Page 69 of 1001 Dark Nights: Bundle Forty-Seven

Devon had no time to come up with a snappy retort.

He winked—actually winked—and was gone, the bell over the door tinkling merrily.

Dear Lord, the man had game.

She stared at Bear, sprawled out on the floor, taking up most of the precious space in the store. Then sighed. “Why do I thinkthis whole thing could be headed toward disaster? And even more important, why am I going to do it anyway?”

Bear barked.

“Yeah, that’s what I say. I guess I’ll just find a cute outfit to wear and see how it goes.”

Chapter Seven

He was nervous.

Jameson took a deep breath, inwardly cursing his odd surge of emotion. This was ridiculous. Asinine, really. He had no reason to freak out about seeing Devon for an actual date. He’d dated enough women in his past to feel confident and avoid first date jitters. Besides, he knew Devon—it wasn’t a cold meet like on a dating app.

Yet, the kiss had disturbed him.

In a good way.

His brain once again blasted the memory of her body melting against his, the softness of her lips, the delicious taste of her. The connection had blistered hot in a way he’d never experienced before, as if he’d found his other half.

Of course, he believed in none of that nonsense, just like he believed Christmas wasn’t magical. But he wanted to see her again and delve deeper. To find out more about how she came to be the woman she was.

And maybe to kiss her again.

He shook his head and finished closing up Vintage. It had been a better day, with less people complaining about the changes, yet Jameson was beginning to think he’d made some errors. He was so sure it would catch on, but the town still clung to what Vintage had been in the past. His bar bill was too low to make much of a profit. Each customer who brought in a bottle and heard there was a full bar now was stubborn enough not to want to order a cocktail. The lobster tacos were rarely ordered because everyone believed it had replaced the pancake charcuterie board. He was dealing with an element of small-town emotion he rarely encountered in the restaurant business.

Plus, he’d had to call Carl and make nice, which was a nightmare. But after his chat with Zoe, he knew he needed to at least offer a visit from Santa. He put a placard up to advertise and brunch was completely booked. He still had a few weeks left before Mac came back, and needed to think positive. Hopefully, he’d be able to offer his cousin a more profitable, freshened up restaurant that would serve him well.

The click of heels alerted him to his date so he went to meet her at the door.

Damn, she was beautiful.

Bear bounded beside her, stretched to the maximum limit on the leash, but she never stumbled in her high platform boots. Her willowy body was clad in clingy black leggings, thigh high boots, and an emerald green sweater that made her eyes gleam like jewels. Her hair was long and loose, the pin straight strands reminding him of how satisfying it’d been to bury his fingers in them. Her lips were stained blush pink, her face bare of heavy makeup. His gaze hungrily roved over her figure, each graceful stride toward him. “Hi, flower girl. Hi, Bear.”

The dog strained at the leash, so Devon unclipped him, allowing Bear to run free and almost tackle him with enthusiasm. “The beast missed you,” she teased, tucking the leash into her hobo bag.

“Did anyone else?”

She laughed easily at his question, a flirty look in her eyes. “Depends on what you’re feeding me, restaurant boy. I’ve had a busy day and I’m starving.”

Jameson pet Bear, which made fur fly into the air and cling to his black pants, along with damp drool. “If you promise not to complain about the pancakes and didn’t bring your own champagne, I’ll dazzle you with dinner.”

“Good, because I had pancakes for breakfast.”

They shared an easy grin, and he led her over to a corner table he’d set up. Candles flickered in the shadows and added an intimate atmosphere. He’d already prepared the meal beforehand. “The food is ready because I know it’s late. Here, take a seat.”

She slid into the offered chair. “I don’t mind. My schedule is a bit erratic depending on events, so I’ve gotten used to eating at odd times.”

“Can I get you some wine?”

“Yes, please. Cabernet is perfect.”

“Be right back.” He went into the kitchen to finish plating and poured two glasses of wine. Bear had flopped on the floor beside the table and when he caught the scent of food, began to whine. “I got something for you, too, beast.” He set the plates down, and went into the kitchen to retrieve a small bowl of cut-up filet.

Devon whistled. “Wow, we’re all eating fancy tonight.”

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