Page 2 of Loving My Brother's Best Friend

"It is a surprise," I admit. "And it’s also a surprise that this is where you’d come to find someone. The people here have all seemed a bit..."

"Dull?"

"Yes."

"You're not wrong. But I don't see why you're complaining."

I quirk an eyebrow. "Oh, and why is that?"

"Because you've gotten lucky with a couple of the ladies tonight. I hear them whispering your name as they pass by, gossiping to each other about 'the hot architect with the scar on his eyebrow'."

I shrug.

"Don't play coy. That last one was practically begging you to give her your number, and you turned her all down."

"I'm not looking for someone who just wants to sleep with me," I say. "And something tells me you're leaving some details out of what these other women think."

Her smirk is heart-achingly familiar. "Well, the words 'dry' and 'sarcastic' might have made their way in there, but that's their loss. You're just a tough walnut to crack, is all." She leans forward like she's telling me a secret. "But I know the meat under that shell is nice and sweet."

Lust comes out of nowhere and kicks me directly in the teeth. Holy shit. What did she just say? "Huh?"

The smirk blooms into a full-on grin. "Oh, come on. That wasn't a difficult analogy. You're bristly but actually a sweet guy underneath it all."

It's less exciting when she puts it that way, but her words still strike a chord in me. There are less than ten seconds left on the speed dating clock, and the idea of Natalie switching to a table with another guy fills me with irrational rage. I guess I'm going to have to be a little irrational on purpose, though, if I want to accomplish my newest goal—get Natalie the hell out of here. I just hope she's as impulsive as I remember.

I reach over and grab her hand.

"Come on," I say, tugging her away from the table. "Let's get the hell out of here."

She seems surprised. "What, really? Don't you want to hang around and make a match?"

"Hell no," I insist. "I want to get out of here with you. Someone I know is actually interesting." When Natalie still hesitates, the rest of the room turns to look at us, and I add, "We can go for sushi. I'm buying."

It's her favorite food, and the addition of it being free is all it takes. Her smile is dazzling. "Sold."

She turns to the hostess and says, "Thanks, but we're gonna have to take a pass on the rest of the speed dating. We've made a connection. Goodbye."

"You sure you're not making a mistake?" the hostess calls, sounding skeptical.

"Nope. He's worth the risk," Natalie insists, shooting me a warm glance.

"Then, enjoy your evening!"

I hold the door open for her and follow her out, not bothering to look back.

"So," I say as we walk. "That's not quite the Natalie I remember."

She shrugs, her eyes sparkling. "I could say the same about you. Though the attitude is the same, at least."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah," she says, glancing up at me. "You've always been a little bossy."

I bark out a laugh. "Okay, then."

"But a good kind of bossy. And you're funny. I missed that."

"Did you miss anything else about me?"

---