She paused on the stone walkway as she looked up at me. “What’s up?”
“I was going to ask you the same question. How’d your date go?”
She wrinkled her nose before ascending the three steps leading to the porch. “He didn’t drive me home. What does that tell you?”
“That the man upstairs decided to answer my prayers tonight?”
She sat beside me on the porch swing, and I inhaled deeply. The citrusy floral scent of her new perfume made me wish she’d sat just a little closer. Like on my lap maybe.
She looked at me, her eyes rimmed with a smoky shadow that made her look even sultrier. “You were praying that my date would turn out to be a jerk?”
I wasn’t proud of it, but I wouldn’t lie about it either. “What if I was?”
“That would imply you cared.”
Her wrap slipped, revealing a low-cut neckline that demanded my attention. “That’s what you wore to dinner tonight?” I should have taken that opportunity to tell her how much I cared instead of chastising her for dressing to entice another man, but when I saw Catia’s luscious breasts, all rational thought fled. “Why?”
She let the wrap fall away, revealing a tight navy dress with cut-outs at the waist that extended to the back. “You don’t like it?”
“I’m willing to bet your date did,” I said, clenching my jaw.
“Why were you waiting for me?” she asked, ignoring the question.
“Honestly? Because I planned to knock him out if he tried to kiss you good night.”
Her lips twitched before she broke out in a smile. “You wouldn’t have done that. You’re much too civilized.”
I frowned. “You really don’t know me at all, do you? I spend most of my days on construction sites.”
“So do I, and I like to think I’m still civilized.”
She was not only civilized, she was elegant and refined. She may not have come to work wearing flashy diamonds and designer labels, but her impeccable breeding bled through every word she spoke. She was intelligent and classy, but she was still humble. It hadn’t taken me long to realize that was one of the most captivating combinations I’d ever encountered.
“You are.” I reached for her hand, turning it over as a diamond-and-sapphire ring sparkled in the overhead light. “Pretty ring. Where’d you get it?” If she told me another man had given it to her, that would set me off again, so I didn’t know why I’d even bothered to ask.
“It was a graduation gift from my parents. Why?”
I brought her hand my lips without answering. I couldn’t tell her I wondered about the other men she’d dated, whether she’d ever felt about any of them the way she felt about me. “Just curious.”
“I’ve never accepted a piece of jewelry from a man,” she said as though she sensed my need to know.
“Why not?”
“It’s always seemed too personal, too intimate.” She swallowed as she slipped her feet in and out of her high heels. “One time in college, my boyfriend tried to give me a ring for my birthday. In hindsight, I’m really glad I didn’t take it. He turned out to be a real jerk.”
The edge in her voice caught my attention. I knew there was a story there, one I’d never heard, that might give me more insight into the beautiful enigma beside me. I wanted to know everything she’d been afraid to tell me before. I needed reassurance that we were getting closer, that with every passing day, we were charting new territory, moving closer to a real relationship. “What did he do that was so terrible?”
“He used me.” She spit the words before shuddering and using her free hand to draw the wrap around her.
I put my arm around her, pulling her closer. “Tell me about it.”
“We dated for a while.” She sighed as she rested her head on my shoulder. “I thought I was in love with him. Turns out he was just using me to get a job with my father’s company when he graduated. He was sleeping with his ex-girlfriend the whole time he was seeing me.”
I
“I was going to ask you the same question. How’d your date go?”
She wrinkled her nose before ascending the three steps leading to the porch. “He didn’t drive me home. What does that tell you?”
“That the man upstairs decided to answer my prayers tonight?”
She sat beside me on the porch swing, and I inhaled deeply. The citrusy floral scent of her new perfume made me wish she’d sat just a little closer. Like on my lap maybe.
She looked at me, her eyes rimmed with a smoky shadow that made her look even sultrier. “You were praying that my date would turn out to be a jerk?”
I wasn’t proud of it, but I wouldn’t lie about it either. “What if I was?”
“That would imply you cared.”
Her wrap slipped, revealing a low-cut neckline that demanded my attention. “That’s what you wore to dinner tonight?” I should have taken that opportunity to tell her how much I cared instead of chastising her for dressing to entice another man, but when I saw Catia’s luscious breasts, all rational thought fled. “Why?”
She let the wrap fall away, revealing a tight navy dress with cut-outs at the waist that extended to the back. “You don’t like it?”
“I’m willing to bet your date did,” I said, clenching my jaw.
“Why were you waiting for me?” she asked, ignoring the question.
“Honestly? Because I planned to knock him out if he tried to kiss you good night.”
Her lips twitched before she broke out in a smile. “You wouldn’t have done that. You’re much too civilized.”
I frowned. “You really don’t know me at all, do you? I spend most of my days on construction sites.”
“So do I, and I like to think I’m still civilized.”
She was not only civilized, she was elegant and refined. She may not have come to work wearing flashy diamonds and designer labels, but her impeccable breeding bled through every word she spoke. She was intelligent and classy, but she was still humble. It hadn’t taken me long to realize that was one of the most captivating combinations I’d ever encountered.
“You are.” I reached for her hand, turning it over as a diamond-and-sapphire ring sparkled in the overhead light. “Pretty ring. Where’d you get it?” If she told me another man had given it to her, that would set me off again, so I didn’t know why I’d even bothered to ask.
“It was a graduation gift from my parents. Why?”
I brought her hand my lips without answering. I couldn’t tell her I wondered about the other men she’d dated, whether she’d ever felt about any of them the way she felt about me. “Just curious.”
“I’ve never accepted a piece of jewelry from a man,” she said as though she sensed my need to know.
“Why not?”
“It’s always seemed too personal, too intimate.” She swallowed as she slipped her feet in and out of her high heels. “One time in college, my boyfriend tried to give me a ring for my birthday. In hindsight, I’m really glad I didn’t take it. He turned out to be a real jerk.”
The edge in her voice caught my attention. I knew there was a story there, one I’d never heard, that might give me more insight into the beautiful enigma beside me. I wanted to know everything she’d been afraid to tell me before. I needed reassurance that we were getting closer, that with every passing day, we were charting new territory, moving closer to a real relationship. “What did he do that was so terrible?”
“He used me.” She spit the words before shuddering and using her free hand to draw the wrap around her.
I put my arm around her, pulling her closer. “Tell me about it.”
“We dated for a while.” She sighed as she rested her head on my shoulder. “I thought I was in love with him. Turns out he was just using me to get a job with my father’s company when he graduated. He was sleeping with his ex-girlfriend the whole time he was seeing me.”
I
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