Page 19 of Resisting Temptation

He grins mischievously. “They’re for you. To sweeten the deal.”

“What? Why?” I ask, confused. I’m too tired to make sense of this.

“Check the card,” he says before walking away.

Popping open the card and running my eyes over his message, all it says isWill you be my Valentine?Did he have me bring them all this way downtown just so he could set up a date with me? What the hell! He’s lucky I was even running deliveries. Today just keeps getting odder by the second. But on the plus side, I now have a date. In your face, Noah Harrington. This little blonde chick still has dating game.

Chapter 11

Noah

Just as I promised her nan, I picked Whitney Rashford up for our date at seven. I’m certain the old woman was monitoring us through her front window, but I didn’t bother to glance her way. I was too busy wondering if Paisley was watching. We’re seated at an intimate table for two with a view of the beach at Villa Bella Cucina in Bluewater Beach, the next town over from ours. Whitney ordered a glass of red with her Carbonara, and I chug on a beer while I wait for my medium-rare porterhouse steak to arrive.

A sexy blonde in a red dress catches my eye. I follow her through the room, realizing it’s none other than Paisley wandering past our table with a guy dressed in a suit. What the fuck is she doing here with him? Beckett fucking Prescott! My eyes trail them as they move across the room together, his hand pressed to herlower back. I want to tear across the room and remove it. He has no right to touch her. He notices me glaring at him and smirks like the cocky fucker he is. I already planned to defeat him in this election, but now I have even more motivation. He touched my girl.

“Things are hectic here tonight. Lucky you could get a table on short notice,” Whitney says trying to make polite conversation.

I return my attention back to my date. Whitney smiles at me, taking a sip of her wine. In a hot pink top that reveals her sun-kissed shoulders, she looks beautifully stunning. Nervously, she tucks her long blonde hair behind her ear. She’s shy in a cute way, like she knows who she is but she’s not quite ready to share it with the world yet.

“Helps when you know the owner.” I have a swig of my beer, trying to relax with the new tension now radiating through my body. Paisley’s boss said she would have a quiet night in. A bath and a bottle of wine or something to that effect. I liked that idea. Picturing her in a bath, her curls spilling around her face, her full tits just begging to be sucked on. Instead, she turns up here with a Prescott. “Your nan is something else,” I say, trying to make conversation. It’s not fair to Whitney that I’m distracted with Paisley, but I wouldn’t put it past her to pull a stunt like this. Find out from one of the guys where I was going then show up here to make me jealous. Bet she’s been talking to Parker. And while I like the idea of her going to so much effort to get my attention, her choice in men worries me.

Whitney rolls her eyes dramatically. “Right now, I’m regretting my decision to move back to Deception Bayfor my vet practice. She’s relentless.” Her laugh is light-hearted and sweet, and I’m glad I didn’t insult her.

Chuckling, I agree with her. “She is.” I’m half regretting buying the place across from her. The casseroles are decent, but I’m not into being accosted every time I leave my house.

“Heaven help me if I’m not married by the time I’m thirty, might give her a heart attack. That’s what she tells me, anyway.” Her eyes meet mine, and there’s a flicker of something, guilt maybe. She takes a large gulp of her wine, glancing around the room nervously.

“What was that look?” I ask, curious.

The server arrives at our table with two dishes in her hands that smell to die for. She slides my steak in front of me and the pasta in Whitney’s direction. “Thank you,” we say. I’m keen to try this. I’ve heard from Elliot his brother Trey’s Italian food is taking the South by storm. And from the smell alone, I understand what all the fuss is about.

Whitney twirls the spaghetti with her fork. “Look, Noah, I don’t know you very well, but you seem like a genuine guy, and I want to be super upfront with you. What Nan doesn’t know is I don’t plan on getting married, not to a man, anyway.”

I pause, cutting my steak, my brow involuntarily arching in astonishment. Is she saying what I think she is?

She drops her gaze away from me, her cheeks pink. “I’m sorry I let her push you into this, but she really would not drop it, and you seem like a nice guy. I thought maybe we can be friends, since we’re going to be neighbors.” And that explains the guilty expression; she’s on this date with me to keep her nan happy.

“Well, that’s a first.” I chuckle lightheartedly. “I can’t remember ever being on a date where the girl broke up with me before we even finished our meal.”

“I’m so sorry, Noah.” Embarrassment floods her cheeks, turning them a darker hue of pink.

“Whitney, there’s no need to be concerned, I assure you. I wasn’t so sure about dating again, anyway. Your nan was too frightening to refuse.” And I might have been using tonight to work to my advantage, but I won’t tell her that. Although her honesty sure does make me feel better.

Drinking the rest of her wine, she shakes her head. “She’s going to turn me into an alcoholic. It’s awkward when she keeps trying to set me up with men who she deems eligible bachelors.”

“And that’s me.” I laugh, seeing the funny side of this awkward set-up.

“Apparently.” She runs her eyes over me. “You’re a catch, Noah, how are you still single? Just haven’t found the right girl? Or is there more to your story? If we’re going to be buddies, you have to fill me in.” Her lips turn up into a sassy smile. Now that her secret’s out, she’s warming up, and I like her even more.

My eyes flicker to the table across from us, where Paisley is seated with Beckett. She’s staring at him, hanging on his every word. Irritation crawls under my skin. She used to look at me like that. “I might have found her,” I admit, guilt eating at me.

She follows my line of sight, glancing in Paisley’s direction. “Ouch. Your girl is Paisley Whittaker? She’s all kinds of intimidating. I was in the year below her at school. She was so popular, every girl wanted to be her, and every guy wanted to date her. She was all thequeens, homecoming and prom. I’m pretty sure her class even voted her most likely to get out of this town and make it big.”

Hearing the way Whitney talks about her makes me so proud of her. She was fierce growing up, it was like nothing could stop her from achieving her dreams. She might have been three years younger than me, but that didn’t mean I didn’t notice her. If I’m being honest, I knew every damn thing about her. From what classes she was taking to who she hung with on the weekend. “Yeah, I’m not sure why she never left and made it big.”

“Give me the gossip. What happened between the two of you. I promise I won’t tell a soul.” She crosses her finger over her heart.

I quickly scan the nearby tables, ensuring that our conversation is safe from prying ears. “We dated a while back. It ended when I went back to Jacksonville. Paisley’s never forgiven me for it.” I press my finger to my lips. “But that really is just between us. Her brother is one of my best buddies, and I’m not sure how he would feel knowing I was messing around with his little sister.”

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