by Natalie Ann
“Thirty-five,” he said. “And no, that cash for buying the house doesn’t come from my career. Though the career pays really well.”
“I wouldn’t even consider asking something that personal. For all I know you’re a gigolo on the side and I don’t want to know that if it’s the case.”
Heads turned he was laughing so loud. “Wow. I think we’re even for the one-night stand question. That’s a good one though. I’ve been called a lot of things in life but never that.”
“You’ve got a nice laugh,” she said.
“Really?” he reached his hand across and laid it on hers. It felt the same as it did when he held it as they danced under the stars.
“Yeah. And your eyes just deepened a shade of blue, so I’m thinking I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Don’t take it back. I’m glad you said it. And because you did, I’ll tell you honestly that I’ve got a trust fund.” All she did was nod her head. “What? No questions on that?”
“You aren’t the first person to pay cash for a house, nor are you the first person I’ve dealt with with a trust fund. And if truth be told, you look like a trust fund baby just out to get what you want.”
“True.” What was he supposed to do, deny it? She’d probably see right through that. “So before we get to our pizza, why don’t you give the spiel. Get it off your chest and we can start fresh.”
“Spiel?” she asked.
“What? You said I’d have to wait until the end of dinner. I find I’m pretty impatient and would rather know now if I’m going to be standing in front of the firing squad with hot sauce on my fingers.”
“It’s comments like that that keep drawing me in. Your humor. I like a man with humor. Here’s the deal. This is a date. Surprisingly, I’d like another one. I’ve got no number of dates before I’ll sleep with a man. I’ll sleep with a man when I feel there is more to it than him waiting to find out when he can get in my pants.”
“That’s fair.”
“I’ve learned to be a really good judge of character now.”
“Point taken. Have you dated and not slept with someone because you never felt he was more vested?” He didn’t expect those words to come out of his mouth but sure the hell wouldn’t take them back now.
“Lots of times. Like I said, I’m a good judge of character.”
He wanted to address the fact she said ‘now’ but didn’t want to get sidetracked. “So you’ve said multiple times now to me that you aren’t interested, yet we find ourselves in this lovely establishment.”
“We do,” she agreed, a smirk filling her face, her brown eyes dancing with mischief and humor, her hair falling around her shoulders, dark wavy hair that he was just dying to run his fingers through.
“And what are your thoughts right now?”
“I’m still reserving judgment on them. Consider that a win. I don’t often go back on my first impressions, and yet I am with you. For once in my life, I’m going to see where it leads me.”
Their salad and wings were placed in front of them and they both dove in like they hadn’t eaten in days. “I love that you aren’t afraid to get dirty with food.”
“Is there a double meaning there because right now I’m too hungry to figure it out.”
“I didn’t mean to have one, but it can be if you want.”
“The fact that you didn’t mean to and admitted it will let me answer you honestly. I’ve been known to mix food and pleasure.”
“And you aren’t going to elaborate?” he asked, pouring dressing over the salad he just dished on his plate.
“Why spoil the surprise?”
“Yeah. Why spoil it?” he asked.
Knew His Type
Connor Landers did not kiss her senseless tonight!
Only he did, she reminded herself as she climbed into bed hours later.
They’d laughed more than she could ever remember laughing on a date before. They teased, they flirted and they got to know each other.
As first dates went, he might have blown the bar out of the water. The best part was it was spontaneous. She was willing to bet when he took a lady out he wined and dined her...pizza parlors not being on his list of favorite places to impress a woman.
She wondered if she got the real Connor tonight by taking him out of his element, or if he was that good at putting up a facade. She’d hate to think he was so much surface that he could play it up anywhere or anytime. At least she was hoping.
She was actually too exhausted to even think about it much more, but the other part was she didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want to consider he might be playing her. That she was falling for it.
She knew his type. She’d come across plenty of them in her life. And she always had the same answer for them. Not interested!
Yet she went out with him tonight.
Maybe she was losing her mind. She knew she lost a few brain cells after that kiss. He hadn’t even kissed her when they danced under the stars that one night. When he held her in his arms and pulled her close. When he whispered words in her ear that turned her to mush.
But tonight in the parking lot of the pizza joint, he walked her to her car, and before she could say or do anything, he was yanking her into his arms and bringing his mouth to hers. “Since I got this far, I’m going to take a gamble and think this might be allowed.”
There was no fight in her and when she shut her eyes, she knew he knew he’d won.
But really, after that kiss, she knew she was the winner.
His lips brushing against hers. His hands in her hair tilting her head. His tongue swooping in and tasting her. If someone hadn’t coughed in the parking lot, she might have been willing to stay there all night and let him continue to show her how a woman could swoon from a kiss. How a kiss said it all and made you want to change every decision you’d ever made in your life.
But someone did interrupt them and she did pull back. He walked back to his car and before he got in, he said. “I’ll be talking to you soon.”
***
A few days had gone by and Connor still hadn’t heard from Melissa. He was starting to think the ball was in his court right now. Offense or defense? Offense, of course.
On a break from his patients, he went back to his office and picked up his phone. None of this texting bullcrap he always did. This was different. This was serious. And the rules had to change.
“Ms. Mahoney, so good to hear your voice.”
“Dr. Landers. What can I do for you?”
Oh, there was plenty she could do for him, but if he was going to handle this differently, then he had to keep those words locked up tight for now. “How about another date?”
“What do you have in mind?” she asked.
“Your choice,” he said. He was thinking she wasn’t like the other women he’d been with. That there was no use planning anything lavish or extravagant. After she picked out pizza the other night, he was going to just hold back and see which way he needed to steer.
“I chose last time,” she said and there was a huge amount of laughter in her voice. She was playing with him, he knew. The question was, could he win this game?
“You did, but a gentleman always lets a lady go first.”
There was silence on the other line. He wished he could see her face rather than wonder if she took it down the sexual road that he normally would have meant it for. When she cleared her throat he knew she had. “Sometimes ladies don’t always want to go first.”
She was good. “Then what if I’m afraid to mess up?” Did he really say that? He hadn’t meant to.
“Are you?” she asked, almost in a whisper.
He opted for the truth. “I think I am. You’re clearly not afraid to put me in my place and the fact that you’re willing to try another date is telling me I better tread carefully.”
She laughed this time. “Why is that?”
“Because I’m thinking this is my last chance.”
“Well then, I gue
ss you get points for thinking that. Or at least considering it while calling me. It so happens I’m free this Saturday. If you’d like to do something, I’ll make sure not to schedule any showings.”
“What do you know? I don’t have any plans either.”
“Well then. Since you like the water so much, why don’t we plan a day on it? Bring your suit and I’ll take care of the rest.”
“I can do that. Where are we meeting?”
“We can meet at my house. I’ll text you the address. And just so you know, you should feel lucky I’m letting you come to my house, but don’t think more of it than it is.”
He was feeling pretty darn lucky for someone that normally would have walked away from a woman that was making him chase so much. But he was winning at a game he thought for sure was lost before he made this call. “Care to explain why you’re going against your usual rules?”
“You’re not technically a stranger. I know enough about you since you’re my client, but even then, you’re friends with my best friend’s husband. That gives you a pass when it might not have anyone else.”
“With any luck I’ll be able to win over a few more passes by the end of the weekend.”
“How lucky do you think you are?”
Damn, she was good. He knew darn well there was a double meaning there. She was just dangling the carrot right in front of him and he was the hungriest rabbit ever known. “Lucky enough and we’ll leave it at that. I think you’re purposely setting me up to fail.”
There was that laugh again. “I like smart men.”
“Then you’re going to love me.” There was silence on the other end. Crickets chirping would be a welcome sound. “That came out wrong.”
“We’ll see,” was all she said before she disconnected the call with a laugh.
***
Melissa was staring at the phone in her hand wondering if she might be drunk. Or maybe she was stupid. Dreaming? That had to be it.
Did that conversation just happen? Did she really have some funny sexual banter with him...and enjoy it so much?
She did. Which was scary because even though she was often like that with her friends, she rarely was with a man. And definitely not someone she’d just met. There was a fear deep in her belly right now making her wonder what she was setting herself up for.
If she got burned, it’d be all her own fault. She knew what she was getting into with him. She knew his type. Hell, he pretty much told her his type. Yet he was still trying.
She did what she always did when she was confused.
“What?” Sheldon said, answering her phone on the first ring. “I’m getting to the good part right now.”
“That first kiss?” Melissa asked. Ah, the first kiss. That was what said it all for her. And that was the root of the problem. She hadn’t gotten that first kiss the first time she and Connor met. She’d wanted it and thought for sure it was coming her way. Instead, she had to fight the urge to dump her drink in his lap.
“Nah. We’re past that. They’re dancing around getting ready for the good stuff,” Sheldon said.
“Anything exciting?”
Sheldon laughed. “What’s wrong with you, girl? Sex is always exciting.”
“Considering my dry spell, it’s hard for me to think that.”
“But you had some good lip action the other day.”
Of course Melissa told Sheldon about the kiss. She told Sheldon everything. “I did. I just made another date with him too.”
“So you’re going to give him a shot. I guess the kiss was that good.”
The kiss was more than good. Better than she’d ever had before, but she wasn’t going to say that. She’d always thought Sheldon was cynical when it came to men. For a romance writer, Sheldon never believed in happy ever after and that was all Melissa wanted. Funny how Sheldon ended up with it and Melissa was still waiting.
“It was good enough,” she said. “He told me the date is mine to choose. I thought for sure he’d try to razzle dazzle me with something, but he didn’t.”
“I bet he knows you won’t fall for it, that’s why.”
Melissa sighed. “I think you’re right. Which of course is making it hard for me to think straight. Am I wrong to do this?”
“It’s a date, Melissa!” Sheldon said, snorting. “He isn’t asking you to marry him.”
“True. I am thinking too much of this.”
“Are you worried because he’s a client?”
“No. That thought never crossed my mind. I don’t think he’s the type to get angry if I tell him no. I mean I already told him no and yet he still sought me out. Which makes me wonder why he did. Or how he knew to.”
“Did you tell him you were a realtor?”
“No. I didn’t. The same as I didn’t know he was a doctor. I didn’t even know his last name. I’m thinking I didn’t even tell him my last name.”
“I’ll ask Erik tonight. I’m betting Connor asked him.”
“Really? Nah, that’s a lot of work to talk to someone that turned you down.”
“It’s not a lot of work if you really want something. If you really want someone to give you a chance.”
Melissa laughed. “Very true. Since when did we switch places? Is marriage making you soft?”
“I never thought of that. But yeah, you’re being cynical now.” Sheldon paused. “Listen, Melissa. I get it. You’ve been hurt. You’ve watched your father get hurt and no one is closer to you than your dad. But as I learned, my parents’ lives aren’t mine, weren’t mine, and will never be mine.”
“You’re right. I’ve got to put it aside. I mean, if you can, anyone can.”
“That’s the spirit. Now let me go and get these two undressed and rolling around on the bed. Let me know what you come up with for your date with Connor.”
Melissa disconnected the call feeling much better than before she’d called Sheldon. What Sheldon said was right. Just because her mother was a chronic cheater and her father couldn’t get over his love of his first wife didn’t mean that Melissa couldn’t move past being cheated on herself. Because if the lying scheming co-worker hurt her, it was nothing like her next boyfriend who’d said he loved her for the first time, then promptly left her place to climb in bed with his wife.
Being the other woman, whether you were aware of it or not, wasn’t a place she ever planned on being again.
But that didn’t mean that every bad relationship she’d had should dictate how she proceeded.
The only problem was, just saying those words didn’t make her really believe it.
All About Equality
The weather was playing right along with Melissa’s plans for the day. Connor should be along any minute and she was trying to calm her nerves. Which was funny because she’d never gotten nervous before any date. Ever.
She’d heard her phone ring and picked it up to see her father calling. “Hi, Dad.”
“How’s my girl doing?”
“Good as always. What are you up to?”
“Not much. Just relaxing. I haven’t talked to you in a few days and thought I’d reach out. We haven’t seen each other lately.”
She smiled. “Do you miss me?”
“You know the answer to that.”
She was a daddy’s girl and had never been afraid to say it. When her mother left them when Melissa was twelve, she’d thought her father would date again at some point. She was shocked he never did. When she’d asked him why, he said he still loved her mother. That sometimes when you found your first love you couldn’t let go. The fact that her mother didn’t feel the same way and slept with half the men in town didn’t seem to make a difference to her father.
“I’d love to come see you. How about dinner one night?” she asked.
“If you’ve got time, I’d like to cook a new recipe for you, but I know you’re busy and do a lot of work at night.”
She felt guilty about that. That her father worked days and she did a lot of work at night. They t
alked every few days but didn’t see each other often even though he only lived in Annapolis about thirty minutes away.
“I’ll make the time. I promise. I’ll have a better idea of my schedule for the week tomorrow. I think I’m free Monday after five if you want to aim for then.”
“I can do that. How many showings do you have today?”
“None. And I’m keeping it that way.” She debated telling her father about her date, but knew he’d want to know. He was always on her case about not having a personal life. She never told him about dates before they happened, always after. “I’ve got plans today.”
“Alone?” he asked.
“No.”
“With Sheldon?”
“No,” she said again, smiling. It was a little game they played. He liked to keep asking until he figured it out on his own.
“With another friend?”
“Sort of.”
“A man,” her father said, triumphantly.
“Ding ding ding.”
“What’s his name?”
“Connor Landers. Dr. Connor Landers.”
“Hmm. Stepping up in the world. I like that,” he said giving his usual short laugh. “Actually that name sounds familiar. Young guy?”
“He could be considered young for a doctor. Why?” She didn’t think her father would have any need for Connor’s specialty. Her father was pretty upfront with what was going on with him.
“I’ve seen the name in the building where my primary doctor is located.”
“That’s probably him then, since he’s based out of Annapolis.”
“Hope he takes you out to do something special.”
“I’m taking him out.”
“That’s my girl. All about equality. Show him a good time.”
She loved her father. He was the best father on the face of this earth. He always encouraged her and was never down. Always happy, always joking and smiling. She could never figure it out but was thrilled she had his personality over her mother’s. “Dad?”