by Unknown
Sanfrandani: It’s no big deal. Remember, this is market research.
At least that was what Dani kept reminding herself as she had checked her in-box for the umpteenth time. Not that she expected Bryce to contact her after saying goodbye to her this morning, but on the off chance he had…
Kangagirl: You could always ask him out.
Englishcrumpet: That’s a brilliant idea, Marissa.
Sanfrandani: I can’t. Not unless I wanted to lie to him or tell him the truth about why I joined the site and risk losing my job. And now, with my boss wanting me to go out with any guy who contacts me, it’s just too complicated.
Kangagirl: Maybe, but look at Rick and me. That was complicated. You have to remember, if it’s meant to be, it’ll work out.
Englishcrumpet: That’s right. I never expected to fall in love again, let alone get married and have another baby. You never know how things will work out, Dani.
Kangagirl: So don’t give up hope.
Dani wanted to believe her friends, yet she had her doubts. And the guilt kept building. Her life had felt like a lie for half a year now. The job, the spying, now the dating.
She thought about the man she was meeting tomorrow night for dinner. Gymguy seemed pleasant enough, but his e-mail had been more of a sales pitch about himself. He didn’t mention anything about her. Nothing like…
She sighed.
Bryce.
Bryce didn’t know what to do.
He tapped his pencil against his desk. The rapid tattoo on the wood matched the throbbing at his temples. He had work issues to deal with, but only one thing was on his mind—Dani.
Actually, I do.
She had another date. A date, he’d discovered when he probed deeper, with another guy from Blinddatebrides.com.
He shouldn’t care. He didn’t care. He should be glad she was proving herself to be an ordinary client.
Except there was nothing ordinary about Dani.
Bryce couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Why would she suddenly decide to go on dates after months of turning men down?
Not knowing the answer bugged him. He needed to find out what was going on. Not for his sake, but for the Web site.
And he knew how to do that.
Bryce was the founder and CEO of Blinddatebrides.com. The terms of use customers agreed to when they joined the Web site gave him permission to read whatever he wanted. He had administrative access to everything, from chat logs to messages sent between users on the site. Viewing a user’s account wasn’t unheard of for debugging or monitoring metrics for site usage.
Or tracking down abusers.
Or possible abusers, such as Dani.
Checking her user account made perfect sense, Bryce rationalized. Reading private e-mails for personal reasons was unethical, but as part of an ongoing investigation…
That was all he was doing. Investigating.
It wasn’t as if he’d asked Grant to pull all her chat logs. He’d let the filtering system deal with those.
She’d made the date before she’d met him. Bryce had figured out that much from what she would tell him. Now he just wanted—make that needed—to know a little more.
He logged into the admin system.
Time to do a little poking around in her e-mails to see exactly what was going on with Sanfrandani.
CHAPTER FOUR
“SEE anything you like?” asked Dani’s date.
She looked over her menu at Gymguy aka Gregg.
He smiled back smugly.
Most women would like him, Dani supposed. His blond corporate hairstyle, tanned skin and bleached teeth reminded her of a weekend news anchor. Nice-looking, but easily forgettable once you changed the channel. Though she wasn’t sure where his user name came from because he looked more on the thin and weak side than fit and strong from working out at a gym.
She glanced at her menu. “There’s quite a selection.”
He’d chosen a popular restaurant in Cow Hollow for dinner, although she’d suggested they meet for coffee instead. He’d even ordered an expensive wine, a bottle of Cabernet, over her objections. Maybe he wanted to impress her. Maybe he had control issues.
Maybe he was trying to get her drunk.
“The salmon with the cranberry chutney looks interesting.” Her budget didn’t allow splurging on expensive meals, but James had given her enough cash to cover the entire tab, including tip, so she could order whatever she wanted. One good thing about her boss—he wasn’t a cheapskate. If he developed some ethics, morals and a heart, she might even like working for him. “Though the Macadamia nut-crusted halibut sounds delicious.”
“I noticed that one myself.” Gregg lowered his menu. “And just so there’s no tug of war over the bill later, tonight is on me.”
Maybe Dani had misjudged his ordering the wine and everything else. He was probably just being polite.
And she wasn’t.
She couldn’t blame Gregg for her not wanting to be here. It wasn’t his fault she’d accepted the date under false pretenses and was feeling guilty.
How could she not when the ambience of the restaurant he’d selected oozed romance, with white linen tablecloths, candles and flowers and soft classical music playing? A tad much for a blind date, perhaps, but his choice showed he’d put some thought into where to take her.
Too bad she would rather be out with Bryce. Remembering his bright, warm eyes brought a sigh to Dani’s lips. She pressed them together.
No sighing or swooning allowed. Especially over a man who hadn’t e-mailed her since their coffee date. At least Gregg wanted to be with her.
“Thanks.” She placed her menu on the table. “But I was planning on treating you to dinner.”
Gregg’s beaming smile showed two rows of perfectly white, straight teeth, but he had nothing on Bryce’s easy grin. “Good thing I beat you to it.”
Not really.
Dani wanted to pay. She had to pay. Or the mounting guilt might do her in.
Once upon a time, she had a great job, a new car and a one-bedroom apartment with a peek of the San Francisco Bay out her living room window and a reserved parking spot.
How had she gotten…here? Dating strangers to get information her boss wanted?
She reached past her wineglass to her water and drank.
Dani didn’t want to be dating. Not Bryce or Gregg or any man. Relationships were like flesh-eating viruses that destroyed dreams and gnawed away at life plans. And when they ended you were left with nothing. She was better off without one.
“So…” Gregg raised his wineglass “…you’re a lot better-looking than your profile picture.”
“I hoped guys might read my profile instead of going by a photo.”
“That’s exactly what I did.” His gaze dropped from her face to her breasts. “Smart move on my part, that’s for sure.”
Darn it. Dani had worn loose-fitting clothes—a skirt, blouse and sweater—to hide her curves, but he’d somehow seen enough to capture his attention. She should have worn the baggy sweats instead.
Gregg stared at her chest, focusing on her breasts as if he had see-through clothing vision. “Though you’d probably get more takers if you mentioned you had such nice melons in your profile.”
Dani choked. Coughed. Wiped her mouth with her napkin.
O-kay. So much for him being polite.
But she knew how to deal with men like Gregg. Knew all too well.
With her napkin back on her lap, she straightened. “Stick to the Macadamia nuts, Gregg. You can’t handle the melons.”
His mouth gaped. He closed it.
“I sure would like to if you’ll give me the chance.” Gregg leaned over the table toward her, and she noticed how his eyes looked beady like a sewer rat’s. “My place is walking distance from here. Why don’t we skip dinner, head over there and go straight to dessert?”
She bit back a sigh. So typical.
And to think she’d been feeling guilty for
using him to get information when he wanted to use her for sex. At least Bryce had been a gentleman when he was out with her.
Gregg raised an eyebrow and puckered his lips slightly. “You know you want to go back to my apartment with me.”
Jerk. She bypassed the water and sipped from her wineglass. No sense wasting an expensive bottle.
Or the opportunity. Although lowering herself to his level left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Consider it market research, she told herself. Or morbid curiosity. “Do you do this a lot?”
“Depends on your definition of a lot, but I’m sure I could squeeze you in with my busy schedule.” He sipped his wine. “We will be so good together.”
She should have gone out with Bryce instead of this wannabe who gave players a bad name. “In bed, you mean?”
“Where else?” Gregg took another drink. “Women might say they are looking for a long-term commitment on their profiles, but secretly they’re looking for an adventure. All they need is the right man to lead the way.”
“You’ve figured this out on your own?”
“All by myself.” That smug smile of his returned. “Are you ready for an adventure, Dani?”
Gregg reached across the table, past the flickering votive candle, past the bud vase containing a Gerbera daisy, past her hand, to stroke the juncture of her breasts with his fingertip.
Disgust sent her flying back. She nearly fell. As she jerked to her feet, her chair crashed to the floor.
The restaurant was dead quiet. Customers stared. The wait-staff, too.
She didn’t care. “What are you doing?”
“Giving you what you want,” he said.
“What I want?” Dani’s blood pressure soared. His words took her straight back to high school, where the boys had elbowed each other and propositioned her when she’d walked by. She’d ignored their taunts even though it hurt because she’d wanted to be part of the popular crowd. She was older, wiser now. No need to try and fit in with people she’d never liked in the first place. “What I want is for you to crawl back into the hole you slithered out of.”
“You’re a feisty one, aren’t you?” He raised his eyebrows up and down, as if performing a bizarre mating call. “Women who play hard to get are usually good in bed.”
“You’ll never know.” She picked up her glass of water and tossed the contents on his lap. “That should cool you off.”
Gregg jumped up, grabbed a napkin and patted himself. “Why, you little—”
“Is there a problem?”
The male voice came from behind. She turned.
Bryce.
Surprise skittered through Dani, along with a flash of joy. Her mouth went dry. She’d been thinking about Bryce all evening and wanting to see him. Now he was here, looking all gorgeous in a brown suit, and concerned about her, as if she’d summoned him from those same thoughts.
Dani gloried in the moment, a wide grin on her face.
And then she remembered.
She wasn’t alone. Her cheeks burned.
Dani glanced at a red-faced Gregg, frantically drying the front of his pants and muttering to himself.
“Are you okay?” Bryce asked.
The tenderness of his voice alleviated some of her humiliation. She stared up at him. So handsome. So strong.
He had a looking-for-a-fight gleam in his eyes. His wanting to protect pleased her. Feminine power surged. And then she remembered the brawl scene from Bridget Jones’s Diary.
Oh, no. All she needed was two yuppies who didn’t know how to fight duking it out over her in a nice restaurant to top off the night. No way could she allow that to happen.
Sure, she appreciated Bryce wanting to come to her assistance, except this wasn’t a dark alley or the backseat of some guy’s car. She had this situation under control. “I’m fine.”
“Well, I’m not.” Gregg frowned. The water stain on his pants made him look as if he’d wet himself. “I should have known a chick with such a nice rack would be nothing but a tease.”
A vein throbbed at Bryce’s jaw. “Why don’t we step outside?”
Okay, she might not need rescuing and she sure didn’t want anyone fighting over her, but the way he’d challenged Gregg was totally romantic. Totally Austen hero-worthy, too.
Dani bit back a sigh.
Gregg must have agreed because he seemed to shrink before her eyes. He took two steps backward. “You want to fight me?”
“No,” Bryce said. “I want her to have more room when she kicks your scrawny wet ass.”
Her heart melted.
Gregg’s startled gaze darted between Bryce and her. A second later, he bolted from the restaurant.
She laughed. “I never realized I was that terrifying.”
“You have no idea.”
Outside the restaurant, streetlamps illuminated the crowded sidewalk. A breeze carried the salty scent of the bay. Dani stood next to Bryce.
A foghorn sounded. The cyclical blares reminded her she was no longer the dirt-poor girl she’d once been, the housekeeper’s daughter with boobs too big and hips too round. The girl no boy respected, but every boy wanted.
The memory sent a shiver down her spine. Dani crossed her arms over her.
Bryce shrugged off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. “This will keep you warm.”
He was doing a good enough job heating her up himself. Standing there with shadows cast on his face, he looked dangerous and sexy, but acted more like a knight than a rake.
Smiling, she buttoned his coat. Not only because of the cold, but because she wanted to feel closer to him. This might be her only chance. She wasn’t going to miss out. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I can’t believe you were at the restaurant.” Dani breathed in his soap and water scent on the jacket. Funny, but for some reason she thought he would wear cologne. “What a coincidence.”
Bryce stared at a yellow cab driving by. “Yeah, I ordered takeout, but decided to eat here instead of going home alone.”
Hope fluttered. He wasn’t on a date. She shouldn’t care. She didn’t care. Okay, maybe a little.
“But you had it covered,” Bryce continued. “You didn’t need my help with that guy.”
“It was nice to have backup.”
He bowed. “Big brother at your service.”
She gave a quick curtsy. “We made a good team.”
“We did.” Bryce glanced back at the restaurant. “But what went on in there should have never happened.”
She waited for the familiar litany to begin. That she was the one to blame when guys got carried away. That it was her fault. That she had been asking for it.
“The guy was a total jerk. You deserve to be treated so much better than that. He should be kicked off Blinddatebrides.com for his actions.”
Dani felt a familiar melting of her heart, the same way she’d felt when he’d stuck up for her a few minutes ago. His anger seemed so sincere, so real. And though he had bad things, valid criticisms, to say about Gregg, Bryce wasn’t using her experience to talk himself up. She respected that.
Him.
She wanted to hug Bryce. To thank him. To hold him.
He was different, a gentleman.
Someone who looked beyond the surface to see the person underneath.
Someone who wasn’t afraid to step forward.
Someone who cared.
About her.
Her pulse raced as if she’d just completed a competition round in the ring. “I’m going to file a complaint with the site.”
“Do,” he encouraged. “His account can be suspended.”
“Unfortunately, he’ll go to another dating site and do the same thing with other women,” she said. “What we’ve experienced is the dark side of online dating. Some people, and not just men, only want sex and are willing to do or say anything to get it.”
“Blinddatebrides.com is for those people wanting a serious relationship.”
Bryce sounded frustrated, annoyed.
“Players and liars are everywhere. Even on Blinddatebrides.com.”
“It shouldn’t be like that.” Bryce sounded so idealistic. “Those people should sign up for one of the casual sex sites like Hookamate.com instead.”
Dani winced. His words were like a slap to the face. Hearing Bryce say the truth embarrassed her. Worse, she agreed with him. But nothing could change about that until she found a new job. She only wondered whether he would want to see her again if he knew the truth about where she worked and what she did.
“Not everyone reads the terms of use,” Dani said. “Or cares.”
“They should care.” His eyes practically caressed her, and she sucked in a breath. “I care.”
Uh-oh. Her mouth went dry. Her heart beat faster.
Bryce was someone she could maybe care about. Maybe have something real with, but not this way.
She swallowed around the lump of emotion lodged in her throat.
Not under these circumstances.
She had to get away from him. Now. Before she messed up having any chance with him in the future. “I should be going home so you can get back to your dinner.”
“I finished eating.”
His gaze locked with hers. Hypnotic.
A connection seemed to draw him to her.
They stood there, silent, staring at each other as if entranced. The noise of the city disappeared, consumed by the night. It was only her and Bryce.
And that felt…right.
No, not right.
Dani fought hard to break his spell. She didn’t know enough about him. And he didn’t know the truth about her, which made it nowhere close to being right.
She looked away.
“It didn’t look as if you ate dinner in there,” Bryce said. “Would you like to get something to eat?”
Yes. No. Life wasn’t fair.
Why had she met him now?
She found Bryce to be intelligent, nice and totally hot. He was exactly the kind of man she wanted to meet in, say, five years, when she had her career established and was ready to make a commitment. She wasn’t ready for that at the moment, with her life in such disarray.