Page 10 of Dangerous Mountain Man

But ladies first? That was pure gentleman, all the way. Although I’d spent most of my life hearing that I should be independent and not rely on a man, there was something nice about being taken care of. I’d never had that, and I found I wanted it more than I’d imagined I would.

Once we were settled at the table, the real nervousness kicked in. It was hard to deny this was an actual date. I’d invited him over and cooked for him. I’d even spent extra time getting ready. It took a lot of work to look like I wasn’t even trying to look good.

What did someone talk about on a date with a man who’d definitely lived an interesting life? My first instinct was to ask questions, but I got the feeling he didn’t want to talk about his past. There was a darkness about him that hinted at something he was trying hard to forget.

“So, what made you want to become a lawyer?” he asked after digging into the food, showing his clear surprise at how good it was.

I gave full credit to my grandmother. It was her recipe. But he pointed out that I was the one who’d carried out that recipe. I personally credited my good genes. Granny B. passed her cooking skills down to me.

“My parents went through a rough divorce when I was a teenager,” I said. “My dad was never around much. Always ‘working.’” I set down my fork and did air quotes with the word before picking it back up again. “He pretty much screwed my mom through the court system. Watching what she went through, I decided I wanted to dedicate my life to helping women navigate the divorce process.”

It hadn’t been easy, considering Mom struggled just to pay the bills. I’d gotten scholarships to cover part of my undergrad, but my law degree was putting me deep in student loan debt.

But I was hoping to make enough to pay it back once I actually graduated. That was part of the reason I was working so hard. I wanted to cram in as much as possible each semester so I could graduate and start earning money.

“And your mom is the one who lives in Boone?”

I nodded. “My dad moved to Canada soon after the divorce. I saw him once the first summer, and I found a way to get out of it every year after that.”

His neutral expression gave nothing away. Was he judging me? Feeling sorry for me that I had such a shitty relationship with my father?

“It had little to do with him,” I rushed to add. “I was a teenager. I wanted to spend summers with my friends. I also did a lot of babysitting when I was in my early teens. I didn’t want to give up the money.”

“Makes sense,” he said. “That’s exactly why I never wanted to be a father.”

I stopped chewing for a second to stare at him. He didn’t want to be a father? That should be good news for me. He didn’twant any children. Maybe that meant he didn’t want anything more serious than this. And neither did I.

So why did it feel like my heart sank a little at that comment? Why did it seem like bad news?

“I go in the opposite direction,” I finally said after I swallowed. “To prove I can be a better parent than mine were. I’m going to kick ass as a mom…someday.”

I said that last word clearly and succinctly. My goal was to make it clear I had no plans for any of that stuff in the near future.

“After you’re established in your career, I assume?” he asked.

“Exactly. I swore off dating. I just wanted to avoid taking the focus off getting my degree as fast as possible.”

“So you can start on your future.”

I nodded. “I’m not someone who just dates for fun. I’m a hopeless romantic. When I lose my virginity?—”

He started choking, reaching for his glass of water to get a handle on things. Meanwhile, I was left realizing what I’d just blurted out. I hadn’t even meant to drop that bomb on him. Maybe it was his neutral expression. Or maybe I just felt like I could be open with him. Whatever the case, the words came pouring out, and it was too late to take them back.

“Did you just say you’re a virgin?” he asked.

May as well go with it now. I took a deep breath, set down my fork, and wiped my mouth before speaking.

“It sneaks up on you, you know,” I said. “One day, you’re sixteen, and it’s not all that unusual to not have had sex yet. Then you’re seventeen, then eighteen, and one by one, your friends start leaving you behind. And now, here I am at twenty-three, and I don’t know anyone who’s a virgin. Well, except one of my high school friends.”

I assumed Cassady wasn’t one anymore. I hadn’t asked her questions about her new boyfriend. To be honest, she was sobusy, I hadn’t even seen her lately. She was no doubt in that madly-in-love phase where she wanted to spend every second with her new man.

Maybe I was relating all too well to that right now. I could see giving up time with the girls if it meant looking at this handsome face. And that wasn’t like me at all. I was usually the first to say I’d never give up girl time when I found a guy. Why did I suddenly see myself becoming one of those women?

“So you’re going to wait until you graduate to do something about that?” he asked.

It took me a second to realize what he was talking about. How could I have forgotten so soon?

“I don’t know,” I said. “I mean, it’s not exactly on my to-do list, but I can say I’m not the type of person who would just sleep with someone for the sake of sleeping with him.”

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