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I searched his face for any sign that he was offering all this just to placate me, and found none. Just a genuine desire to please. “If you really think it’s safe, then okay.” A smile played on my lips. “Anywhere in mind?”
“Something tells me we don’t have the same taste in nightlife, so why don’t you pick?”
“Okay. Give me a minute to think.”
There were plenty of places we could go out on this proto-date, but I wanted it to be enjoyable for him, too. Who knew how long we’d be entrenched in this mess? This might be the only chance we got to let our hair down.
I flipped through the rolodex of friends in my mind, considering my connections and how they could best be used to my advantage tonight. I felt frustrated, coming up empty handed unless Gunner was in the mood for matching mani-pedis, but then like a lightbulb going off, I had a brilliant idea.
“I have a friend who’s dating the executive chef at that steakhouse, Nick and Sam’s. I bet I can get us a reservation. Let’s just go out to a nice dinner, Gunner. I’m tired of delivery. What do you think? A first date, I mean—” I paused, embarrassed but giddy at the same time. “If you want it to be a date.”
“Of course I do,” he confirmed. He then whistled low, blinking. “Isn’t that the place where the plates cost as much as a downpayment for a house, though?”
“It’s on me,” I told him firmly, holding up my hand when he started to complain. “I have a bank account full of dirty money, let me enjoy it.”
We climbed into the Rover, Gunner wrangling with the idea of me picking up the entire check at a place like Nick and Sam’s, but finally he agreed. “Fine. I’m a modern man, I can let you paythis time.”
I clapped and rubbed my hands together excitedly. “This is going to be so fun. But I need you to swing by Nordstroms first. They aren’t going to seat us—'' I waved at both our outfits, made for ease of movement and comfort during long hours of research, “—wearing this stuff. The suit is on me, too by the way. Ah ah! No arguing!”
Gunner snapped his mouth shut and blew an annoyed breath out of his nose, but it didn’t deter me. I grinned to myself the entire drive, and despite his complaints, Gunner pulled us into the Nordstrom parking lot within a few minutes. I turned to him, wanting to kiss his handsome, thoughtful face, but holding back, settling for a quick pat on his thick, muscular thigh.
“Thank you for this. We’re going to have so much fun. Come on.”
Gunner grumbled, but he followed me inside, hovering close for protection. His patience for me seemed endless, and I didn’t take it for granted. I didn’t take anythingabout Gunner for granted.
Chapter Twenty
Gunner
If I hadn’t been ready to die from all the blood in my brain relocating to my cock after the library interlude with Rachel, I was certainly going to when she stepped out of the hotel bathroom in the dress she had just purchased for dinner. I clenched my teeth and forced the more primal part of myself to calm down and enjoy this rare moment.
I’d seen pictures of her dressed in everything from ball gowns to bikinis when I searched for her pictures prior to meeting her, so I hadn’t anticipated how seeing her dressed up forme,in person, would make me feel. It was indescribable. She’s so far out of my league, but I wasn’t about to tell her that, not when she still wanted me with as much intensity as she had back in the records wing of the library. It was a secret I’d keep, as long as she was still interested.
I’m a smart man, most of the time, but Rachel left me speechless and without a thought in my head that wasn’ther.She walked into the main portion of the suite, her nude heels clicking on the marble tiles near the doorway. I took her in from head to toe, savoring the moment in case I never got to experience this again with her, committing it all to memory in fine detail.
Her long dark hair was loosely curled, spilling over her shoulders in waves the color of black coffee, and she wore no jewelry besides a thin string of silver that came together at the hollow of her throat before continuing downward in a single strand that dipped between her breasts. The straps on her shoulders were thin, barely noticeable, flowing into the V of her neckline, where the dress, which was the color of sand mixed with the slightest purple, continued downward, hugging her curves until it reached six inches or so above her knees.
She made my mouth go dry. She made me feel like I was seventeen years old again in the back of my dad’s Suburban with my first girlfriend. I couldn’t fathom that I had one of those perfectly bronzed legs wrapped around my waist just hours ago while I—
I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath. If I let my mind go down that road, we’d never leave this hotel room, and Rachel was really looking forward to this.
When I got myself back under control, I opened my eyes, and she was looking at me with a soft, unreadable expression. “Everything okay, big guy?”
I laughed self-consciously. “Just wondering what bit of positive karma I incurred to get this chance. That color looks great on you, by the way, whatever it is.”
Her smile turned amused. “It’s called taupe.”
“I will never remember that. Anyway,” I offered her my hand, and she took it, linking our fingers together with no hesitation, “are you ready?”
“So ready,” she confirmed, laying her free hand over her stomach. “I’m starving.”
As we left the building, I got a taste of Rachel in her element; her flawless posture, slightly tilted chin, and the absolute control of her movements down to the most minute of things. Every step, every curl of her finger, and every turn of her head was carefully thought out, but at the same time instantaneous. I realized all this time we had spent together she had been Rachel the woman; smart, funny, capable, and strong, but there was this other facet to her that I hadn’t seen before. Rachel the performer, her talent on display for the world to see, like she had slipped on a brand-new persona. Other guests in the lobby turned to gawk at her, not me for once, as we passed. No one cared if there was a man of 6-foot 7 around when there was someone like her. A moving work of art.
I was humbled, but then nervous, and I hadn’t been nervous in at least a decade. At least not with a woman, but I shouldn’t have even given that emotion the time of day. As soon as we were outside under the twinkling stars and city lights, Rachel stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to my cheek, the smell of peaches coming from her hair all around us. It didn’t matter if she was a porn star because that’s just one part of the whole with this incredible woman.
“I can’t believe we get to act like civilized people tonight,” she gushed. “I’ve been eating french fries in bed like a wild animal for almost a week now, my system is probably going into shock when I eat something worthwhile.”
“Mine’s going to go into shock if you let me see the check,” I grumbled. “I looked up the menu while you were getting ready and holy fuck, Rachel, some of the steaks are—”
