Page 27 of Manhattan Kiss

And maybe he will.

TEN

Deacon

I know I’m a lucky bastard. I made my money early and big. I have an incredible daughter who is the light of my life, and when I came into the restaurant this evening and saw Aurora sitting there on her own, I prayed that her date would stand her up.

And my prayers were answered.

From the moment I stared down at her coffee-covered breasts and then looked up into her green eyes, I’ve wanted to know more about her. Why is she in New York? What makes her laugh? Does she scream when she comes?

I’ve learned more about her than I thought I would. And for some reason, I feel comfortable sharing things with her that I wouldn’t usually. I’m not sure why, but I feel like I can be more open with Aurora than people I’ve known for years.

I might know her a little better after dinner, but I’m just as intrigued by her.

“Let’s go,” I say, as I wave over the waitress to ask for our bill.

Aurora sits poised with her phone, like she thinks she’s going to be going Dutch or something. Is she insane? Maybe. Adorable? Absolutely.

I hand the waitress my card and Aurora says, “I have Apple Pay.”

“Put it on my card,” I say.

“I can⁠—”

“I invited you to dinner. I don’t expect you to pay.”

She sighs in that way that I find delightful. It’s wistful, like some romantic heroine of Victorian times or something. “That’s very kind of you.”

“You don’t expect the men you have dinner with to pay?”

She shakes her head. “Why would I? Do the women you normally take to dinner expect you to pay?”

I chuckle. “Absolutely.”

“They assume?” she asks, her eyebrows pulling together. I want to cup her face in my hands and tell her not to worry about it. Not to worry about anything. She stands out like a sore thumb in New York, and I want to preserve her innocence a little. Protect her. Not too much, but enough.

“If I ask someone to dinner, I assume. Assuming isn’t a bad thing.”

“Do you assume you’re going to have sex with them if you buy dinner?”

I raise my eyebrows a little in surprise.

“What?” she says. “I’m just being blunt and to the point. Like you.”

I nod, slowly, taking her in. I don’t have a problem with her being blunt and to the point, but something in the way she talks, the way she tries to shrug off my surprise, makes me think that being that way isn’t usual for her.

“This isn’t the eighties. I don’t expect a blowjob in return for a cocktail. Or sex in return for dinner. Women sleep with me if they want to. They don’t if they don’t.” I pause. I’m not quite sure if I should say what’s on the tip of my tongue. But I want to shock her. I like the way her cheeks flush and her eyes widen. I imagine it’s a lot how she’ll look when she’s on her knees with my cock in her mouth.

“Do you want to sleep with me, Aurora?” I ask.

Her cheeks darken, but she takes a few seconds to gather her thoughts, and I like her better for not fumbling for an answer right away. “Not tonight,” she replies.

I appreciate her honest answer. “Not tonight. That’s good to know. Come on, I’ll see you home. Where do you live? Do we need a car?”

“You don’t need to do that,” she says, as we stand and head toward the exit.

“I might not need to, but that’s what’s going to happen.”