Page 20 of Dr. Stone
“A sunset?”
His expression was beyond desirable as he smirked. “A man who keeps his distance, burning hot but never sticking around to see what comes after dark,” he slid his hands casually into his pockets, eyes roaming over my outfit as if I had nothing on. “A man always lingering on the edge, never letting the night pull him under.”
I arched my eyebrow. “Sounds exhausting.”
Titus offered me a devilish grin in response. “Not when the views are as beautiful as this,” he waved his hand toward the painting, but his eyes remained on me.
“I think it’s cute that you can relate yourself to the sunset, when you’re just the heat that burns off and disappears.”
Titus’s jaw sharpened, and a flicker of something dark passed through his molten eyes, “You think I’m the type to burn out easily?”
“No.” I smiled and folded my arms. “I think you like to pretend you do. It would make it easier to walk away before the night catches up to you.”
His expression shifted, predatory now, like a lion closing in on prey.
“Dinner. Tonight.”
An unexpected lump lodged in my throat. Of all the outcomes I had pictured, being asked out—no,commanded—wasn’t one of them.
I tilted my head, masking the jolt in my pulse. “Tell me, Mr. Hawk, do you always make commands sound like invitations?”
Titus stepped closer, slow and deliberate, his gaze locked on my mouth as if he had already decided what to do with it.
Holy shit.
“Only when I don’t like the idea of a woman like you walking away without giving me the chance to thank you for helping me today,” he said, dripping with charm.
“What makes you thinka woman like meis single?”
He grinned, took my left hand in his, ran his thumb over my bare ring finger, and smiled, “Because there is nothing here to tell me you’re off the market, love.”
I drew my handslowlyout of his, my breath slightly catching at the intensity I felt in this moment that I certainly wasn’t expecting from the bold man.
“And if I had a boyfriend? I wouldn’t be on the market in that instance.”
He seemed to have loved that response, “Of course you would be, because he’s merely a boyfriend, someone you haven’t fully committed to. So, no ring means fair game.”
“You are quite bold and confident, Mr. Hawk,” I said. “Sadly, I don’t view it that way. That would be cheating on my boyfriend, which would ensure I wouldneverhave a ring on this finger.”
“All right, then. You are a loyal and honorable girlfriend. I respect that and have found myself even more pressed to insist you join me for dinner tonight.”
My heart was hammering in my chest that a man like this tall drink of sangria standing in front of me wanted anything more from me than an art gallery tour. Now, it seemed I may have the opportunity to be spoiled by his looks and possibly even his riches tonight. Sounded like a damn good night.
“You’re quite charming,” I said, genuinely enjoying the flattery. “However, I can’t do dinner tonight.” Here comes the repellent that would surely deter many men for quite some time, “While I’m not in a romantic relationship with anyone, I do have a man in my life—my one-year-old son, whom I have no sitter for. So, sadly, I will have to decline your kind and very tempting offer.”
Well, it was fun while it lasted. Being a single mom was already tough when it came to dating, but the idea of someone like Titus even noticing me felt entirely out of reach. A man like him could have any woman he wanted, and according to Ash, he wasn’t even interested in committed relationships. So why would someone like Titus bother wasting another second in my presence?
I grinned when I saw his expression change into what I could only discern as disappointment. “Why don’t we go over the costs and delivery of the painting you want?” I asked, changing the subject for him.
“Who is the man who walked away from such a beautiful woman after you gave him the gift of a son?”
“You are aseriouslybold man,” I said, beginning to feel like I was being Punk’d. “And without going into personal details, I can confirm that you are correct. He is a fool.”
“Find someone to watch your son, or I will change the date if that suits you better. I would really like to invite you to dinner,” he smiled more warmly now, and the arrogant, stiff Casanova I’d been dealing with for the last hour seemed to fade some. “A simple gesture to show my gratitude for humoring me today. I appreciate a woman like you, you know. It’s rare to find someone who puts up a bit of a fight with me.”
“I’m sure it is,” I grinned. “All right, dinner, and nothing more. I will accept your kind invitation as a gesture of your gratitude, and that’s it.”
Did I really just fall into this man’s web?What the hell am I doing?
