Page 6 of Protecting Andie

Derik nodded. “Yes, we ate there when we were looking for a venue. It’s very good.”

The smile that spread over Rider’s face made her want to kiss him. But she couldn’t.

“Nice. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a nice restaurant,” Rider said.

Self-consciousness filled Andie. “We don’t have to go there.”

Rider snorted. “Of course we do. We can swap stories about Emily. It will be fun.”

Andie smiled, agreeing to eat at the restaurant downstairs. It was more than she wanted or deserved. She hoped Rider didn’t regret it because in a place like that, with the soft lighting and wine flowing, she would surely fall deeper for him than the lust she already felt.

4

Rider wished this was a real date, but he would be on his best behavior with Andie, never going over the line. He hoped she wore a low-cut dress. He could imagine how good she would look with some cleavage showing, her hair playing at the rise of her breasts.

He closed his eyes in the shower, imagining how soft her skin would be. The thought of losing himself in her forced him to jack off in the shower. When he shut the water off, a trickle of disgust slid through him. She would probably be pissed if she knew how much lust he had for her.

When he stepped out of his room, his body felt satisfied, and he thought he could handle sitting across from her without embarrassing himself. He found a place at the bar where he could see the elevator. Everything was going great. His cock was soft against his leg, and he wasn’t having fantasies about Andie. At least he wasn’t thinking about getting her naked until she stepped into the restaurant wearing a yellow dress that showed her creamy cleavage. He almost choked on his whiskey. Maybe he should stick to water this week. Having alcohol on board would make it harder to restrain himself.

He sipped the last of his whiskey and moved to her, greeting her, then holding out his arm for her to take. Her soft hand in the crook of his elbow felt like it belonged.

Walking into formal events with Andie would make other guys jealous. It was a shallow reason to get involved, but he wasn’t immune to eye candy.

He held the chair for her, making sure to push in as she sat. Before he stood, he took the liberty of getting an eyeful of her. “You look very nice tonight.” He whispered the words, loving the way goosebumps rose on her arms. He should behave, but he was finding it difficult with such a beautiful woman sitting across from him.

His words must have flustered her because her creamy skin was splotched, and she was staring at the charger plate in front of her.

“Would you like an appetizer?”

“No, I think I’ll just get a salad.”

He shook his head. “You worked out hard. We both did.”

She rolled her eyes. “You worked out hard. I barely did anything.”

He leaned in, resting one elbow on the table as he grew serious. “Was it more than you usually do at the gym?”

Andie wasn’t sure what the hell she was doing. Before Tony, she’d been strong and eaten what she wanted at restaurants. She hadn’t worried about weight or what other people thought. Then, she spent six months with the abusive jerk who wrecked her. Now, she was back to wanting to starve herself and commit to the eating disorder cycle she’d overcome.

She shook off the feeling. “You’re right. I need more than just a salad.”

“They have a hummus plate. We could split that.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Wait, you eat hummus?”

He flashed her a wide grin. “Sure as heck do. I also like quiche and cosmopolitans.”

“Wow, I’m surprised. Most guys think hummus makes their dicks fall off.”

His laughter made her smile. She liked the shyness she saw in him. His attitude was refreshing, and she could imagine having feelings for him. But she didn’t need the complications this week. Emily was her best friend, and she wouldn’t chase after her brother. “Your sister said you were a good person.”

The waiter came over and she ordered a cosmo while he ordered a beer. “Not drinking a cosmo tonight?”

He shrugged. “I had a whiskey earlier and I don’t want to get really drunk. Beer is low alcohol level, and I don’t really like beer, so I know it will slow down my drinking.”

“Oh, that’s smart. I usually order club soda when I don’t want to drink a lot.”

“Yeah, when we’re on duty, we’re not allowed to drink, but sometimes we end up in situations where we have to interface with locals. I’ve perfected the game of not drinking while looking like I’m drinking.”

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