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His lips spread into a knowing grin, like he was fully aware of the power his appearance had over me. “Shannon. Hey. You look beautiful.”
“Thanks. So do you.” He gave the flowers a little wiggle and I took them in my hands, closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. “They’re gorgeous, but totally unnecessary. Thank you.”
“Nonsense. Flowers are always necessary, especially when they make you smile like that.”
I wasn’t going to argue with him so I rushed back to the kitchen and popped them in the fridge, grabbing a wrap and my clutch as I headed back to the front door. “Okay. Ready. Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” Miles wore another of his satisfied grins and I braced myself for what it would look like to be romanced by Miles. He’d already done a good job with paintball and taking care of me, I couldn’t imagine what real romance would look like. “Worried,” he asked as his strong, capable hands navigated the car down the highway.
“No. Curious, though.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “How are you feeling today?”
“Good,” I sighed. “Very little nausea today and I took a nap so I probably won’t fall asleep at the dinner table.” I was more excited about this date than I let myself admit until this moment. “Lucky you.”
“Too true,” he said in a low, gravelly voice as he exited the highway and pulled into a short brick building with a dark green awning. “This is our first stop.”
Miles did everything right, helping me from the car and keeping a strong hand on my lower back, guiding me and making sure I never went more than a few seconds without his touch. “This place looks fancy.”
“I’m told this is the place to go when you want to impress a pretty girl.”
I laughed. “Good to know.” The place was impressive. It was lit for romance, with low lighting and flickering flames on every table, long tablecloths and one single pink rose in the center of each table. The waitstaff wore basic black and white with adorable bowties and most of all, they were discreet, seeming to appear only when they were needed. “So far, I’m impressed most by the scents coming from the kitchen.”
Miles laughed again, the sound was low and rich and highly contagious. “Glad to see you still have your appetite.”
“Me too,” I admitted as we were seated at a curved booth, perfect to get close, which Miles did as soon as the hostess left us alone. “This is great, Miles.”
“I’m glad.” He flashed a sheepish smile that really shouldn’t have had any effect on me, but it did, because it showed that it mattered to him. That what I thought, mattered to him.
“Tell me about your day.”
He blinked. Surprised. “Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. That’s how dates work, right? You tell me something funny and engaging about your day and it’ll tell me so much about you.”
He grinned. “You already know so much about me.”
“Yes. I know you love your job, but this is a date. Tell me a story.”
Miles held both hands up in a defensive gesture. “Yes ma’am.” We shared a smile that lasted a little longer than it should have, before he let out a sigh and began to talk. “A new group of corporate clients arrived today. All women from one of those multi-level marketing type groups, ya know?”
“Makeup or vitamins or essential oils?”
“Exactly!” He laughed and shook his head. “They were great. Bubbly and fun and excited to try out the obstacles even though they were clearly too much for them. We mostly got stuck at the rope climb, but they were all flirting with Liam and you can imagine how well that went.”
I laughed out loud and shook my head. “I would give anything to see how Mr. Gruff himself handled those women.”
“It wasn’t too bad. He blushed a lot and dished out reluctant compliments that the women ate up. Then Grant got in on it and, I think the ladies had a great time.”
“Grant and Liam, but not you?” I couldn’t help but tease him. “I imagine that combinations of muscles and boy next door appeal does things to women of a certain age.”
He shrugged. “I’m only interested in doing things to one particular woman.”
Damn. Miles was bringing out the big guns tonight. By the time we ordered our meals, I felt hot and bothered, oh I was just plain horny. It was really unfair, actually, sitting there vibrating with need while he just smiled serenely. Not hot, not bothered, not bursting with desire. “Sounds like a busy day.”
“Most days are busy like that, sometimes the days are more serious, especially with the security and tactical training, which makes days like today extra fun.”
“Do you miss the Navy?”
He shrugged. “I’ll always miss it, but having my own business with three of my buddies is a second act I have no complaints about.”
