Page 19 of Chasing Danger

“I’m sorry to interfere with your date. That’s what this was supposed to be, right? This guy asked you out, but you had to bring me along since there’s no one else to watch me.”

I kneeled down on the sidewalk in front of him, placing my hands on the arms of his chair. “Hey. No, you’re not interfering. In fact, you’re doing me a favor.” He gave me a skeptical look, but I could see the spark of hope in his eyes, the same hazel color as my own. “I would never want to date someone who didn’t get along with my brother. With you here, I’ll be able to tell if this guy is worth dating before I get too invested. If anything, you’re saving me a lot of time and heartbreak. So, you’ve got to help me out and tell me what you think of him. Okay?”

He nodded with more enthusiasm this time. “All right. And, if he gives you any trouble, I’ll run over his foot.”

“See. I knew you’d have my back. Now, let’s get going. We’re already running a bit late.”

D’Angelo was already waiting for us exactly where he’d said he’d be. He cut an attractive figure, standing beside the inner harbor and looking out over the water. Once again dressed in an all black suit, he had chosen an outfit made of a light cotton material to compensate for the warm summer weather. He seemed to be going for a more relaxed look with the first few buttons undone to expose his collarbone and a sliver of his chest.

I let my eyes wander, admiring the dark complexion of his olive toned skin, and wondered if he’d ever consider wearing something other than black. White would look really good with his coloring.

It also made me self-conscious of my own outfit. I was a fan of color, and when I wasn’t forced to wear a uniform for work,I incorporated as many colors into my clothes as possible. Not knowing where we were going, I’d chosen a mix of casual and formal. Most of my clothes were second hand, so I didn’t have a lot to choose from. The black and gold waistcoat had been a lucky thrift shop find, while the red plaid pants were a gift from Ashes.

Supposedly, according to my friend, the tight cut of the pants made my legs look good. I’d decided to take their word for it, because I couldn’t see any difference. My legs were my legs, no matter what cloth they were wrapped in.

D’Angelo turned to face us as we approached, and for the first time I noticed the woman standing next to him. She kept a bit of space between them, so I hadn’t realized they were together at first, but there was no mistaking the focus of her attention.

A thousand thoughts raced through my mind.

Was I missing something?

Had I misinterpreted the situation?

I feared things were about to get awkward and tried to speak normally when I greeted him. “Hey, sorry we’re late. The bus was running behind.”

“It’s no problem. We’re not on any schedule.”

He grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips, brushing a light kiss over the back of my fingers.

I blushed and tried to control the urge to shiver. Such a small thing shouldn’t affect me so strongly, but it was the first time we’d ever actually touched skin to skin.

In fact, the more I thought about it, I realized it was the first time in years I’d made skin contact with someone other than my family or Ashes.

To my surprise, D’Angelo then turned to my brother and introduced himself.

“Hello. You must be Rowan. Oliver has told me a lot about you.”

The defiant look on Rowan’s eye filled me with pride. My little brother wouldn’t be cowed, not even when a man who stood well over six feet loomed over him.

“And you’re D’Angelo,” Rowan said with his chin held high. “Oliver’s told me about you, too.”

For a moment, I feared D’Angelo would be offended by Rowan’s tone, but my date only smiled. “I’m glad to hear your brother’s been thinking about me.” Glancing over at me, he winked, like he knew exactly which gutter my thoughts strayed into whenever his name was mentioned.

Then, however, he turned back to Rowan with a serious expression. “I hope you don’t mind, but I brought someone along to accompany us today.” He gestured toward the woman standing just a step behind him. “This is nurse Malory. She’s a private caregiver and has experience with SMA. I’ve brought her along today in case you need anything.”

Rowan and I were both shocked. We knew the price of a private nurse, since our family employed one regularly.

“Oh, um, thanks,” Rowan stuttered, before wheeling himself over to speak with the nurse.

As the two introduced themselves, I stepped up to D’Angelo’s side.

“You didn’t have to do that. I can take care of him.”

D’Angelo’s arm slipped around my waist and pulled me closer. “Ah, but I’m greedy.” His hand settled on my hip and his pale blue eyes shone like sunlight reflecting off ice. “I want all your attention on me.”

I gaped at him, not knowing what to say. Out of habit, I reached up to tug my bangs over the left side of my face, but he stopped me before I could.

“Don’t hide your eyes. I want to see them.”

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