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“Yeah? You trust me enough to get into my car?” I twinkled at her.
“Your car, yes. You’ve received stellar character references from our mutual Viking friend.” She teased before a cloud passed through her eyes. “Although reports from our mutual lady friends are mixed.”
“Mixed?” I drew back, shocked.
“Mm-hmm. They love you. They also warned me that you have a busy dating life.”
I studied her face.
She did not look pleased.
My heart raced.
Fuck.
I stepped closer and was gratified to see her eyes widen.
With a touch to her delicate chin, I reminded her. “No stats until the third date. No clothes come off until we’re exclusive.”
She swallowed hard, and her voice when she answered was husky. “Okay.”
Opening the passenger side door and tucking her inside gave me a feeling of satisfaction I didn’t recognize. Getting in beside her, taking her with me, there was something elemental about it.
She spoke easily about the little men in her life. It was a shame she wasn’t a mother; she would have been a good one.
That thought led to another, one I wasn’t willing to entertain yet, so I shut it down.
Twenty minutes of following her directions later, I pulled into the parking lot across from Baranga’s on the Beach.
Minty waved her hand towards the restaurant with a flourish. “Souvlaki.”
“Ah, a woman who understands my needs,” I joked.
I rested my palm lightly at the small of her back as we walked into the restaurant. She stiffened at the first touch before leaning back ever so slightly against the lightness of my touch.
The barest hint of roses brushed her cheeks. Perhaps Minty was not quite so cool and collected as she seemed. That blush did things to me, and I looked away before my face gave away my thoughts.
Seated on the patio, we had an excellent view of the beach. Tall plants and vivid flowers nestled into corners and lined the half wall where we sat. Greek music piped through the speakers. Between that, the sunshine, the smell of the food, the sound of the waves, and the fragrance of the flowers, I could almost imagine myself in Greece.
We ordered our meals and settled in.
She ordered Greek salad with a side of fries.
“I thought you couldn’t look at another potato?”
“You’ll see,” she exclaimed. “These are not ordinary potatoes, and if you’re good, I’ll share.”
“Oh, I’ll be good,” I laughingly replied. “I promise. At least until I get your French fries. And no, that’s not a euphemism for something else,” I added drily.
Small talk always bored me. I tried, but my mind buzzed with questions, things I wanted to know about her.
“Have you ever been married? Any children?” I blurted out.
A wall came down over her eyes, and she withdrew slightly. “No. You?”
“Never married, but I do have a child. A little girl. She’s two and her name is Brayleigh.”
“That’s lovely!” she smiled with her hands clasped in front of her face. “You’ll be able to talk babies with Barrett!”
