Page 47 of Courting Clemson

“I don’t know… Getting carried away sounds like it has its merits.”

She pulled from my embrace and slowly shook her head. “This is our first official date. I have a firm rule about first dates, and I really hope you’re okay with that.”

“You don’t fool around on the first date?”

“No more than kissing. I think if a guy thinks I’m worth being patient for, then I’ll make sure it’s worth it when it happens,” she said while looking directly in my eyes.

I couldn’t help but appreciate her confidence, even though my dick wanted a lot more of what we were doing.

“Fair enough,” I conceded. “I can be patient.”

“Good. Thank you for not pushing, and thank you again for the amazing dinner. Now let’s clean these dishes up and have another glass of wine. But then I have to head home, because like I said, I have early practice tomorrow.”

She continued clearing dishes, and I watched her ass when she leaned over the table to reach a plate on the other side. Good Christ, the woman’s body was the stuff dreams were made of. And apparently, that would be the closest I’d be getting to it tonight.

I made up my mind to be fine with the situation. She would be worth the wait. I was sure of it. I just had to insist we didn’t go too long before we saw each other again. Based on the amount of time I spent daydreaming about her leading up to this date, I’d never get anything productive done until I saw her again.

The valet service brought her car to the front of the building, and we stood beneath the street lamp kissing until they pulled up. I wanted to get lost in this woman so badly, I had to drag my body away from hers while her car sat idling in the driveway.

“Thank you again,” she said in that sultry tone her voice took on. “See you soon.” She pecked my lips quickly and slid behind the wheel. “Get inside before you get bitten up. The bugs have been terrible this year.”

Quite the caretaker. Yet another endearing quality to file away. Clemson made sure everyone around her was comfortable and safe before worrying about herself. She really was perfect girlfriend material. Not that I was a needy guy, but who didn’t want to feel cared for?

With my hands in my pockets, I watched her drive off into traffic until I lost her car in the sea of others. I shuffled back into my building and caught a knowing smile from Bobby, the doorman.

“She’s lovely,” he said like a father giving his son advice. “A real looker, that one.”

“Yeah.” I sighed. “She’s really something else, isn’t she?”

“If I may be so bold, Mr. Allen, to offer some words of wisdom from an old man?”

I nodded in permission.

He grinned. “Work isn’t the most important thing in life. Don’t let a good one slip through your fingers.”

“I’m going to do my best, Bobby.” I smiled. “Honestly.”

We said goodnight, and it was impossible to erase the grin off my face as I studied my features in the mirrored interior of the elevator car as it climbed to my penthouse.

After just spending a little time with her, I felt more alive, looked healthier, maybe even a few years younger, too.

It was incredible what being happy could do for a guy. Now, if I could just hold on to these feelings and do everything in my power to keep them coming.

It was all I was missing in life, and it would seem Clemson Farsay could be the answer to my dreams coming true.

Chapter Eleven

Clemson

In thirty minutes, I was meeting my first sugar date. But if my stomach didn’t settle down, I’d never make it on time. I’d been pacing back in forth in the driveway of our little rental trying to decide if I needed to go back inside or just chance it and get on the road.

It was ridiculous to be this nervous for anything. We’d spoken a handful of times leading up to this meeting, and I felt comfortable enough to meet him in person. Obviously, the date was still happening somewhere public. No young woman was crazy enough to meet a brand-new guy—that she met on the internet, no less—at his house.

Earlier, I spoke with Solei about the date. She gave me a bunch of pointers to ensure it went smoothly, most of which seemed like common sense, but I listened carefully and thanked her for taking time to check in with me.

I wasn’t this nervous until I spoke to Luke. He and I had been talking a lot since our dinner the other night, and I really liked the guy. Probably a bit too much, really, in light of the situation I had myself in at the moment. It was definitely adding an extra layer of stress to my evening.

Promising myself from the start that I wouldn’t lie to him about what was going on with my money-earning venture, I was getting very creative at wording the truth. Eventually, if I wanted things to work out with him, I’d have to come clean. But I couldn’t screw up the opportunity I’d orchestrated on something as minor as one date with the man.

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