Page 9 of My Temptation (Kingston Lane)

He twirls his glass on the table. “I think this is my best first date ever.”

Your last first date.

“What’s so good about it?” I smile as I play along.

“Well . . . the scenery.” He gestures to me.

I giggle and lick the salt from my glass.

“That.” He points to me with my tongue hanging out. “That is a definite high point. Every time you do it, I feel it in my loins.”

I burst out laughing, and he does too.

“Loin or groin?” I ask.

“Both.”

We laugh again. I’m sure the waitstaff all hate us by now—nothing is this funny.

“I love that you’re understated,” he says.

I flick my hair around and bat my eyelashes.

“Your wanting-to-renovate-a-house thing is a little concerning, though. Don’t know if I would trust you with a nail gun.”

I giggle. He is so fun.

“I love that you’re a nurse.”

“Have you lost somebody?” I ask.

“Why do you say that?”

“Well.” I shrug. “Most people who appreciate nurses have spent a lot of time in a hospital.”

“My mother.”

We fall serious.

“I’m sorry. Recently?”

“No.” He sips his drink. “When I was fifteen.”

I watch him, unsure what to say next.

He looks out over the restaurant as if miles away. “It was a catastrophic event in my life.”

Oh . . .

I hold my hand out over the table to him, and he places his in mine. I rub my thumb over his fingers. “She would be very proud of you.”

His eyes meet mine, and he rolls his lips as if annoyed. I instantly know that I’ve overstepped.

“But she said you better up your game because this date is definitely slipping down to a two.”

He smirks and picks up his drink. “Really?”

“Yes.” I nod, acting serious. “She said you should walk me out to my car and kiss me good night if you want to raise the score tally.”

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