by M. S. Parker
I did know it, but that didn't mean I was going to flake out. I told Adelle I was going and I'd do just that. Since I'd been told to meet Cade at the Park Hyatt Hotel restaurant, at least I could get a free meal out of it. Maybe I'd get really lucky and the guy would at least be a good conversationalist. That was the most I was hoping for out of this evening, good food and a nice guy who didn't try to get me drunk or take advantage of me. I wasn't even considering the possibility that there could be anything else. No use going there and being disappointed.
With my expectations firmly in place, I grabbed my dress purse and headed for the door. I'd considered driving this time, as much to give me incentive not to drink so much, but I despised driving in heels so a cab it was. I winced as I thought of the fare, but my only other non-driving option was the train and there was no way I was doing that in a dress.
The cabbie was nice enough and didn't take any detours, which I appreciated. Sometimes, if they thought I was some naïve girl who didn't know my way around the city, they'd try to run up the meter. When we pulled up to the hotel, I couldn't help but stare. I'd seen it before, of course, but it was different getting out of the cab and knowing I was going inside. It was gorgeous.
I paid the cabbie, squared my shoulders and tried to look like I belonged at a five-star hotel. I walked slowly enough that I was able to find the restaurant without having to ask anyone and I headed inside. The hostess smiled at me as I came in.
“May I help you?” she asked.
“I'm meeting Cade Shepard,” I said.
“Wonderful.” Her smile widened. “Mr. Shepard is waiting for you. Right this way, please.”
I followed her as she made her way around the tables, most of which were full. It didn't take long for me to figure out that we were heading toward a more secluded section of the restaurant. The lights were dimmer, the tables a bit further apart for added privacy. Then the hostess stepped to one side and everything else faded away.
It was him. Right there. My mystery man was sitting at the table directly in front of me.
My jaw dropped and I darted a glance toward the hostess to see where she was going to point me. There was no way Adelle had found my savior and set us up on a blind date.
Then he was standing, his eyes brightening with recognition. He walked around to the other side of the table and pulled out the chair, the invitation clear.
“Your waiter will be here shortly with your wine selections.”
The hostess may have been smiling at us before she walked off, but I didn't notice. I couldn't stop staring. I did, however, managed to shut my mouth so I didn't look like a complete idiot.
“Well, isn't this a small world,” he said as he held out his hand.
I slid mine into his, still unable to believe this was real. He raised my hand to his lips just like he'd done last week. This time, I had no alcohol to blame for the way my stomach twisted and clenched as his mouth brushed against my knuckles. When he released my hand, my skin still tingled.
I sat down and let him help scoot in my chair before he walked back around to his seat. Before I could ask him how he knew Adelle, a waiter appeared with a wine menu.
He didn't even glance at it. “We'll have the Invictus Shiraz, two thousand four. And we'll need a few more minutes before we're ready to order.” He turned back to me as the waiter walked away. “Now, Miss Aubree Gamble. It's nice to have a name to put to your lovely face.”
“Likewise,” I said. “My friends call me Bree.”
“That’s a shame.” He smirked.
“Why do you say that?”
He ran his finger around the rim of his glass as he studied me. “Because Aubree is so much prettier. Suits you better.”
Heat bloomed in my cheeks and I blurted out the first thing that popped into my head. “You didn't know who I was.” I made it a statement rather than a question.
“When Adelle asked me to come here?” He shook his head. “No.” He smiled. “I don't need to ask if you knew who I was. The expression on your face said it all.”
I flushed and dropped my eyes.
“I admit it was a pleasant surprise,” Cade continued. “When Adelle mentioned that her friend was getting over a bad break-up and needed to be reintroduced to the world of dating, I expected someone... different.”
I raised my head. “Different how?” I tried to hide the hurt that went through me when I heard that Adelle had told him about what had happened.
He leaned back as the waiter returned with the wine. I resisted the urge to gulp half of mine just to calm my nerves. Once the waiter left, Cade turned his attention back to me.
“I assumed that Adelle's friend would be someone who was unable to find a date on her own, forced to rely on her friend's assistance. Shy, definitely. Most likely plain as well.”
I blinked at the blunt statements. “Excuse me?”
He continued on without an apology. Either he hadn't realized I hadn't appreciated what he'd said or he didn't care.
“Women who've been scorned by men react in one of two ways. They either completely swear off men until they find that they're tired of satisfying their own desires, or they jump right back in the dating pool and find a nice rebound man.” He gave me a once-over and I could see the admiration in his eyes. “Either way, the ones who rely on friends to find them men generally do so because they can't do it themselves.”
I opened my mouth to tell him that I could find a man if I wanted to, but the waiter returned and I looked down at my menu, wondering if it'd be too obvious to order the most expensive thing on the menu.
“We'll have the duck served with a lime glaze on a bed of watercress salad tossed in a light vinaigrette.”
“Very good, Sir.”
My head snapped up as I realized he'd ordered for us both.
He spoke as he turned back toward me. “Adelle mentioned that you liked duck but weren't able to have it often.”
I scowled. “Do you also know my bra size and bank account balance?”
His lips twitched like he wanted to laugh, but he didn't. “No.” He raised an eyebrow. “I seem to have hit a nerve. Tell me, are you annoyed at me, or at your friend for sharing personal details with me?”
I inhaled slowly. He was right. True, I was discovering that my white knight was the kind of confident that was two steps past arrogant, but knowing Adelle had told him personal things about me, that was upsetting.
“Shall we start over?” He extended a hand. “I'm Cade Shepard. I have some lovely red wine here and duck on the way if you'd care to join me.”
I shook his hand, trying to ignore the tingle that went up my hand and arm when we touched. This was a date to get Adelle off my back, nothing more. Okay, so I'd also met my rescuer, but I'd been telling myself for the past two weeks that I didn't want anything more than to thank him. I ignored the little voice in my head that reminded me how much I'd enjoyed that kiss.
“I'm Aubree Gamble. It's nice to meet you.” I gave him a partial smile.
“Now, Aubree, since I'm not the type of man to ask questions about his blind date so as to ensure a pleasant evening, I must ask if you like duck or if you'd prefer to order something else?”
My face burned at his words. I suddenly felt petty and stupid. Adelle hadn't spilled secrets about me. Cade had asked because he wanted to know more about the person she was setting him up with. I'd never even thought to ask about him. Ironically, it had been because I'd been too preoccupied with trying to learn his identity.
“Duck will be wonderful, thank you.” I put as much sincerity into my words as I could. I paused, and then apologized. “And I'm sorry for how I behaved. It's been a rough month.”
He nodded and topped off both of our wine glasses. “So Adelle mentioned, though not the details. I suppose I can let you off with a warning this time.” His eyes shone, but there was something in his voice that made me want to squirm. “After all, I witnessed firsthand part of the difficult month you've had.”
&
nbsp; “Thank you.” The words burst out of me and more heat rushed to my face. If I kept this up, I was going to look like a tomato. “For helping me the other night. And making sure I got home safely.”
He raised his glass. “You're welcome.” He took a sip of the wine and then asked, “No thank you for the kiss?”
“Fuck.” I closed my eyes as I realized I'd said the word aloud. This night just kept getting better.
“I don't believe we got that far.” He sounded smug. “If we had, you'd be overwhelmed with gratitude.”
I opened my eyes and glared at him. I wasn't sure which was worse, that he was teasing me or that he was so full of himself.
Our food arrived just then, providing me with enough of a distraction to regain my composure. Everything looked and smelled delicious. I thanked the waiter, then glanced up at Cade. He gestured toward my plate and then cut a piece of his duck. We ate in silence for several minutes. I wasn't sure if he was waiting for me to say something or if he was only enjoying his meal, but there were plenty of things I wanted to say. I just wasn't sure where to start.
Finally, I decided that I wasn't going to let tonight be a total waste. I'd found my mystery male. Or, rather, Adelle had somehow managed to find him for me, and that was a whole other set of questions. I'd thanked him, but there had been something I'd been wondering since I'd been able to think clearly about what had happened.
“Why'd you do it?” I asked.
He raised an eyebrow in question.
“Why did you intervene at O'Mallys with Steven?” I pushed at a bit of watercress. “And why did you take me all the way home? Just putting me in a cab after what you'd done would've been more than enough.”
“Some people would've tried to take advantage of you in your inebriated state.” There was no hint of judgment or mockery in his words.
“But you didn't.”
“True.” He took a drink of wine. “In fact, I seem to remember that if anyone was being taken advantage of, it was me.”
I stabbed a piece of meat a little more viciously than was necessary. “You didn't seem to mind.”
He laughed and the sound rolled over me, coating my skin. Arousal flooded me. Shit. I was getting wet just from his laugh.
“No, I did not.” He leaned back in his seat. “And to answer your question, I stepped in because I don't like bullies, particularly when the person being bullied is a woman.”
His tone was even, but I knew there was something deeper to that statement. I met his eyes, but they were mild and pleasant, betraying nothing of what had prompted his words.
“Enough about that horrible excuse for a date,” he said, leaning forward. “I want to know more about you.”
I blinked at the abrupt shift in conversation. I was glad he wasn't going to be like Steven and only talk about himself, but as we talked, I could feel him controlling the conversation, steering it where he wanted it to go. He answered some of my questions, but rarely in the detail he probed from me. I should have been annoyed; everything about him should have put me off. I liked confident men, but not ones who were cocky. I didn't mind charming, but I'd always been irritated by the men who seemed to think everyone found them as irresistible as they thought they were. Still, there was something about him that drew me to him. I didn't know if it was because he carried himself so differently than Ronald had or if it was just a reaction to the hero worship I'd been nursing for the past two weeks. Either way, the longer I stayed, the more I wanted to be here.
“Was the meal to your satisfaction?” he asked as I finished my wine.
“It was amazing.” I'd purposefully only drunk a glass and a half even though it was probably the most expensive wine I'd ever have the chance to drink. The food, however, I completely devoured. It had been the perfect portion. Enough to make me not hungry, but not so much that I felt full. I wasn't sure, however, if dessert was on the menu. Cade had been an attentive date, not even looking at any of the women who'd checked him out over the course of the meal, but he also hadn't expressed any overt indications that he thought of this as anything but a single evening to please Adelle.
He stood and I tried to hide my disappointment. It seemed the night was over after all. When he held out his hand, I took it, believing we'd end with a shake. Instead, he curled his fingers around mine.
“I've already ordered dessert and champagne to my room. Join me?”
I almost couldn't tell if that last bit was a question or a command. “You have a room?” My mouth went dry and I considered pulling my hand away.
As if he'd read my mind, he squeezed my hand, then released it. "I'll be honest. When Adelle set us up, I was hesitant to accept. She was sure, though, that we would enjoy our time together. So much so that she insisted I rent a room. I'm glad now that I did."
He held out his hand again and this time the invitation was clear. “I promise that things will not go any further than you want them to. You say the word and I'll call a cab.”
My expression must've been more skeptical than I felt because he continued.
“I hope you accept, but I have no problem spending the rest of the night gorging myself on chocolate and watching pay-per-view.”
My eyes slid down his muscular torso. Somehow, I doubted he'd ever gorged himself on anything.
He took a step toward me, closing the distance between us to less than a foot. I could suddenly smell him, the clean scent of soap without any of the usual extras of aftershave or cologne. My stomach clenched.
He raised his hand and brushed the back of it down the side of my face. Heat bloomed across my cheek, but not from embarrassment this time.
“I can see the desire in your eyes, Aubree. I know what you want, and I can give it to you. Stop being so careful and give in to what you want.” His voice was low and sensual, one hypnotic word after the next. “You do want it, don't you? You want me.”
I swallowed hard. Damn. I had no doubt that if I went with him and asked him to stop at any point in time, he'd do just that. He wouldn't force me. It wasn't him I didn't trust though. It was me. I could tell myself I didn't want this night to end and if I went with him, we'd eat decadent desserts and maybe make out a bit, but I couldn't deny that I'd been fantasizing about seeing what was under that shirt of his from the moment I'd first looked into his face. If I went with him, I knew I wouldn't want to stop at a kiss or two, a caress or maybe a bit of skin. I'd want it all.
“Don't deny yourself.” He palmed my cheek, his thumb brushing across my bottom lip. “Come with me.”
A shiver went through me as I imagined him saying those words again, but with a completely different meaning.
Fuck it.
I nodded before I could change my mind. “Let's go.”
Chapter 8
He led me, hand-in-hand, to the elevators, and I envied the ease with which he carried himself. My heart was racing and only some of it was due to Cade. As I passed people, I felt like their eyes were on me, like they knew I was about to sleep with this man on the first date. I never judged anyone for the choices they made regarding their sex life, but I'd had it drilled into my head since childhood that I was a good girl, and good girls didn't have sex on the first date. My parents hadn't been the religious type where I needed to wait for marriage, but sex had never been a casual thing.
As the elevator doors closed, Cade pulled me against him so that my back was pressed against his front. He slid his arms around my waist, and put his mouth close to my ear.
“Don't overthink things.”
His tone made it clear this wasn't a suggestion and my heart skipped a beat.
“If something feels wrong, then by all means don't do it, but if you're thinking about what other people will think, stop.”
His tongue traced the outside of my ear and I closed my eyes. There was no way such a small touch should've been able to make my knees weak.
“It's not about anyone else. It's about you and what you want.”
His hands slid up over m
y ribcage to rest just under my breasts. His fingers teased at the undersides of them and I felt my nipples tighten at his touch.
“What do you want, Bree?” When I didn't say anything, he tried a different way. “Tell me what you want, Bree.”
I forced my eyes open and noticed our reflection on the gleaming door of the elevator. I watched his head tilt as he nuzzled his nose into my hair. I watched his thumb trace a path across my nipple. Then, he lifted his head and his eyes met mine in the mirror. My breath caught as a single word escaped me. “You.”
He groaned, a sound of pleasure deep in his chest and then moved me away from him as the elevator doors slid open. Lacing his fingers through mine, he led me down the hallway toward his room. “Come.”
That word again.
It was a nice room, not one of the highest priced ones with a mini kitchen and sitting room, but that wasn't surprising. He hadn't rented it for a vacation. Everything we needed sat against the wall to the right. He'd at least sprung for a king, and from the looks of things, the thread-count to those snowy white sheets was high. I took a moment to appreciate the decor and then turned my attention to the room service cart that sat next to the bed. A bottle of champagne chilled in a bucket of ice and next to it was a tray of chocolates. My mouth watered just looking at them and I glanced at Cade.
“Try one of the truffles,” he said. “They're amazing.”
I picked one up and took a bite, closing my eyes in pure enjoyment as the chocolate melted on my tongue. “Mmm,” I moaned.
“There's a sound I want to hear again.”
I opened my eyes and saw that Cade had taken off his jacket and tie, laying them on the chair on the far side of the room. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone and I felt a stab of desire. He walked back over to me and plucked the rest of the truffle from my hand. Holding it between two long fingers, he put it against my lips. I opened my mouth and he slid the chocolate inside. I let the tip of my tongue brush against the pad of one finger as I took the dessert and was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath.
“Champagne?” he asked, his voice rougher than it had been.