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How did he manage to do that? At once, he was annoying and charming.
Even though another chocolate martini sounded like heaven, she shook her head, consciously making the choice to scene with him when they got back to her place. The simple decision made waves of anticipation roll through her stomach.
“Did you eat anything besides hummus?” he asked Kelsey.
She shook her head.
“Would you like to go somewhere else for dinner or eat something else here?”
The idea of going out to dinner with him didn’t appeal to her, but she was still hungry. “Sliders,” she said.
“Andi?” he asked.
“I’d eat some.”
“Two orders, for the table.”
“With French fries,” Andi added.
The server committed the order to memory before leaving.
Over the next half hour as they ate, she was surprised by how charming Nathan was, asking Andi about her business and listening to her plans for expansion. But the whole time, with the way he touched her beneath the table and looked at her when she spoke, he made her feel extraordinarily special.
A master of conversation, the way he was with everything else, he directed the discussion toward the upcoming weekend. “I invited Kelsey to go to Deviation with me this weekend. I know you were the one to call to get her on the guest list, and I apologize most sincerely for interfering in your plans.”
Kelsey knew he wasn’t sorry, and she was sure Andi knew it as well. But she appreciated him for owning up to being the one to step in and alter things.
“Since it’s unexpected,” he said to Andi, “I’m happy to pick you up if you’d like to ride together.” With his words, he made it clear he was offering transportation and nothing more.
“Thanks for the offer, but no. And honestly, I’m glad,” she said. “I’d forgotten it’s my dad’s birthday party. I wouldn’t be able to get out of it. I was going to see if you could reschedule, Kelsey.”
Kelsey studied her friend, looking for signs of lies.
Andi turned up both palms as if to say she was telling the truth.
When the server brought the check, Nathan handed over his credit card.
“That’s not necessary,” Kelsey said.
He put his hand on her knee and caressed her. “It’s an honor to have dinner with two beautiful women.”
After the bill was settled, he asked, “Can I give you a lift somewhere, Andi?”
“Thanks, but I valet parked.”
Outside, both of them handed over claim tickets, and he said, “Get the lady’s car first.”
Andi was already safely on the road before the valet brought around Nathan’s SUV. He handed Kelsey into the car then gave the valet a tip that was bigger than she would have expected before getting in the vehicle.
“Is the temperature comfortable?”
“Fine. Thanks.” She was still slightly annoyed with him for showing up and cutting her time with Andi short.
This evening, he didn’t need directions to her house, and when her phone chimed, she pulled it out of her bag. As he’d said, he’d sent a couple of messages and called. Because of the background noise, she obviously hadn’t heard the notifications. And she could see it from his point of view. He’d been waiting to hear from her, and he hadn’t contacted her until after six-thirty, the time she’d said she might want to leave. Even then, he’d given her another thirty minutes before seeking her out. He hadn’t insisted she leave. And he’d paid the bill. Maybe she was overly sensitive to the overbearing male syndrome.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t hear the phone.”
“I enjoyed meeting your friend.” Since they were at a stoplight, he looked at her. “And I can’t wait to get you home.”
She wiggled against her seat. He’d dropped his voice before adding the second part, and he’d wrapped her in his cloak of intimacy.
Concentrating on anything but him, she looked at the text from Andi.
Holy hotness. He’s sex on a stick. I’ll do him if you don’t want him.
With a grin, she shook her head, turned off the screen then dropped the phone back in her bag.
At this time of evening, traffic was light.
“Have you done any thinking?” he asked. “About proper behavior.”
In an instant, he’d gone from general conversation to something that only concerned them. “I was hoping we could skip that part.”
“I’m sure you were.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve actually had time to think about it. Aren’t you busy snapping up companies all over the city?”
“The state, actually,” he replied.
“You’re not joking?”
