She took a deep breath as the waiter directed them to a table and breathed in the scent of garlic and lamb and spices appreciatively.
Happily, the waiter reappeared with a basket of bread and a platter of dips so that she didn’t start drooling while she waited for food.
She picked up bread, slathered it with the nearest dip, and bit into it.
It tasted divine—smoky and garlicky and decadent—and she closed her eyes for a moment, chewed, swallowed, and then took another bite before she opened them again.
When she did, Lucas was watching her, smiling.
“I like the way you eat,” he said. “It’s very … enthusiastic.”
“I’m hungry.”
“Me, too.” He picked up bread and swished it through the dip. His eyes didn’t leave hers as he took a bite and then licked his finger where the dip had blobbed onto his knuckle.
Sara thought her skin might just catch on fire as she watched his mouth.
Damn it. She made herself look at the menu but she couldn’t concentrate. So she picked the first thing that her eyes settled on and tried to calm down a little. This was just dinner. She pretended to keep studying the menu but the waiter reappeared all too quickly and took their orders before disappearing again. Leaving her alone with Lucas.
Who was smiling at her again.
He looked somewhat like the cat who’d swallowed the canary. Pleased with himself. Which should have been annoying, but it was hard to be annoyed with a man who seemed to be delighted to be having dinner with her.
Still, it was a little unnerving to be under the gaze of those eyes. Small talk, that was what was needed. God. She had no idea what to talk to him about.
Then she remembered baseball.
“So did you make any decisions about the pitchers?” she asked.
“You’re asking me about baseball? I thought you weren’t interested?”
“I’m not.”
“Ah. Then why did you ask?”
“It seemed polite,” she said.
He laughed then. “Are you always this polite?”
“No.” Only with gorgeous men who make me nervous and could ruin my life. “But those kids were kind of sweet. So talk to me about them. Anyone having their dreams come true?”
“Why?”
“Because I’m not ready to talk about other things with you yet.”
That made his smile widen. “Do I make you nervous, Sara Charles?”
“A little.”
“I swear, I’m harmless.”
If he thought that, then he really had no idea how hot he was. “I find that very hard to believe.”
“Why?”
She waved a hand toward him. “Just look at you. You’re the kind of guy who leaves a trail of broken hearts in his wake.”
“I’m really not.”