Page 27 of Doll Face

Unease came over him. Had she figured out who he was? “And what is that?”

She grinned. “What’s your last name?”

He returned her grin, freaking out on the inside. The last thing he wanted to do was give her his last name. “It’s, um, Roman.”

“Matteo Roman?”

“Yeah,” he replied, nodding.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Roman. I’m Macy Moore.” She smiled. “Do you have a middle name?”

“Dominic. What’s yours?”

“Jane. Plain old Jane.”

“Nothing about you is plain,” he said. He started up the engine and pulled into traffic. “Want to spend the night at my place?”

“I have to pack if we’re flying out tomorrow.”

“I can buy you everything you need.”

“Nope,” she said, shaking her head. “I don’t want you spending your money on me.”

“Babe, I can afford it.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Then what is the point?”

“If I’m your girlfriend, I won’t have you spending unnecessary money on me.”

“Isn’t a boyfriend supposed to lavish gifts on a girlfriend?”

“Maybe flowers,” she said. “Or a trip to the movies. Dinner. A walk in the park. Watching the sunrise. Or the sunset. Volunteering at the soup kitchen. Walking through a field of wildflowers. Those are gifts to give a girlfriend.”

She never ceased to amaze him. “Most women would expect diamonds. Or rubies. Emeralds. Sapphires. Gold.”

“Where would I use any of that?” she asked. “Those are not practical gifts when you work in an arcade.”

“I would prefer you not work at the arcade.”

She shrugged. “It’s actually easier than being a server. I tried that for about a month, but I was too exhausted to work at the coffee shop.”

“You know, you don’t have to work.”

“Please, not this again.”

He blew out a frustrated breath. “What if we were married and I asked you not to work?”

“Are you proposing?”

Am I? “What if I am?”

“It’s way too soon. Ask me later.”

“Done. So, what about going to New York?”

“My boss knows I have frequent asthma attacks. I hate to use that as an excuse, but…” She took a deep breath. “I really want to go with you.”