Page 41 of Necessary Roughness

He thought he’d had enough of a shock when he saw her standing there. The dress she wore dipped low in the back, accented by a sheer, beaded panel. The sheer back was sexier than the front of her dress. He was going to spend the entire evening tormented by the glimpses he’d already had of her smooth, tanned skin. Her heels clicked on the tile front porch as she walked to the car. The driver opened the door for her and held out his hand to help her into the car.

“Good evening, miss.” He gave her a nod. “I hope you won’t mind my saying that you look stunning tonight.”

“Thank you,” Tanner heard her say. The guy extended his hand to shake Tanner’s.

“Hello, Mr. Cole. How are you tonight?”

“Great,” Tanner said. He lowered himself into the car as the driver took his cane.

“I’ll stow this, and we’ll be on our way.”

A few minutes later, Jordan and Tanner were on 520 crossing Lake Washington. He hoped she’d like the restaurant. He’d spent an embarrassing amount of time choosing a place for them to eat. He never used to worry about that shit before, but he’d never been out with a woman who hated him three weeks ago and decided for whatever reason he wasn’t such a bad guy after all.

He’d kissed her too. He’d like to kiss her again. They’d avoided the subject of the kiss like it was radioactive. Maybe they could talk a bit about it over dinner.

“The weather’s incredible,” he said to her, nodding at the sun-drenched lake.

“It is,” she said. He saw her lips curve into a smile. “We’re going to talk about the weather?”

“What would you like to talk about?”

She took a deep breath and turned to face him. “I’ve never seen you dressed up before. You look really nice.” She glanced away from him, crossed her legs, and smoothed the skirt of her dress. He nodded at her.

“This is a lot different than the yoga pants and polo shirt you’re usually wearing.”

“We could go back to the house and I’ll put them on again.”

“Let’s not,” he said. “You look lovely.”

She let out a soft laugh. “How did those words feel coming out of your mouth?” she teased.

“Not bad,” he said.

They rode in silence for a few minutes. The driver had turned onto the street leading to AQUA, the restaurant he’d chosen. Tanner saw Jordan take a deep breath.

“Is the cane working well for you?”

“Surprisingly, it is. I use it during the day while you’re at the office to get practice. Hopefully I won’t need it for very long.”

“I hope not too.”

The driver pulled up to the curb in front of the restaurant. “Let me open the door and assist you,” he called out.

“Sure,” Tanner said. He was a bit concerned about getting out of a car that was lower than his SUV, but it couldn’t be that bad. A few minutes later, the driver had assisted him out, handed him his cane, and helped Jordan out of the car as well.

She was radiant. The early evening sun dusted her in golden light. Tanner shook hands with the driver, who said, “Text me when you’d like to leave. Take your time.”

“We’ll do that. Thanks for the ride.”

“My pleasure.” The driver stood at attention and waited for them to walk away.

Tanner extended his arm for Jordan to take. She smiled up at him.

***

JORDAN AND TANNER walked into the restaurant a few minutes later. She was riveted by the floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing a priceless view of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains in the distance. A few sailboats bobbed on the smooth water outside. The walls of the restaurant were painted a deep blue and seemed to blend in with the view. The lighting was dim, which brought a feeling of intimacy. She heard the hum of quiet conversation around them. He’d told her they were going somewhere “a little fancy,” but she wasn’t expecting this.

“Mr. Cole, your table is ready. Would you like to follow me?” a woman said.

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