by Unknown
Dani was still angry over what had happened in her apartment, but the butterflies flapping and wreaking havoc in her stomach had nothing to do with her being upset and everything to do with attraction. He seemed to have gotten better-looking over the last week. Darn him.
A glass crashed to the floor.
An omen, perhaps? She wasn’t sure whether to move forward or retreat. Maybe he hadn’t seen her…
Bryce’s gaze caught her. His face brightened.
Maybe he was happy to see her. Maybe he wanted to get this over with.
Dani inhaled deeply to muster her courage. She could do this. She had no choice really since she’d said she was open for discussion. Unlike him, she wasn’t going to renege on her word.
He offered her a forgiving smile and raised a small black pot in the air.
She half laughed. He hadn’t been kidding about the pot.
Okay, maybe she was overreacting a little. The least she could do was have lunch with him and hear what he had to say.
She wove her way to his table, taking advantage of the time to prepare herself. All she wanted from him was an apology. Not a handshake or hug or kiss…
Bryce stood. “Miss Kettle?”
“Mr. Pot, I presume?”
He nodded.
Tension simmered between them, a strong mix of anxiety and attraction. She stood across from him like a total stranger.
Dani swallowed. Agreeing to meet him was a really bad idea.
A cell phone rang somewhere near the bookshelves.
“Do you want to order lunch before we sit?” Bryce asked finally.
“Sure,” Dani said, even though she didn’t have much of an appetite at the moment.
She followed him to the counter, where they ordered sandwiches and drinks. Bryce paid as he’d said he would.
Back at the table, Dani sat across from him. She heard the typing of keys on a laptop. She squeezed a slice of lemon into her iced tea and stole a glance at his face.
He was staring at her.
“I’m sorry.” Bryce’s voice cut through the silence at their table and the noise around them. “You took responsibility for your actions. I didn’t. I apologize for not being honest with you, for setting you up like that and everything else I said and did. It wasn’t fair of me.”
Those were the words Dani needed to hear. “Thank you. I know you feel betrayed over something very important to you. I appreciate and accept your apology.”
“Good, because I don’t like how things are between us.”
She stirred her iced tea. “There isn’t anything between us.”
“But I want there to be again,” he said with such heartfelt honesty she dropped her spoon. “After everything that’s happened, I miss what we had. I miss you, Dani. I might have started to see you under false pretenses, but my feelings for you were never faked. The things I said on our dates, the kissing, all that was true and not part of my checking up on you.”
She stared at him, transfixed by the emotion in his eyes and his voice.
“I know you said you weren’t interested in dating, but I want to keep seeing you. If you’re game, we could start over.”
“Start over,” she repeated, fighting the tumble of confused thoughts and emotions in her head.
“Yes, we could wipe the slate clean,” he explained. “Knowing what we know about each other now, we put what happened behind us and start fresh. This could be our first date.”
The unexpected proposition had her heart dancing a two-step, but doubts swirled. Dani wasn’t about to step onto the dance floor just yet. “What about my job? I still haven’t found another one.”
“Did you sign a non-disclosure agreement?”
She nodded.
“What about a non-compete clause?”
Another nod.
“Then I can’t offer you a job.”
“Nothing personal, but I wouldn’t want to work for you,” she admitted. “I learned from my mother that it’s best to take charge of your own life and not rely on others to give you what you need.”
That was something her mother hadn’t done after she married and paid the price when Dani’s father left. She would not make the same mistake.
A woman with a short asymmetric haircut delivered their sandwiches and walked away.
“I understand that, but what if I send your résumés out to some people I know?” Bryce offered. “I have a lot of connections that could come in handy.”
“I…” Dani knew former coworkers had found jobs through contacts. That was how most people found new positions. And she couldn’t pretend her own job search had yielded anything except feelings of futility. “As long as you only give them my résumé and promise to do nothing else. I don’t want something just handed to me because I know you.”
“Getting the job will be up to you.”
“That’s what I needed to hear.” Satisfied, she smiled. “Thanks.”
“Are you always so independent?”
“Yes.”
“E-mail your résumé when you get home tonight.”
“Thanks.” Except a question niggled at her. “You talked about starting over. How does that work? Do we wait until I get a new job or…”
“I don’t want to wait,” Bryce said without any hesitation. “I want to see you as much as I can.”
“I’d like that, too,” she admitted. “But we have to be honest with each other from now on. You have work and so do I. Plus I need to find a new job. Given the circumstances, we might want to take things…slow.”
Bryce smiled back. “Slow works for me.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Instant Message from Dani to Grace and Marissa: Trying 2 work things out with Bryce. Cross ur fingers! TTYL!
Instant Message from Grace to Dani: Good luck! Keep us posted. But please be careful.
Instant Message from Marissa to Dani: Fingers crossed! Watch out for yourself, okay?
Instant Message from Marissa to Grace: Do you know what’s going on with Dani and Bryce? I’m a little worried.
Instant Message from Grace to Marissa: No idea! But it sounds like we might not have to find a new place to chat!!!
OVER the next two weeks, Bryce’s work and travel schedule kept him busy. He only saw Dani twice, but kept in touch with her via phone calls, texting and e-mails. She didn’t mind his work taking up so much of his time. She had things to do herself.
By the time Friday rolled around, he couldn’t wait to see her. Thoughts of this evening had kept him going today, through an interview with a technology blogger, a phone call from his father and a meeting with his attorney.
Rain pelted Bryce as he ran from his car to the Palace of Fine Arts, where he was supposed to have met her twenty minutes ago.
Helluva time to be late.
The relentless storm had flooded roads, turning the city streets into gridlock with backed-up drains and fender benders.
He lengthened his stride, his feet pounding against the wet pavement. Water beaded on his jacket and dripped from his hair.
The entire park was deserted. A foghorn blared in the distance. Not the ideal conditions for a romantic picnic beneath the stars.
He should have checked the weather forecast before leaving the office. He’d tried to call Dani, but gotten her voice mail. Not that he would have canceled. Storm or not, he wanted to see her. He only hoped she hadn’t gotten caught in the downpour, too.
Up ahead, lights illuminated the columns and the interior of the dome. Dani would be underneath the rotunda waiting for him. The way she had been the first time they’d been here.
Anticipation surged. Bryce accelerated.
For once they had nowhere else to go, nothing else to do but be together.
He focused on the rotunda. Almost there.
Cold water shot up his pant leg. His shoe squished against the concrete.
Damn. Bryce glanced down at a big puddle. He shook his foot and continued on. A little more water didn’t matter when he w
as already soaking wet.
He ran underneath the dome, out of the cold rain and into the light. The first thing he saw was…
Dani.
She leaned against a column, looking like a goddess from ancient times except for the small cooler and picnic basket at her feet.
The sight warmed Bryce right up.
Water dripped from the hair plastered against her head and onto her soaking wet pale blue jacket. The thin, wet fabric clung to her like a second skin, accentuating every curve of her body and leaving little to his imagination.
Awareness rippled through him.
He wanted her.
It was as simple and as complicated as that.
“Looks like I’m not the only one who forgot an umbrella,” she said.
Her wide smile sent his pulse sprinting through his veins.
“Nope.” His gaze raked over her once again. Talk about a feast for the eyes. “But I’m glad you forgot yours.”
Dani raised her chin. “Why is that?”
“Because you are totally hot, Miss Bennett.”
He walked toward her. She met him halfway with a wry grin on her face.
“You’re not so bad yourself, Mr. Delaney.”
Bryce stood across from her at the center of the dome. The darker sapphire flecks in her eyes mesmerized him. He hadn’t noticed them before. “It’s hard to believe we were here only a few weeks ago.”
“This does have a bit of a déjà vu feeling.”
“Except for the rain.”
Her gaze remained locked on his. “The darkness.”
“And this…”
Bryce covered her mouth with his. She tensed for a moment, then relaxed, moving her soft lips against his. He didn’t know how long they stood there with only their lips touching. He didn’t care.
Kissing her like this was what he’d been thinking about, dreaming about, wanting to do, ever since they’d started over. Okay, ever since the kiss at the stable. He wasn’t about to rush through the opportunity. He wanted to savor the moment, make it last.
Dani’s kiss, full of sweetness and warmth, like the woman herself, was addictive. Intoxicating. A mysterious elixir with a secret ingredient. Bryce wanted more.
He deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around her.
Sheets of rain fell from the sky, drumming against the dome and the cement beyond the rotunda. The pounding water matched the beat of his heart.
His hand splayed her back, the wet fabric beneath his palm, and he pulled her toward him.
Dani went willingly, eagerly against him. She wrapped her arms around him, running the palms of her hands over his shoulders and back. A ball of need formed low in his stomach, an ache only she could soothe.
He moved his lips away from hers, trailing kisses along her jawline. She arched, giving him access to her neck. He showered kiss after kiss.
She moaned.
Heated blood pulsated through his veins. The hot ache grew inside him.
Dani wove her fingers through his hair. She rose up to kiss him, but bypassed his mouth and went straight to his ear. She nibbled on his earlobe, ran her tongue over it.
Bryce felt himself sinking into her.
He didn’t care. The only thing he cared about was…
Her.
The realization jolted him. He pulled away.
She stared up at him with wide eyes filled with desire.
Bryce placed his hand on her flushed face; her normally warm skin was wet and cold. “We said we were starting over and were going slow, but I don’t want to go backward, Dani.”
“Me, either.” She wet her lips and looked around. “I don’t think we’re going to be able to have much of a picnic here.”
“We could have a picnic on my living room floor,” he suggested, not caring where they ended up as long as they remained together. “It won’t be the same as this place, but it’s warm and dry.”
“Sounds good.”
Very good. Spending time alone at his house with a rain-soaked, sexy, intelligent woman on a dark and stormy night was as good as it got.
A satisfied smile settled on Bryce’s face. “Let’s make a run for my car.”
Playing house as a kid had never been this fun. When Bryce had said he lived in Presidio Heights, she’d thought he meant an apartment not a multimillion-dollar house.
Dani stood in Bryce’s gourmet kitchen and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, which she was wearing. A drawer opened and closed behind her. She pulled up his sweatpants that kept slipping down her hips.
Her lips tingled from the kiss under the rotunda and her body felt cold without Bryce’s arms around her.
Face it, she liked him. A lot. The realization didn’t terrify her as much as it once would have. But she still needed to be smart about things and move slowly.
A pop sounded behind her—the cork from the wine bottle.
She shot a sideways glance Bryce’s way. His damp hair curled at the ends. His casual clothes, a long-sleeved brown T-shirt and green trackpants, made him seem more real and less like some fantasy guy in a designer suit from a glossy magazine. And that made him appeal to her even more. Darn it.
She would have to make sure he didn’t kiss her again tonight. Or she didn’t kiss him. Otherwise, she might find herself wanting to rush into something with him.
Dani looked away, wrapping her hands around her.
“Your clothes should be dry soon.” Bryce handed her a glass of red wine from the bottle she’d brought for their picnic. “I have a bottle of Chardonnay if you prefer.”
The hunger in his gaze made her think he wasn’t only interested in tasting dinner. Too bad she wouldn’t mind another taste of him. Dani gulped.
No more kisses, she reminded herself.
“Thanks.” She tried to sound relaxed, even though every single one of her muscles was bunched up in knots. She took a sip of the Pinot Noir. “This will go better with the dinner I made.”
“Whatever you brought smells delicious.”
He was delicious. Eating dinner ASAP made a whole lot of sense; otherwise she might have to taste him. Dani set her glass on the smooth granite countertop. “I’d better dish up the food before it gets too cold.”
“I’ll lay out the blanket in front of the fireplace in the living room,” he said.
Oh, boy, that sounded romantic. Maybe they should eat here at the kitchen island and sit on stools instead.
Before she could say anything, Bryce disappeared through the butler’s pantry, leaving Dani alone in the to-die-for kitchen.
She hadn’t wanted a man in her life, but she seemed to have found one. A good one. If she weren’t careful, she could find herself in a serious relationship. And that wasn’t sounding like such a bad thing at the moment.
With a resigned sigh, she padded barefoot across the wide-planked hardwood floor.
Music played, streaming from speakers she hadn’t known were there. He must have turned on a sound system. As she placed a marinated steak and vegetable kebob on each plate, a soft melody filled the kitchen.
“Do you like to dance?” Bryce asked.
Dani realized she was swaying to the music. She stopped, embarrassed. “I don’t get much opportunity to dance.”
Standing behind her, he placed his hands on her shoulders. “But you like dancing.”
It wasn’t a question. Still Dani nodded. That was the only response she could manage.
Standing with him like this felt so comfortable and right. She fought the urge to lean back against him. They seemed like a…couple. She straightened and added a scoop of rice pilaf to the plates instead. “What about you?”
“I’m not really into dancing,” he admitted. “My mother forced dancing lessons on me when I was a kid.”
“Let me guess.” Dani placed a salad with fresh strawberries and poppy seed dressing on the plates. “You didn’t like the lessons.”
“I hated them.” Bryce picked up his wineglass. “I’ll never forget having to dance i
n front of all the parents. All those eyes watching me, seeing every mistake. It was a living nightmare. One I don’t want to repeat.”
She picked up the plates and silverware, wrapped in napkins. “Everything’s ready.”
He tucked the wine bottle in the nook of his arm and grabbed their glasses. She followed him into the living room.
A blanket lay on the floor in front of the roaring fire. Flickering candles on the built-in shelves and mantel added to the romantic atmosphere.
A mix of emotion welled inside her. His thoughtfulness at making things so special for their “picnic” and her worry that she might find herself caught up in the moment. She sat on the blanket. “This is lovely, Bryce. Thanks for going to so much trouble.”
“You’re welcome. But you deserve the thanks for going to all the trouble with a home-cooked meal.” He took a plate from Dani, sat across from her and swallowed a forkful of rice pilaf. “This is fantastic. Where did you learn to cook?”
“My mother taught me.” Dani removed the stick from her kebob. “She cooks at the farm and had us help her sometimes. During college, I worked at a café near campus.”
“Is there anything you can’t do?”
She drank her wine. “Find a job.”
“You will. Your résumé is out there.” He reached across the blanket and touched her hand. “Remember, finding a good job doesn’t happen overnight. Give it time.”
Staring into his eyes made her think everything—job, life, even love—would work out. Somehow. “Okay.”
As they finished eating dinner and he explained where he’d sent her résumé, she noticed the architectural details of the living room. The moldings, the wood-paned windows, French doors. She could imagine herself in the drawing room at Netherfield. Only Bryce was much sharper than Mr. Bingley and more amenable and approachable than Mr. Darcy. “This is a beautiful house.”
“Thanks.” Bryce placed his fork on his plate. “I’ve managed to get two rooms remodeled, but there’s more to do.”
“Are you going to be doing heavy construction or just surface, cosmetic stuff?” she asked.