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What if he saw her and was disappointed?
What if she’d been wrong and he didn’t show?
Her nervousness was just foolishness, wasn’t it?
No, it wasn’t. He wasn’t going to stand her up. No matter how many ghosts from the past haunted her mind, she refused to let them take hold. Her nervousness stemmed from so much more than fear of rejection and humiliation.
Her fears came from what would happen after their date.
Jude might have said he didn’t expect anything in return, but a man didn’t bother sending a woman a dress, shoes, and jewelry unless he wanted something.
She knew what he wanted. It was what they both wanted. Her question was why? He didn’t have to do gifts to get women into his bed, to get her into his bed. If anything, his gifts made her that much more skeptical. Was he toying with her? Seeing her as a challenge?
A make-over challenge?
Wouldn’t he be in for a surprise? Although she had on the dress he’d sent, the shoes that were surprisingly comfortable or she’d not have kept them on fifteen seconds, and the sparkly earrings, she’d not done anything more than brush a little mascara across her lashes and gloss on some lip balm to prevent chapping.
She glanced down at her glasses sitting on the bathroom sink counter. She didn’t need them to see, but she had a feeling she’d need them in other ways before the night ended. She slid them onto her face and instantly felt calmer.
She had this. She was in control. Not Jude. What happened tonight was up to her. Even he’d said so.
When she opened her apartment door and he stood there, in a tux, holding flowers, she wasn’t so sure about that control.
He looked like the hero straight from a romantic movie. Only she was no fun, quirky heroine. She was...just her.
A just her that felt prickles in her eyes. Prickles she fought because she was not going to end up with raccoon eyes tonight.
“You are beautiful.”
She went to deny his claim and chide him for his use of lines again, then realized he was sincere. He looked at her with true appreciation, with true admiration in his blue eyes. So she just stared at him in a bit of awe, blushed, and murmured thanks.
“I was wrong about wanting you to put up your hair. I like it better loose the way you have it. I’d never seen you with your hair down or I’d have suggested it to begin with. It’s gorgeous.”
Ha. She’d left it loose because she had felt contrary about being a yes girl who did everything he said and she hadn’t wanted her neck exposed. At least, she’d thought she didn’t want that. Maybe she did.
He didn’t comment on her glasses, but she knew he’d noted that she’d put them on despite his knowing she didn’t need them and that he’d asked her not to.
She wasn’t sure why, but in her mind contrariness to being a yes girl equaled control of what was happening between them. Or as close as she was going to manage.
“Do you have a coat?”
“I’m not going out there like this. I’d freeze,” she countered, then realized how brusque and rude she sounded. She needed to just embrace the wonderfulness of what he was doing for her and forget contrariness. “Sorry. I’m a bit on edge.”
“I’d never let you freeze.” His eyes had that twinkle that told he’d come up with all sorts of interesting ways to keep her warm. “I don’t want you tense, Sarah. This is supposed to be a fun night for you.”
“It’s impossible for me not to be on edge when I don’t understand why you’re doing this,” she admitted, pushing her glasses up a little on the bridge of her nose.
He watched her movement, grinned. “Doing what?”
“Taking me on a date.”
“You are a beautiful, intelligent woman who I had a great time with a couple of nights ago and who I want to get to know better.” He leaned forward and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Smile, Sarah. You have no reason to be nervous of me. My priority is for you to have the best night of your life.”
Sarah sucked in a deep breath. She couldn’t help it. She was positive that at no point in her life had anyone wanted to give her that. Not her mother. Not anyone.
“That
’s a good priority.”
