Page 12 of Alluring

Alexis shrugged. "What's not to like? It's a Range Rover." She turned to smile up at him. "Please tell me you at least take it off-roading."

"In my free time, it's one of my favorite things to do." He helped her into the SUV then leaned across her to buckle her seat belt.

Her breathing stopped, and her heart rate picked up as his arm lightly brushed the tips of her breasts. "I could have done that," she whispered.

Jack stood and gave her an evil grin. "Where's the fun in that?" He slammed her door, rounded the hood, then hopped in the driver's side before slamming his door, and starting the ignition.

Alexis watched him snap his seat belt before she asked, "What else do you like to do in your free time?"

He put the car in reverse, moved his arm behind her headrest, and turned his upper body to look out the back window before backing up. She could feel the heat from his arm and, that alone, sent goose bumps up her arms. She was in big trouble if just his arm could do that to her. He braked, giving her his evil grin (again!) before responding. "I assume, you mean besides the obvious."

Alexis felt her cheeks heat. She really needed to suck it up and stop blushing so much.

He put the car in drive and got on the road before answering. "I like sports. I try to play basketball at least once a week with some buddies of mine. I also work out, in the gym at the hotel, a few times a week."

"Is that how you stay in such good shape?" Oh God, she didn't mean to say that out loud.

He gave her a sly look. "I'm glad you noticed."

Of course, she noticed. How could she not? He looked incredible in anything he wore. She'd had her hands on his arms just yesterday. His biceps were hard and solid, and her hands barely spanned the width of them. She decided not to comment.

Jack gave her a knowing smirk before asking, "What do you do in your free time?"

"I read."

When she didn't continue, he asked, "That's it?"

Alexis looked down at her hands. She noticed a hangnail on her thumb and started picking at it. Jack's hand reached over and covered hers to stop her fidgeting. Alexis looked up at him. They were stopped at a red light. His gaze was on her and something worked behind his eyes. As if, he were trying to figure her out. She didn't want to be figured out.

She cleared her throat, put a smile on her face, and said with forced cheerfulness, "I work two jobs. Most of my free time is spent sleeping." Her smile faded when he didn't laugh at her joke and vanished completely, when he didn't even crack a grin.

He continued to look at her until a horn honked behind them. Alexis broke eye contact to look out the front window. "Light's green," she said. The car picked up speed and she kept staring out the window.

Jack took her to Engage, a trendy restaurant, located a few blocks off the strip in a commercial area that had several shopping and entertainment locales. The restaurant had a rocker theme. Album covers of various rock bands from the last three decades, covered the walls. Rock memorabilia littered every surface. Countless guitars of every shape, size, and color overlaid the ceiling. Visually, it was almost too much to take in. She'd heard somewhere that the lead singer of the band, Engage, opened the place about a year ago.

Jack firmly held Alexis's hand as he made his way to the hostess and whispered something in her ear. She smiled, grabbed two menus, and motioned for them to follow.

As they made their way to the table, Jack leaned over near Alexis. "I didn't realize this place would be so busy or so loud. Not exactly what I had in mind for our first date." Alexis didn't think it would be wise to mention that it was going to be their only date. "I've never been here before. Have you?"

She shook her head. "I've heard of it but have never been here. Doesn't some rock star own the place?" The waitress seated them at a back corner, semiprivate booth. She handed them menus before informing them that their waitress would be with them shortly.

"Yeah, Gage Hunter, he's a friend of mine. I've promised him, for a while now, that I would come and check the place out, but I've never had anyone that I've wanted to bring with me," Jack opened his menu and looked over the top of it, at Alexis, "Until now."

The waitress came up to their table. She wore an uniform of black, short shorts and a tight, white T-shirt that hadEngagewritten across the front in big, black, cursive letters. She had straight, blond hair up in a high pony tail, blue eyes, a pert, little nose, and a dazzling smile which she directed exclusively at Jack. "Do you guys know what you want to order?" she asked, holding her order pad at the ready. She was asking them both the question, but her eyes never strayed from Jack.

He was still looking at the menu. "I don't think we're ready to order yet, but I'll have a beer." He lowered his menu and smiled at Alexis. "What would you like to drink?"

"I'll have an iced tea."

After the waitress left, Jack set his menu on the table. "Do you know what you want?"

Alexis closed her menu and put it to the side. "I think I'll have the California burger with onion rings, instead of fries."

Jack smiled.

"What?"

"Most women would've ordered a salad."

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