“Me, too. Something told me it would be a bad idea to let her move in.” Gabriella shook her head. “I should’ve listened. Anyway, it’s just about dinnertime there. Are you going to try out one of those restaurants in the city?”
She gasped and glanced at the time. “Oh, shoot! I have to go. I’m supposed to be meeting Jeremy in five minutes.”
Gabriella’s eyes widened and a smile curved her lips. “Jeremy? I see you didn’t waste any time. You go, girl.”
She waved her friend off. “It’s not like that. He attended my session and said he wanted to continue the conversation. It’ll be just talking shop, nothing more.” And it still bothered her for some reason.
“What does he look like?”
“About six-four, athletic build, bronze-like skin and fine with a capital F.” An image of his smile floated through her mind, along with that sexy dimple. “I’ll talk to you later in the week.”
“Preferably tomorrow, so you can fill me in on all the juicy details of this date.”
Serita chuckled. “I’ll try.” She ended the call, shut down the computer, and grabbed her jacket and purse. As she made her way to the lobby, she shook her head. It was just her luck to meet a sexy-as-sin man, and the most interesting thing she had to offer him was her expertise in robotics.
Chapter 2
Jeremy stood in the lobby waiting for Serita. The impulse to invite her to dinner had come out of nowhere. He hadn’t been exactly forthcoming with her, however. Yes, he’d been captivated by the knowledge, but even more so by the woman. When he’d seen her in the hallway earlier, he had sensed something and wanted to know what it was. He straightened from the wall when he saw her exit the elevator. She scanned the area and, spotting him, hurried over.
“I’m so sorry I’m late. My friend called and I lost track of time,” Serita said in a rush.
“Yeah, you’re really late by like...” He glanced down at his watch. “A whole thirty seconds.” He chuckled. “You’re fine. Ready?”
She visibly relaxed. “Yes.”
“Did you come up with any dinner suggestions?”
Serita stared up at him. “No. I had planned to Google some places, but didn’t get a chance.”
A group of people passed, forcing her to move closer to him. Whatever fragrance she was wearing played havoc on his senses. The mixture of sweet and sexy had him tempted to bury his face in her neck and trail kisses there. His gaze dropped to her gloss-slicked lips and he fantasized about tasting them. The urge to kiss her rose up so strong inside Jeremy it shocked him. “There are some restaurants within walking distance, so I’m sure we’ll find something.”
She nodded.
Jeremy gestured her forward and tried to understand why he felt so drawn to Serita. Outside, several other people seemed to have the same idea. They strolled leisurely down the street, stopping more than once to take in the sights.
“Have you been here before?”
He looked down at her. “No, it’s my first time. What about you?”
“It’s my first time, too.”
“Then we should make each moment count.” Their eyes held for a lengthy moment before she turned away and continued walking. The attraction between them seemed to be rising by the second. He knew they were both there for the conference, but outside of that, he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. The tree-lined street had several storefront shops with second-story wrought-iron balconies. He wondered if the shop owners lived above their businesses.
“This is so nice.” Serita pulled out her phone and snapped a couple of pictures. “Can you take one of me? I suck at selfies.”
Laughing, he reached for her phone. “Sure.” He got a number of shots with her in front of the different stores. She had the most beautiful smile, and Jeremy couldn’t resist capturing it on his own phone before turning the camera toward the street. He held it up for a selfie, then bent close to Serita and took one of the two of them. He had no idea if he’d ever see her again and wanted a memory of their evening.
She peered at his phone. “Can I see?”
He showed her the photo.
“Mine never come out like that,” she said with a pout. “They’re either blurry, too close, or I cut off half my face.”
Jeremy smiled inwardly. She had just given him his opening to spend more time together. “I tell you what—if you agree to be my tourist partner for the week, I’ll teach you how to take selfies like a pro.”
“I...um...” Serita folded her arms and studied him. “Exactly what does that entail?” she asked, still sounding a little unsure.
He shrugged. “Exploring the city and whatever else you want to do.”
She didn’t say anything at first. Finally she said, “Okay.”
A grin spread across his face. Her agreeing to his proposal gave him a week to figure out whether the pull he felt was a pure case of lust or more. Jeremy needed to know if she was the woman he’d been waiting for. His Mrs. Right. He extended his arm. “Then let’s get this party started.”
She gave him a bright smile and hooked her arm in his. “Sounds like a plan.”
They walked another few steps and came to a painted-brick-and-concrete storefront restaurant.
“What about here?”
He studied the menu mounted on the wall for a couple of minutes. “What do you think?”
“I think we have a winner.”
Jeremy held the door open for her.
“Wow, it’s a lot bigger than I thought.”
The Dantxari had a cozy feel, wooden tables covered in red tablecloths with matching napkins, antique clocks and stained-glass windows. “I agree.” They had a short wait before being led to one of the tables near the back. He went to pull out Serita’s chair and she jumped. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I just want to help you with your chair.”
“Thank you.”
Once she was seated, he rounded the table and took the chair across from her. “Does this mean you’ve never had a man pull a chair out for you?”
Serita picked up her menu. “I haven’t.”
He took quiet satisfaction in being the first. “No? Well, this week, you can expect your doors to be opened, your chair pulled out and me standing when you enter a room. Oh, and I’ll be paying for dinner.” Along with every other expense during their time together in Madrid.
She jerked her head up. “Wait. What? Why would you do all those things? And I was going to... You can’t pay for my dinner.”
He smiled inwardly at her flustered state. “To answer your first question, I’ll do all those things because it’s how I was raised to treat a woman. And second, why can’t I pay for your dinner? I invited you.”
“Because you can’t. I mean, we aren’t dating or seeing each other or anything. I just met you a couple of hours ago.”
Jeremy laughed softly. She mentioned them not dating or seeing each other, but he wondered what she would say if he told her he wanted to do just that. “I realize this is the twenty-first century and some men choose not to maintain the chivalrous behavior of their fathers and grandfathers, but, again, that’s not how I was raised. Whether we met two years ago or two hours ago won’t change my perspective.” She eyed him for a moment and he winked. He picked up his menu. “So, what looks good?”
Serita lowered her head. After a couple of minutes, she said, “I’m not sure.”
A server came to the table and explained several of the dishes. They both decided on cod croquettes, white asparagus in butter sauce and beef steak for two. While waiting for their food, Jeremy got up and came around to her side of the table.
“What are you doing?”
“We’re going to have your first selfie lesson?”
“Here?”
“Yes. I’m sure you want to show your family and friends the highlights of your trip. Resta
urants top the list of photos.”
She groaned. “Are you serious? I figured you’d just take one of me at the table and we’d start tomorrow or something.”
He shook his head and smiled. “Come on, it’s not hard.”
She rolled her eyes and took out her phone. “I’d better come away with at least one good picture,” she said, holding up one finger for emphasis. But she was smiling.
“I promise.” He moved one of the chairs and sat next to her and explained the best angles to take the selfie.
Serita held the phone up and snapped one, looked at it and let out a sigh. “See, I knew it wasn’t going to come out right. Every time I think I have it in the right spot, the camera moves when I push the button. Your hands are bigger than mine, so I need two hands.”
“Actually, you can use the volume down button.”
She stared. “Are you serious?”
“Yep. Try it.”
She tried again. “Finally, a decent picture. All this time I could’ve been using that button, instead of trying to hold it in one hand and hit the button on the other.” She shook her head. “It’s still a little dark, but at least I didn’t cut off any body parts this time.” She smiled at him, then seemed to realize how close they were and backed away.
Once again, Jeremy had an overwhelming desire to kiss her. Instead, he went back to his seat. “That’ll be lesson number two.” The server returned with their food.
“This looks really good.”
“It does. Great restaurant choice.”
Serita snapped a picture of her plate, then turned the phone toward him. “Now, this one I can do.”
He laughed and, after reciting a silent blessing, dug in. Jeremy found himself enjoying her more and more.
* * *
Serita sat across from her dining partner waiting for him to bring up the subject of robotics. They were almost finished eating and he had yet to ask one question. They’d talked about everything from the weather and jet lag to some of the sessions they had attended earlier. All except hers. She set down her fork. “I thought you wanted to talk to me about robotics.”
Jeremy grinned sheepishly. “Actually, I just wanted to ask you out to dinner to get to know you. I wasn’t sure you’d agree, so I said the first thing that came to mind. You aren’t mad, are you?”
She stared. How could she be mad at a man who wanted to spend time with her for something other than work? “No. Truthfully, I’m a little flattered, and I probably would have said yes anyway.”
A slow smile spread across his lips. “Good to know. So, next time, I’ll just tell you up front that it’s a date. But since you brought it up, how did you get into robotics?”
Next time? A date? He’d slid that first comment in so smoothly she almost missed it. “You think there’s going to be a next time?”
“I most certainly do. Did you forget that you said you’d hang out with me this week in exchange for selfie lessons?”
Yeah, she’d forgotten that quickly. “Of course I remember.” The smile on his face said he didn’t believe her for a second. The heated intensity in his dark brown eyes said a whole lot more, and she resisted the urge to fan herself. She’d never had a man look at her the way Jeremy did and, although they’d just met, for a brief moment she fantasized about how it would feel to spend time with him past the week. A soft touch on her hand drew Serita out of her reverie.
“Hey, where did you go?”
“Oh, sorry. Just thinking about how we’re going to manage the selfie lessons with the conference and all.” Serita applauded herself for being able to tell that lie with a straight face. She thought it time to change the subject. “You asked how I got into robotics. Initially, I’d planned to go to med school, but in tenth grade, my friend’s father lost his arm in a factory accident, and I was fascinated by the prosthetic arm he had. Granted, they were nowhere near as functional as they are now, but I was intrigued nonetheless. I started researching and changed my direction. My high school had a pre-biomedical track and that helped. How about you?” Before he could answer, the server came back to clear their plates and take their dessert order. They both opted for the lemon sherbet with champagne and vodka.
Jeremy leaned back in his chair and continued the conversation. “I’ve always liked building things. My family owns a construction company and I figured I’d follow in my dad and older brother’s footsteps, but I also enjoyed science. My parents sent me to one of those science camps when I was about eleven or twelve, and one of the options was robotics. I chose that one, since it included building a robot. It was the best time of my life, and by the time I left that camp I knew what I wanted to do with my life. Before I got to high school, I’d found the college I wanted to attend and did everything I could to make sure I got into that program.”
The server returned with the desserts. After thanking her, Serita asked Jeremy, “Where did you go?”
“UC Davis for undergrad. I didn’t want to be far away from my family in Sacramento, so I could easily drive to Davis and back daily. But I ended up at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, for my doctorate.”
Serita almost dropped her spoon. Sacramento? But since he’d been in the field so long, chances were that he still lived in Michigan. Even if he had moved back home, Sacramento was a big city. She doubted they’d run into each other. She tried to concentrate on the sweet, tart taste of the sherbet mixed with the crisp champagne.
“Where did you go to school?”
“University of Nevada at Reno.”
“Is that where you live?”
“Yes.” For now.
His smile widened. “That’s only a couple of hours from Sac and an easy drive. We’ll have to exchange contact information before the week is up. I’d like to keep in touch, so we can hang out together sometimes.”
“Um...okay.” He’d given her the perfect opening to mention her move back to their hometown, but she didn’t want him to get any ideas. Professionally, it couldn’t hurt to keep in contact, but that was as far as she wanted to go. She didn’t have a good track record with men. While finishing dessert, the topics went from their respective careers to hobbies. She realized they had a lot in common.
“Do you want anything else?”
“No, thank you.” She wanted to try to make him see reason about paying for her dinner but imagined it wouldn’t do any good, so she kept her mouth closed.
Jeremy settled the bill, then came around to her side to help her up. “It’s still pretty early and not quite dark yet. How about we walk off some of this food?”
“Sounds good.” Their walk took them to the Plaza de España. The temperatures had dropped some and Serita shrugged into her jacket. She jumped slightly when she felt Jeremy’s hands brush her nape as he helped her. The only other man she’d seen do these kinds of things was her father. “Thank you.” With towers in the center and at either end, the semicircular brick building had a stunning architecture. Along the wall sat a number of alcoves with benches to represent each of Spain’s provinces. In the front, a canal followed the curve of the building. She braced her hands on the railing. “This is amazing.”
“And it’s a good place for photos,” he said with a wink.
She shook her head but couldn’t stop the smile that peeked out. “You would say that.”
His laughter rang out in the square. “Hey, I’m just trying to keep up my end of the agreement. I’m looking forward to the rest of the week.”
“If you conduct all the lessons today, you won’t have anything to do the rest of the week.”
His hand came up and pushed a lock of hair off her face. “Oh, I’m sure I can come up with a few things.”
The intimate gesture and the accompanying look made her pulse skip and nearly melted her in a heap. For a long moment, neither of them moved and she could feel her attraction rising. Serita reminded herself
that she didn’t do well in relationships and that she should put a halt to whatever seemed to be brewing between them. She took a step back. “I’m going to take a few shots of the building, then see if I can get a selfie without any help.”
Jeremy gave her a soft smile. “I’ll wait right here.”
Serita nodded, her heart still racing. It took several seconds, but she finally tore away her gaze and went to take her pictures. Though the sun had started its descent, a fair number of people still remained. Many couples strolled hand-in-hand, cuddling on benches and stealing kisses near the water. It made for a romantic scene. On her way back, she saw Jeremy leaning with his forearms braced on the railing, his face turned slightly in her direction. In his short-sleeved pullover, the position put his muscled biceps on full display. With his good looks and toned body, he could have graced the cover of every model magazine. Instinctively, she held up her phone and hit the button. She wanted something to remember him by.
“Let’s see what you’ve got,” he said when she approached.
Smiling, she held out her phone, and he angled his head close to see.
“Look at you. You’ll be a pro by tomorrow at this rate.”
She glanced down at the photo of herself with the building behind her and smiled. “You think so?”
“I do.”
“I have to admit it’s the best one I’ve ever taken. I might have to blow it up, frame it and hang it on my wall, just in case I never get it right again.” She faced him. “I had a great teacher.”
“You think so?”
“Yep.” The air between them shifted suddenly, and before she could blink Jeremy brushed his lips across hers in a soft, sweet kiss. They both gasped and Serita couldn’t tell who was more shocked.
“I’m sorry. I—”
“It’s okay,” she added with a nervous chuckle. “It’s kind of hard not to get caught up with all this beauty.” And she was definitely caught up.
“Are you ready to head back?”
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