Page 7 of Wine & Whiskey
Guilt courses through her. This is wrong. All the warnings she’s been given over the years circle through her mind. She holds her head up and gives him her practiced smile reserved for overeager fans and stalking paparazzi. “Thanks, but I should go. I’ll see in you in the morning.”
“It’s just dinner. I promise I’ll bring you back to your car right after.” His eyebrows knot as he studies her, probably wondering why she acts so strange over a simple invitation. A request she wants to accept more than he’ll ever understand.
She takes a deep breath along with the plunge. “Okay. I need to call my friend. She’ll be worried if I don’t come home when I’m supposed to.”
The grin lighting up his face chips away at some of her doubt. He’s excited too. “Sure. I’ll wait for you out front.”
Her cheeks hurt from smiling as she dials Carrie’s number. She cannot believe she’s going out with a man she just met yesterday. Her call goes straight to voicemail.
“I can’t talk right now. You know what to do.”
She takes a deep breath. No, she doesn’t know what to do. “It’s me. I must be losing my mind because the guy I told you about from the gym asked me to dinner, and I said yes. Call me back and tell me it’s a terrible idea and to come straight home.”
For ten minutes she paces back and forth in the lobby, willing her phone to ring. No luck. Now she has to make a decision. Peeking out the window, she spots him leaning against a dark gray Jeep talking on his cell. Happiness flows through her. He waited, just like she hoped he would.
He jogs up to her as soon as she steps outside. “Everything good?”
“Yes, let me get something out of my car, and I’ll be ready.”
She tosses her gym bag in the back of her SUV and grabs her beach tote before walking with him to his vehicle, an older beach Jeep without a running board to step on or handle to pull herself up. “This is kind of awkward, but with my back, I’m going to need a boost to get in.”
His hands are gentle but strong, low on her hips to avoid touching the bruises. Still, tears sting her eyes from the sharp pain. Tipping his head down, he whispers, "I'm sorry if I hurt you." Goose bumps cover her bare shoulders from his soft voice in her ear.
He climbs in on the other side and looks over at her with another sensual smile, sending little jolts of pleasure through her body. “Where would you like to go? What are you in the mood for?”
“I know a place with fabulous fish tacos. It’s about an hour up the coast. Is that too far?”
“I’ve got all night.”
Mansions and cottages intersperse with stretches of open beach as they drive down the highway. Strands of her long hair swirl in the salty breeze, occasionally brushing over his arm. He remains quiet, although it’s not uncomfortable. Just peaceful.
She leans her head against the seat and glances at him. “Tell me about yourself.”
He laughs at her request. “Now that’s an invitation for trouble. What do you want to know?”
Without even trying, he exudes a sexy, confident vibe unlike any man she knows. An irresistible lure, powerful enough to challenge what she believes to be true about herself. “Everything!”
“Well, I went to UCLA. I work a lot. I go to the gym. I guess that’s it.”
She pulls her seatbelt away from her chest and turns almost completely to face him. “You’re what? Thirty or something? And, all you can tell me is where you went to school, you work a lot, and you exercise? There’s got to be more to you than that.”
Shrugging his shoulders, he smiles at her teasing.
“What about your family? Parents, brothers, sisters?”
The humor fades as he stares straight ahead, his hand tightening around the gearshift. “No brothers or sisters. My mom passed away when I was younger, and my father is in a nursing home due to an accident that left him incapacitated.”
“I’m sorry.”
His jaw clenches as he nods. The peacefulness evaporates, but she’s not sure why. His reaction tinged more with bitterness than grief. They ride quietly before she tries again. “What kind of work do you do?”
“I run the family business.”
“Which is?’
“We’re involved in a variety of investments. A little bit of everything. Whether I like it or not.”
The last few words are murmured almost more to himself than her. She nods, knowing what it’s like when things don’t turn out the way you expect. “People probably think you have it easy. How lucky you are to have this company handed to you. They don’t know how hard you work, or that it might not be what you want to do with your life.”
