Dating by Design Series Box Set

by Jennifer Peel

  “I can pay their way too.”

  “Kate, don’t be stubborn today.”

  “Thirty seconds, Nick.” Margo meant business.

  Nick wrapped my hand around his card. “Please don’t argue about it.” He kissed my cheek. “I’ll see you soon.”

  All I could say was, “Good luck. Or do you think you don’t need it?”

  “I do today. Thank you.” He gave me one more kiss on the cheek before saying goodbye to Skye and Hensley.

  Margo was practically dragging him away, but she had time to call out, “Skye has my number if you need anything. I’ll check in on you all later.”

  I wanted time to process what had just happened, or at least to touch my cheek where Nick’s lips had lingered, but I had two eager girls staring at me, ready to hit the park. Skye was doing more than staring, she was giving me a hopeful smile. I had a feeling I knew what she was hoping for. It was the same thing I feared and had wished for almost half my life. What an odd thought that was.

  I decided it was best to focus on Skye and Hensley. I handed them each a pass to place around their necks. “Where to, ladies?”

  “Harry Potter,” they answered in unison.

  “Sounds good to me. Lead the way.”

  I was excited to enter the world of Harry Potter. I remembered when the first book came out, sucking me into its magical world. I believe I was thirteen. My friends and I went to midnight release parties and dressed up as witches and wizards.

  Skye took my hand and pulled me along. “You’re going to love this place. We have to get butterbeer after we do the ride.”

  “I love the frozen kind the best,” Hensley commented.

  Frozen sounded good, as it was getting warmer by the second.

  The park was already crowded as we wound our way through what looked like a town complete with dozens of stores and restaurants to shop and eat at. The girls were on a mission and we were double-timing it to our first destination. It didn’t take us too long to reach Hogsmeade and for the Hogwarts castle to come into view. My geeky heart leapt. I always knew my acceptance letter to Hogwarts had gone missing.

  I listened to the girls chatter about who they would rather date, Harry or Ron. It was no surprise Skye chose Harry. She liked a boy with glasses. Hensley chose neither—she was all for Fred or George. I laughed because I had thought the same thing growing up. The trouble-making twins would have been fun. I liked the semi–bad boys from the start.

  The line was long to get into the castle and ride. It made me feel bad that we got to bypass it.

  “Dad missed you,” Skye mentioned as we waited in our very short line to gain access to the castle. Her smile said she knew what she was doing.

  “Did he say that?” Did that sound juvenile?

  She nodded and giggled with Hensley. I felt like I was in high school again. I was having the do-you-think-he-likes-me conversation. And I had this overwhelming desire to ask Skye everything he said so I could dissect it. I held back.

  “Did you miss him?” Skye asked brazenly as we moved forward.

  “How would you feel if I did?”

  She stopped and tilted her beautiful head. “I would be happy.”

  I put my arm around her, realizing how much her happiness meant to me, and not because of her dad. It was all her. I gave her a squeeze. “I missed you both.”

  She leaned into me before she and Hensley were off trying to get to the front of the ride. The indoor virtual-type rides were a new experience for me. As thrilling as it was to feel like I was living out my Harry Potter dreams, it was disconcerting not knowing where you were as you whizzed through the ride.

  Butterbeer was next. It was a test of whether I would use Nick’s card or not. It seemed awfully intimate to use a man’s credit card. Did he give out his credit cards all the time? I would never unless I really trusted the person, and even then, I would have some serious reservations. Did Nick trust me? Did I trust him?

  I paid for the butterbeer using my own card. I couldn’t bring myself to use Nick’s card. Nick had already paid for my ticket, which was astronomical. And he’d been paying for me all summer. It was the least I could do.

  The girls had me going all over and almost wetting my pants in the Walking Dead haunted house. I found myself wishing Nick was with us. I would have had good reason to cling to him. Listen to these thoughts of mine. Was I willing to risk my heart and job for him?

  I didn’t have time to think about it as we rode everything from Revenge of the Mummy to Transformers. Some of the rides we did more than once. I must have been getting old, as I found myself getting queasy easier, but I didn’t let it stop me from enjoying the day with Skye and Hensley, the two peas in a pod who loved to talk about each cute boy we passed and who had an insatiable appetite for screaming on the rides.

  During the heat of the day, we headed to the Jurassic Park water ride. I didn’t realize how soaked I would get, but it did feel good to cool off, even if I did look like a drowned rat. It was then that Margo called Skye and asked us to meet her where they start the studio tours. I wondered if she had set a time for us to join one of the tours, which I was looking forward to. Or if Nick asked her to make sure I was keeping his child alive and well. Maybe both. We hadn’t seen him in five hours. I hoped his meetings were going as planned.

  Margo stood waiting for us looking at her phone. I could see the wheels spinning in her brain. I bet she was always a woman on a mission.

  She smiled up at us as we approached. “Oh good, you’re here. Skye and Hensley, you are coming with me on a regular tour and,” her smile turned mischievous, “Nick is waiting to take you on a private tour.”

  I swallowed hard. “Um . . . he is?”

  “Right this way,” she started to move.

  I grabbed ahold of her arm. “Wait.”

  She gave me a good look over. “You look beautiful wet, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  That didn’t even touch the tip of the iceberg of my worries. “When you said private, do you mean only me and Nick?”

  “Joe will drive the trolley.”

  “But what I really need to know is—”

  “You’re going to be fine.” She patted my cheek.

  I didn’t share her sentiment. Neither did my stomach that was snapping and popping more than ever. “Margo—”

  “Darling,” she cut me off again, “let’s not keep him waiting any longer.”

  I followed Margo numbly with Skye and Hensley trailing. I could hear their giggles and whispers behind me. I didn’t even pay attention to where I was being led, my head and heart were having a conference about what we should do. My mom’s voice was also joining the fray, telling me she hadn’t raised me to live by the rules. But rules were good and there was a reason for them. I couldn’t remember any of them now, but I knew they existed.

  Before I knew it, there he was, leaning against a single car trolley. Normally there were several cars attached. His tie was gone, sleeves rolled up, and shirt unbuttoned enough for me to get a peek of what my poster of long ago showed off. He was my dream, or was that nightmare? Heart and mind conferred, and they were going with dream.

  “Enjoy yourself.” Margo turned to leave with the girls.

  My first instinct was to go with them, but Nick sauntered toward me, waving goodbye to his daughter, who was giggling louder than ever with her friend. My sandals felt like they had melted into the asphalt. I stood transfixed by Nick.

  “Are you ready?” His question resonated with a double meaning.

  I shook my head no.

  That didn’t deter him. He took my hand—our fingers intertwined naturally. Our magical connection crackled between us.

  “What are you doing?”

  He pulled me to him and we came face-to-face. With his other hand, he caressed my cheek. “I’m doing what I’ve been doing for the last several weeks.”

  “And what’s that?” I stammered.

  “Courting you, Kate.”


  I must have lost my hearing, because all I could hear was a ringing in my ears and something about us dating. How had I missed that? “No . . . We can’t . . . I’m your—”

  “Shhh.” He placed his finger on my lips. “Forget about your job, your rules. We’re good together, Kate.”

  All our time together ran through my mind like a film on fast forward. All my favorite places he had taken me to. The help he had given my parents. Our late-night phone conversations and soul bearing moments. All our research trips, not to mention all the time I’d spent with his daughter and dad. So many sweet memories that made me smile.

  I gazed up at him with that same smile on my face.

  He mirrored my smile. “Are you ready now?”

  I thought I was. I nodded.

  He wasted not a second and pulled me toward the waiting trolley. With us as the only passengers I thought we would sit up toward the front, but we sat on the very last row. Nick left not an inch of space between us, holding my hand and placing his arm around me. All felt right in the world by his side.

  “We’re ready, Joe,” Nick called to the man wearing a large grin and a red beret at the helm.

  “You got it, boss,” Joe responded. “Hold on tight.” The trolley lurched forward.

  Don’t mind if I do. I squeezed Nick’s hand.

  This was real, right? Nick’s finger running down my arm leaving goosebumps as he went felt real.

  “How did your meetings go?” I asked.

  Nick kissed the side of my head. “Better than expected.”

  “How so?”

  “They loved the entire pitch package, including what I have written of the rough draft. Their lawyers are drafting an initial contract as we speak.”

  “That’s amazing—congratulations.”

  “It’s the first step of many, but it feels good.”

  “I’m proud of you, Nick. Is that weird to say?”

  “Not at all.” He raised my hand and kissed it.

  Joe interrupted us, or should I say, I paid attention to what he was saying as we began to drive by actual movie sets. Joe pointed out the Psycho house and Bates Motel. For added effect, he screeched out Norman!

  I was dazzled with all the sets, from To Kill a Mockingbird to Jaws. Joe was good to give trivia tidbits about each movie, like the shark they made for Jaws weighed more than 1.2 tons. And that Gregory Peck won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird. I knew that, but I didn’t know the book was originally going to be called Atticus.

  What I enjoyed most was being with Nick. That was, until we pulled into what looked like an abandoned studio and the doors automatically closed behind us when the trolley stopped on some tracks. It was spine-tingling dark.

  “Ready to feel some adrenaline?” Nick whispered in my ear.

  “What do you mean?”

  He didn’t have to say a word. The ground felt like it was shaking, and then water began to rush in. Joe was saying something about this being the set for a television show. But then fire flared up around us and a semitruck dropped from the ceiling.

  I jumped while a tiny scream escaped me. I clung to Nick, who pulled me onto his lap and held me tight. The fire around us reflected in his eyes and added to the heat that was palpable between us. Adrenaline was coursing through me as never before.

  He leaned in and his lips began to tease mine, first with a light brush. So light, I wasn’t sure it happened, but my lips were tingling.

  He ran his hand through my damp hair, causing it to fall out of the messy bun. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered before his lips crushed mine.

  Oh, I felt that amongst the jolting and crashing going on all around us.

  His lips were warm and pressing. His hand tangled in my hair, pulling my head closer as his tongue urged my lips to part.

  My lips complied and tasted what he had to offer. It came wrapped in a package of what could only be described as ambrosia. I indulged in the sweetness of him while he groaned and pulled our bodies flush. Though I was literally in the middle of a catastrophic accident, all my senses were wrapped up in him. My hands explored his rough face and ran through his soft-textured hair. With my every touch, his tongue prodded deeper until I felt as if I was only breathing him in.

  When the fire around us began to dissipate, his kiss slowed to a warm simmer. He gently swept my lips with his own. “Kate,” he whispered my name. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.”

  I had waited for that kiss for almost half my life, and I couldn’t have imagined it being as magical as it was. I ran my hand across his cheek.

  Joe interrupted our moment. “Looks like it worked, boss. You ready to go?”

  Nick grinned at me and waved Joe forward.

  I leaned my forehead against Nick’s. “You planned this?” My tone was light and playful.

  “From the first time we met, Kate.” His lips consumed me once again.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  The unexpected day continued as I found myself at Nick’s home. Nick had to get Hensley home, and neither of us was ready to say goodbye. Nick and Skye convinced me to come home with them to have dinner. I didn’t realize that meant an almost two-hour drive one way in the worst traffic I had ever been in. Atlanta had nothing on LA. It was almost like being in the middle of that crash simulation, minus the kissing.

  The kissing. I should be embarrassed how much kissing happened on that trolley with poor Joe as a witness. But it had been a long time, and I’d never been kissed like that before. Nick was a professional. Come to think of it, maybe he had been taught to kiss, but it went well beyond technique. There was an emotional aspect I’d never experienced before. His uninhibited nature flowed through me, allowing me to feel a comfort and connection that had never been present with anyone else.

  I looked around one of his guest bathrooms, which had more windows than any bathroom I’d ever been in. His house seemed to be made more of glass than anything, but I couldn’t blame him—the views of the coast from up here were breathtaking. And the light that filtered in made his gorgeous home that much more beautiful.

  I stared in the oval mirror above the sink that was a piece of artwork itself. It was carved wood. I’d never seen such a thing, but I didn’t have a lot of chances to tour multi-million-dollar homes or date celebrities.

  We were dating, right? I asked my tanned, somewhat sunburned reflection. My nose and cheeks were a little pinker than brown. I fixed my windblown hair while I contemplated what had happened today, this summer. This all felt different, not an adrenaline, hormone-induced response. My head pointed to the relationship Nick had with Skye and how he helped my parents. How much care he had taken with my feelings and desires not to be in his spotlight. And he listened. He may have some rough edges and an ego, but he wasn’t a narcissist, of that I was sure. I leaned in and studied my own blue eyes. He wasn’t Douglas. He wasn’t putting on an act. And why would he? He could have any woman in the world.

  My eyes, heart, and mind all seemed to agree.

  I took a deep breath and finished freshening up.

  Now, what was I going to do about my job?

  I found my way back to Nick’s gourmet kitchen, which belonged on the Food Network. It was so pretty, decked out with state-of-the-art appliances and stunning white cabinets that played against the dark wood floors. It smelled divine too. Nick was already working on dinner and sautéing peppers while cutting fruit. What was it about a man in the kitchen that made him so attractive?

  “Can I help with anything?” I leaned against the U-shaped island near him.

  He looked up from his cutting board. “No, but try this.” He picked up a small slice of yellow fruit.

  “What’s this?”

  “A mango nectarine.” He placed the piece in my mouth and added a kiss before I could start chewing.

  Oh. Wow. Mmm. Sweet flavor explosion. That was only the kiss. I savored and swallowed the nectarine, which was sweet and yummy too. I gri
nned at Nick, thinking about how surreal this all was, but knowing reality needed to have its place.

  “Nick, we need to talk about my job and what all this means.”

  “Are you already wanting the define-the-relationship conversation?” he teased.

  “No.”

  He set the knife down, took me up in his arms, and pressed me against the island. “I want to have it.” He was nothing but serious. “Kate, I want you in my life long-term.”

  That was a breathtaking statement, and I felt it in every fiber of my being. I wanted that too, but . . . “You’re using a dating service. The one I work for. The one that made me agree not to date you.”

  “Did you sign something that said you wouldn’t date clients?” he asked matter-of-factly.

  I thought for a moment. “Well, no, it’s an unwritten rule.”

  “Didn’t Kenadie marry a client?”

  “Yes, but . . .”

  He pressed his lips to my mouth before whispering against them, “We have no issues.”

  I leaned my head back. “I have an issue with you using a dating service if we’re dating.”

  He groaned. “Kate, it’s not what you think.”

  “Enlighten me.”

  “I can’t right now. Unlike you, I have signed an agreement with Kenadie.” Irritation surrounded Kenadie’s name.

  I let out a big breath, not sure what to make of any of what he did and didn’t say.

  “You are the only woman I want in my life. Trust me . . . please.”

  “That’s difficult for me.”

  He sweetly kissed my forehead and lingered. “I know.”

  “What do we do?”

  “We don’t worry about it, because it’s all going to work out. And I don’t want to waste another second of our time together this weekend talking about things that don’t matter.”

  “I didn’t know we were spending the weekend together.” I smirked up at him.

  “Now you do. I’m going to play tour guide.”

  His seductive tone sent a shiver through me. “Is that so?”

  He nuzzled my neck. “We are going to start right here.” He lingered, driving me mad, until he kissed his way up my neck to my lips. “Next stop is here.” His warm lips teased and pulled on mine until they gently brushed them a few times.