Page 12 of New Girl in Town
“You,” he said, “dating me.”
“You just met me,” I said, pointing out the obvious. “I could be anyone, Grant. And here you are, saying you want to date me and calling me sweetheart.”
“And? Time doesn't mean that much in the grand scheme of things, Aurora.”
“That’s not entirely true. I could be a serial killer, for all you know. Maybe I stole that car from someone I—”
“You what? Beheaded and buried on the side of the road?”
I wrinkled my nose. “I would not behead someone.”
“Why not?”
“It’s barbaric. No finesse at all, you know?”
He snorted and smiled at me, undeterred. “Prefer a cleaner way of doing things, hmm?”
I leaned forward, bracing my hands on the table, and did my best to keep my voice even. “Obviously. How do you think I lure in my young would-be suitors when I’m secretly plotting their demise?” I said, but it was hard going keeping a straight face, and by the end of it I found myself grinning at him.
He sipped his drink. “You’re not really convincing me there with that cute smile on your face.”
I sighed and slumped forward. “Can’t blame a girl for trying,” I said, earning a chuckle from Grant.
“And what exactly were you trying for?”
“Maybe make you forget that I said I was into you.”
“Ah, see...” He shook his head and reached forward, catching my hand in his before I could pull back. “There’s no chance of me forgetting something like that.”
“Not even if I said please?”
“Not even then. Sorry. No can do, sweetheart.”
“Drat,” I said, but there was no malice in my words, and he grinned at me.
“You’re cute,” he told me, fingers rubbing along the backs of my knuckles.
“So are you.”
“Oh, that is old news.” He waved a hand and gestured to himself when I shot him a shocked look. “I am well aware of how damn good I look.”
I shook my head, but there was no denying that Grant’s confidence, even if it was all in good fun, was refreshing—and cute.“And so modest, too.”
“No place for that right now,” he said, catching me off guard by how honest he sounded. “I have to bring out all the stops.”
I bit my bottom lip and turned over his words. Grant was committed, alright; I could see it in his eyes. But why? Why was he so drawn toward me when I struggled to understand my attraction to him and make sense of my hesitation.
He was gorgeous, to be sure, so what was my problem? Instead of voicing any of these thoughts and risk sounding crazy, I gave him a considering nod. “Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out.”
“For the most part. I mean, I got us here,” he said, pointing to the table, and then jerked a thumb over at the approaching server. “And the next step is food, but after that… It’s anyone’s guess, really, until I get back to your apartment.”
“And then what?” I asked, unable to stop myself.
Grant held up a hand and shook his head. “A gentleman never kisses and tells.”
“But you haven’t—” I stopped short when his words sunk in, and I blushed. “Oh,” I breathed, and his eyes dropped to my mouth.
He raised his eyes to mine, his tongue darting out to slide along his bottom lip, and this time it was I who couldn’t look away from his mouth. “But even so, I think this date is going well. Splendidly, in fact. Don’t you?”
