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A smile—I think—tugs at the corners of Dale’s mouth. Is he amused? Or is he secretly glad to be going out with me tonight?
“My brother would know just how to handle you,” he says, still shaking his head.
“And you don’t?”
“Fuck, Ashley.” He shakes his head yet again. “I don’t even know how to hold your damned hand.”
He’s not wrong. He fumbled at it, eventually crushing my bones.
“You knew what you were doing pretty well in your office. Remember?”
His cheeks redden slightly, and his jaw tenses again. Yeah, he remembers.
“That’s different,” he says.
“How is it different?”
“I know how to please a woman. I’ve been around the block a few times.”
“Then how do you not know how to hold a woman’s hand?”
He stares at me, his green eyes searing with fire. “Because I’ve never done it before.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Dale
Because I’ve never done it before.
The words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them. Fuck. What is she going to think now? I’m a thirty-five-year-old man who doesn’t know how to hold a woman’s hand. My confession shouldn’t surprise her, given my asinine attempt to grab her hand just minutes earlier.
I’ve never actually dated anyone. Not seriously, anyway. Not someone I have feelings for. I’ve grown used to the fact over the years that I’ll probably never develop the kind of feelings for a woman that I’d need to pursue a long-term relationship. And I was okay with that.
Until now. Ashley White intrigues me. Gets under my skin in a way I’m not prepared for. I’m not in love with her. A man doesn’t fall in love in less than a week. But God, something about her… She’s beautiful, yes. She’s smart. She’s funny. But I’ve known a lot of beautiful, smart, and funny women in my life. I never fell in love with any of them. I never wanted to.
For the first time, though, I’m thinking thoughts I have no business thinking.
Having feelings I have no business feeling.
And the scariest thing? I like it. I like these thoughts and feelings that have no place in my world. I’m not satisfied just to fuck Ashley. Just to have her suck my dick and then go down on that sweet pussy of hers.
No.
I want to hold her hand. I want to start at the beginning and fall in love.
“Fortnight,” Ashley says.
I cock my head, those thoughts and feelings I don’t want damn near giving me goosebumps. “What?”
“Fortnight. I just texted Levi. That’s the name of the steakhouse.”
“Levi?”
“Yeah. Levi Jones. I just told you. He’s the guy from the tasting who likes Syrah. Don’t you listen, Dale?”
Yeah, I listen. Except when my thoughts are consumed with you.
“He’s a good contact, Dale,” she continues. “He bought four cases of wine, and he’s the vice president of marketing for his family’s company that owns several high-end steakhouses. Maybe he’ll start serving your wines.”
“At the moment, I don’t give a rat’s ass whether he ever serves my wine.”
“But—”
“That’s where we’ll go to dinner,” I say. “I’ll make a reservation at Fortnight.”
“I just thought of something, though,” Ashley begins. “What if—”
“What if what? What if he’s there?”
“Well…yeah.”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass,” I say again.
She draws in a breath, bringing her pert breasts high on her chest. Those nipples… Damn.
“All right. Fine. I’ll tell him I can’t make it tonight, and I hope we can get together another time.”
I clench my jaw but say nothing.
She fiddles with her phone. “Done.”
“I need to get back inside,” I say. “See if there are any tasters who still need some help.”
“Sure. I’ll come along.” She smiles and walks back into the building.
Her legs are slender and shapely, and her ass… Damn. I’ve had my face between those gorgeous ass cheeks, my tongue inside her sweetness. Already, my groin is tightening.
This isn’t my idea, I remind myself. It’s Ashley’s. She’s insisting I make good on the lie I told to get out of dinner with Katie and her friend.
I’m frightened. Not frightened of going out with a woman, of course, but frightened of what I may be starting. What I want to start, but have no business starting.
I sigh and follow Ashley back into the building while absently pulling my phone out of my pocket and searching for the Fortnight Steakhouse in Grand Junction.
We arrive at the steakhouse after a half-hour drive. The entire time, I was so very aware of her left hand sitting on top of her thigh. How I wanted to grab it and entwine my fingers with hers, feel her skin against mine in this most innocent of touches.
I didn’t.
I wasn’t kidding when I said I didn’t know how to hold her hand.
I find a parking spot and stop the car. Without speaking, I get out and walk to the passenger door, but she’s already out. She looks radiant tonight in a red sundress and high-heeled sandals. I hope she’ll be warm enough.
