Page 14 of Operation Annulment
“I don’t know—” I pause to dig through my purse for my keys.“—he seems more like a magic brownie guy to me.”
“You heading out? Did the interrogation get to you?” Zane asks, getting off the porch swing to follow me to my Tahoe.
“Yep, and please. I can handle my sister just fine, thank you very much. Are you planning on sticking around?” I ask, fishing for information.
He really is a gorgeous man—all long blond hair and muscles. I just hope he’s not stringing Dakota along with his hot and cold behavior.
“Is she still unpacking?” he asks, dodging the question.
“She was grabbing a quick shower—she said she wanted to wash the moving dust off.” I pull my lower lip between my teeth as I figure out how to ask him about his intentions without it turning into an inquisition.
His easygoing smile fades. “Something on your mind, Kate?”
“I—” I brush my hair off my forehead with a sigh. “I just want to know you’re serious about her. That’s all. Dakota’s been through a lot, and I don’t want to see her get hurt again.”
“Anything else?” he asks, moving his hands to his hips like Dakota does when she’s got an attitude.
“Yeah,” I say, jutting my chin up at him. “You break her heart, and I will destroy you.Capisce?”
He nods and holds the car door open for me. “Understood. Have fun on your date.”
“As far as Dakota’s concerned, I’m dealing with a work emergency and not having dinner with the gorgeous man from the gym at The Cellar Door. Oh, and we never had this conversation.”
“What conversation?” he replies with a wink.
I think I like him already.
six
COMMANDMENT #7: THOU SHALT NOT DISCUSS THE EX
Kate
Modern rules dictate that a woman should always bring her own vehicle or have Uber on standby when going on a date or risk sneaking out of his house at the crack of dawn, looking like a wet koala bear.
Clearly, I’m out of my depth if I’m sitting in my SUV, researching how to have a one-night stand instead of sprinting to the tall, dark, and tattooed hunk waiting for me in front of the restaurant.
My one and only experience with Jeremy left a lot to be desired, so I’ll take any help I can get, even if it does come from an article titled,Fuck Like A Man:The Art of the One-Night Stand.
I check my makeup in the rearview mirror before nodding to my reflection. “One night. You’ll get rid of these repressed urges and be back to normal in no time.”
Who knows, maybe I’ll even find Jeremy desirable after this. It would sure as hell certainly make things less complicated.
As soon as I step out of my SUV, the fragrant scent of sizzlingsteaks hits my nose, reminding me I missed lunch. I pause to smooth a hand over my off-the-shoulder little black dress and adjust my cleavage.
One night or not, I plan on making a lasting impression.
Where my sister’s curves are more evenly distributed, mine are more… top-heavy. During our teen years, Dakota was notorious for coming into our shared bedroom while I was changing. Instead of slipping back out, she would don an Australian accent and creep around the room like she was hosting a nature show.
“Crikey! We’re going to be doing some exploring today. We’ve got some nice hill country with adorable little gazelles roaming about,”she would say while gesturing to her own chest before cupping a hand over her brow and turning to me.“Just beyond these hills, you’ll find Mt. Kate. The terrain is rugged and treacherous, but the visitors never seem to complain.”
I smile at the memory and sweep my dark hair, styled in loose waves, over one shoulder before crossing the parking lot.
Nate turns when he hears me approaching, and I stumble to a stop, suddenly ravenous—not for a fifty-dollar steak—but for him.
“McDonald’s wasn’t taking any more reservations for tonight. I hope this is okay.” His eyes move from my head down to my feet, and his throat bobs in a slow swallow as he admits, “You look amazing.”
If I thought seeing him in a fitted t-shirt and athletic shorts was intense, it has nothing on the sight of him in a white dress shirt and black slacks.
