey with a grin. “To you, Brenna, for giving me a deep appreciation for the appeal of cowgirl boots.” She had on white boots with red tassels that I certainly wanted to see her wearing with nothing else.
“I’ll definitely drink to that.” She let out a soft, sexy giggle and took a long sip of bourbon. “Now that we’ve gotten the compliments and complications out of the way, tell me how fatherhood is treating you Grant?”
I knew what she was doing, subtly reminding me of the main reason she was on the fence about being with me, and I knew it was up to me to show her I was handling the new job of single fatherhood as well as any other single parent. “Pretty good, actually. I mean most days I still think I’m failing her, but Mariana trusts me more with each passing day and I have to tell you, Brenna, it feels like a pretty big victory.”
“Yeah? That’s great to hear!”
“It feels even better to say, knowing its true. She’s starting to ask for things like a normal little girl who’s confident it won’t get her sent away. She’s showing signs of becoming an even bigger smartass, which is amusing and annoying.”
Brenna’s laugh exploded out of her, drawing a few smiles and stares from other tables. At first, she was oblivious and then she offered up apologetic smiles before turning a wide, beaming smile my way. “You sound like a parent, Grant. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. It feels good.”
“I’m happy for you. Mariana is a great kid.”
“She is and even though I was terrified at first, I’m glad she’s here.” Mariana had changed my life in so many ways but I didn’t regret any of them. “Now if only I could convince this pretty salon owner that I want her for her crazy sayings, sexy twang, and a penchant for cowgirl boots, not to mention her sexy, husky laugh.”
She let out a long sigh and smiled. “I believe you, Grant.”
Her words shocked the hell out of me. “You do?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
I leaned forward and took her hand in mine. “I’m going to need a little more information than that, Brenna.”
She let out an amused laugh and gave my hand a squeeze. “Part of my issue is my own fears that were based on my past and had nothing to do with you. My doubts were valid, but I see now that you’re not looking for a mother for Mariana.”
“No, I’m looking for a woman for myself but not just any woman, Brenna. I’m looking at you. Right at you.”
“I see you, Grant. You certainly take up enough of the room.” She let out a nervous laugh and shook her head. “You come off as a good time guy but I see the SEAL and business owner in there, and the stern father that’ll rise to the surface at the first curfew violation. You’re formidable when you want to be.”
“Damn right, I am.” She licked her lips at my words and shook her head. “I’ve missed this, Brenna. Hanging out with you.”
“Me too,” she admitted quietly.
“We should do this more often, just you and me.”
“And sometimes Mariana,” she offered with a smile. “This was never about her and I want you to know that, Grant. I want to be wanted for me, not my gender or my closeness with your daughter. That’s all.”
I nodded. “I hope I’ve been doing a good job of showing you that lately?”
Brenna nodded slowly. “You have and that’s why I agreed to the date. At this really nice restaurant.”
“You even got all dolled up for me.”
“Nope, I did it for me, to make me feel more confident and comfortable on this date. I did mention you were formidable, didn’t I?”
It was my turn to laugh. “You did, and it only makes me want you more, knowing how hard you find it to resist me.”
“I never said you were irresistible,” she insisted, her twang thicker than ever. “I said formidable.”
I shrugged. “All I heard was, Grant I find you completely irresistible. In fact, right now I’m havin’ a hard time hangin’ on to my panties.”
Her face went from a blank slate to a wide grin that turned into laughter. Loud, deep-throated laughter that, once again, drew stares from the other diners. “Wow, I didn’t realize you left the Navy due to a hearin’ problem.”
