Page 45 of California Dreaming

No, there was no maybe about it. They were a great team.

And it was the most fun she’d had in years.

* * *

By the time they were back outside, she was ready to head home and prepare dinner, especially when Arch said, “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.” He turned to her with his gorgeous smile, the one that lit up a movie screen and made her heart skip. “I would like to take you to one of my favorite restaurants.”

“But, Arch, I’m not dressed for a fancy place.” Celebrities could eat at the finest restaurants in the world in old jeans and get away with it, but she didn’t want to do that.

He laughed. “You don’t dress up for this place.” He put an arm around her. “Come on, trust me.”

The tiny fish-and-chips place on Cannery Row felt like the perfect end to a perfect day. He chatted with the owners, who had reserved them a table, then left them alone to enjoy the best fish and chips Tessa had ever tasted.

More than ever, she wanted to give in to the urges she’d been fighting from the moment she first set eyes on Arch. All day long, he had touched her, little brushes of his fingertips on her hand, her arm, on the small of her back. His touch was delicate, light, almost innocent.

Except that she knew it was anything but innocent. Especially given that she was no longer able to hide her attraction to him, no matter how hard she tried. Especially when he didn’t hide his attraction to her at all.

And then there were all of his little flirty comments. Some so subtle that she wondered if it was all accidental. Maybe Arch was just a friendly, outgoing, charismatic person, no matter who he was with.

But no, she knew the truth: He was doing it to torture her because he could see through her carefully composed exterior and knew that she wanted more. Way more.

She wanted to feel the heat of his skin next to hers in the worst way. So much that it made it hard to concentrate on the amazing things he’d lined up for them to experience together today.

If only he realized she would have been just as happy with him at home. Naked, preferably.

Day by day, moment by moment, she had felt her resolve to stay professional turn to mush. But today? Well, today the walls she’d barely managed to keep up were coming down. Fast.

On top of that, it was fascinating to see how well Arch dealt with the fans who came up to him all day long. First, there’d been the giggling freshmen at the aquarium and then countless requests at the escape room venue. Through it all, he remained friendly, especially to the teens and little kids. Actually, he was just plain great with everyone. And so normal. So easy to be with.

And, most of all, so ridiculously sexy!

Arch took another mouthful of perfectly battered fish and dipped a fry in ketchup. She was already full, but couldn’t resist another deliciously crunchy fry.

He had given her the most memorable and wonderful day of her life. Every element had been so carefully planned, put together with such thought, that she couldn’t believe someone had it in them to be that romantic—let alone for her.

She caught his gaze across the table. There was so much warmth and affection in his eyes—as though she were the only woman in the entire world. It really had been the perfect day, and now there was no denying it: She was falling hard for Arch.

The thought scared her, for all the reasons that she’d been telling herself while she’d been working with him. But today, falling for Arch finally felt so right.

She had never felt like this with anyone else. Which meant that now she had no choice but to make a decision about her feelings—and her actions.

Would she risk everything to be with him for as long as it lasted? Or would she keep trying with all her might to keep her walls up until her assignment with him was over?

She lifted her glass of water to her lips, all the while holding Arch’s penetrating gaze. And that’s when she knew.

She wasn’t going to play it safe anymore.

After today, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep up the charade of being nothing but a professional with him.

Arch was well and truly under her skin.

And she wanted him to stay there.

Chapter Nineteen

Tessa realized that Arch was far more romantic than she could have dared to dream. Maybe Margaret had been right and Arch was more like his chivalrous father than she’d first thought.

When they’d eaten their fill, Arch suggested they take a slow stroll down Fisherman’s Wharf… maybe get some ice cream… watch the sunset. Again, she checked in with him to make sure he wasn’t overdoing it and feeling pain. But when he assured her again that he was feeling perfectly okay, she found herself nodding eagerly. Accepting his outstretched hand, she allowed her fingers to link with his.

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