Page 10 of Protected

She wanted so badly to like Terrance Burton III. Not only because she was trying to move on from Parker, but also because… Okay, maybe it was about moving on from Parker.

Still, why’d this guy have to be so boring? She should’ve listened to herself earlier when she had considered canceling, but she hadn’t because she didn’t want to sit at home thinking about her ex. Now she couldn’t wait to get home and curl up on her overstuffed sofa while devouring a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. That chocolate fudge brownie ice cream was calling her name.

Chelsey lifted her glass of Chardonnay and took a sip as she glanced at Terrance. The dull man was still talking about his new car. At least they were at one of her favorite steakhouses near Midtown Atlanta. The dimly lit space was romantic with soft jazz flowing through the speakers, and the hum of patrons talking and laughing helped create a relaxing environment. Also, the food was as amazing as usual, and the blackened salmon practically melted in her mouth. So the date wasn’t all bad.

“Every day I learn something new about my Acura,” Terrance said. “I didn’t realize I had adaptive cruise control. It blows my mind how the car can slow itself down to match the speed of the car in front of it. Then go right back to cruising.”

What a waste of a handsome face, Chelsey thought as he droned on and on. The man was good-looking with smooth reddish-brown skin, an incredible body, and a swag that gave him a bad-boy vibe. She had always had a thing for bad boys, loving their edginess, self-confidence, and even their fearlessness.

Terrance had all of that with a bit of arrogance. He also had a good job as a data analyst for an international company, and he was taking night classes to finish his master’s degree in computer science. He should’ve been a great catch—but deep down, Chelsey felt that something was off. She couldn’t quite pinpoint what that was, besides him being boring, but there was definitely something about him that didn't add up. It was almost like he was too perfect.

Her brother always told her to trust her instincts, but when it came to men and dating, her instincts weren’t the best. Just once she wished she could choose the perfect man. Instead, she had chosen this one. A man who was making her feel as if she was sitting in on a mind-numbing lecture waiting for it to end. More than that, being with Terrence only made her miss Parker more.

Chelsey sighed as she used her fork to push jasmine rice around on her plate. She actually didn't think she chose wrong with Parker. He was a wonderful man who cared about people and was committed to those who mattered to him. Even though they were no longer dating, she knew she could call him if she ever needed him.

God, she missed him. He had become such an important part of her life, and thenpoof, he was gone. She would always love him despite how mad she still was at the way he’d ended things between them.

I need to talk to you.

There’s something I need to tell you.

His words played through her mind. What was so important that he’d wanted to tell her? Maybe in another day or two, once she knew she could control herself around him, she’d hear him out. That wouldn’t be anytime soon, though. Lately, she waffled between wanting to punch him and wanting to make love to him.

How messed up was that?

“So how was work today?” Terrance suddenly asked, shocking the heck out of Chelsey. “I don’t think I ever asked you, but how do you like being a parole officer?”

Nope he never asked because he spent the last two dates and several phone calls, talking about his work and what a great basketball player he was. Granted, occasionally he’d ask her a question about herself, but somehow the conversation always went back to him and the high opinion he had of himself.

“Today was okay. Made a few home visits, saw a couple of clients, and did a lot of paperwork. So it was a fairly routine day.”

“You actually call them clients?” he asked, a deep frown on his face.

“No, actually I call them by their names, and they are my clients.”Asshole. What did he expect her to call them? Thief? Murderer? Or something else crazy like that?

“I don’t like the idea of you being around criminals all day,” Terrance said as if she cared about what he liked or didn’t like. “They might be trying to reform, but they are still criminals. I remember this one time when I walked in on a store robbery…”

And once again the conversation is about him.

It was almost laughable. Well, at least he didn’t ask her more questions about work. Some people wanted to know everything about her job and her clients. Especially those clients who had committed murder.

It was amazing how her dreams had changed over the years. In college, she had majored in criminal justice. Her intention was to become a criminal investigator for a US government agency. After doing an internship with the FBI, she quickly lost interest. Then after Kenton, who used to be an FBI agent, became a security specialist at Supreme Security, Chelsey had decided that’s what she wanted to do, too. Unfortunately, Mason was still insisting she needed more experience, but she would show him that she was ready.

“Chelsey?” Terrance said, waving his hand back and forth in front of her face.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Sitting up straighter, she was surprised to see their server standing next to the table. “What did you say?”

“I was asking if either of you would like dessert.”

“Oh no. I’m good. Actually, I’m finished eating,” Chelsey said and slid her mostly empty plate toward the server.

“What about you, sir? Would you like anything else?”

“No thank you. You can bring the check.”

“Will do.”

Even as they left the restaurant, the enticing aromas followed them out. Though the date had been just okay, everything else about the evening was wonderful. Good food, beautiful night, and despite the ninety-five degrees earlier, the temperature and humidity had dropped. It was still hot, but the light breezekissed Chelsey’s warm skin and had her breathing a sigh of relief.

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