Page 27 of Where She Is
“Then what’s with the face?” He rolls his lips at my tone before I go off on one. “You have to understand, I’ve never had the date thing. I’d like a man to be interested in me and not the contents of my knickers so it’s time to change tack. I want us to be different.”
“Okaaay?”
Before he can say another word, I’m on it again. I’ve got verbal diarrhoea. “This is all on me. I have a nasty habit of falling too deeply and in bed too fast. This is my way of taking a step back and considering how we go forward. If you hadn’t stopped us going too far by the pool last week, we might not be having this conversation.”
“Shit. I wish I hadn’t stopped it now.”
“Daniel please. I want this to work.”
Daniel lets out a deep breath as he flops back into his seat. “So do I, but you seem to missing something.”
“Daniel…”
“Hannah, what is it you think we’re doing right now?”
“Um, talking?”
“Yes, but before that.”
“I don’t know.”
“We ate dinner, drank some wine and before things got deep and meaningful, we enjoyed some conversation.”
“Right.” My empty expression says it all.
“You don’t get it, do you? Don’t compare me to those men.I’ve already proved I’m not like them. What you’re saying, well, it surprises me. All the things you want I’ve already given you. In your own words, you want a night like this, every night. Well, guess what? This is the first of many.”
My face falls to my hot sticky palms. How could I be so stupid?
“And for the record, your bags were put in the guest room. I never mentioned sex.”
I give him a sideways glance. “Um, yes you did.”
“Well, yes, but only to explain myself. I didn’t expect you to jump into bed with me straight away… although I hoped.”
My hands now fully cover my mortification until his fingers slowly encircle my wrists and pull them away from my blushed face. My eyes scrunch together as tightly as possible. I dare not look at him. God only knows what’s going through his mind. “I feel like such an idiot.”
He runs a continuous circle on my palm using his fingertips. “Listen, if those stupid bastards in your past didn’t appreciate you, it doesn’t mean you’re going to re-live their mistakes with me. I’ll restore your faith in the ordinary man. It will be different this time. I’m not in this for one thing.” He is so sincere, but far from ordinary.
“Daniel, it already is different with you.” While we’re caught up in a romantic haze, the waiter whispers in Daniel’s ear that our driver has arrived. I’m confused, “Um, what happened to the bill?”
“It’s taken care of.”
“But I wanted to pay.”
His lips curl and I swear his voice is even deeper, “Hannah, you want a date, you’ve got one. Don’t argue with me.”
I smile, “Thank you. That means a lot, but I’m buying next time.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m sure I can think of a way you can pay me back,” he winks. I lift my bag from the table and absentmindedlymumble, “I knew you couldn’t handle a sex ban.” I laugh. Daniel doesn’t.
“What did you say?”
I’m still laughing, but his face is stoic. “Come on, Daniel, I was joking.”
“I don’t think you were.” His eyes squint, “I’ll take that bet.”
“Daniel, don’t be ridiculous.”
