took off, and she turned and met his gaze.
He exhaled, tension draining in a rush. He didn’t give her a way to cancel the date—she didn’t want him to have her phone number, so he didn’t offer his. And he didn’t think she’d stand him up, but it’d been a possibility.
If she had stood him up, he’d have been crushed.
He took her in. Instead of her usual sexy librarian look, she looked like an uptight spinster from Eastern Europe. She wore all black, her skirt hitting halfway down her calves. She had on a gray coat that covered all of her up. She even wore mannish black-rimmed glasses.
He grinned, not taken by the ruse. Game on.
She walked toward him, her nose in the air. Her clunky black shoes made a dull sound on the pavement. “Good evening,” she said in her sweet Southern voice, pushing her glasses up her nose.
“Yo,” he said deliberately, just to see her cute nose wrinkle. He resisted the urge to laugh as he leaned in to place a peck on her cheek.
Damn, she smelled good. He brushed his nose against her skin, inhaling her, before putting distance between them. “Love the look,” he said enthusiastically.
Her brow furrowed. “You do?”
He nodded with a straight face. “The only thing that could make it better is if you covered your hair with a scarf.”
She stared at him. He knew she was trying to figure out if he was serious or not. He smiled, liking that he had her off-balance. Taking her elbow, he escorted her toward the restaurant.
“You aren’t really taking me to Gary Danko, are you?” she asked suspiciously.
“I am.” He nodded to the valet who held the door open for them. “It’s one of my favorite restaurants in the city.”
She didn’t look convinced.
He grinned. He was so going to enjoy this.
The hostess, Gretchen, smiled wide when she saw him. “Mr. Torres! It’s a pleasure to see you again. I hope you’ve been well.”
“Thank you, honey.” He gave her a hug. “How’s that boyfriend of yours treating you?”
She brightened. “He’s my fiancé now.”
“Smart man. Congrats.” He kissed her cheek, loving the way she beamed.
“There’s a couple seats at the bar. Want to take them, or would you like a table tonight?” Gretchen glanced inquisitively at Josephine.
Bull smiled proudly, putting his arms around his woman’s waist. “The bar would be great.”
“This way.” She walked them to the seats at the far end, secluded from the rest of the bar. Gretchen pulled out the chair next to the wall for Josephine, discreetly winking at him.
His smile turned into a grin. At the bar, he’d be closer to her than sitting across from her at a table, and putting Josephine in the corner created an air of intimacy. He’d have to send the hostess a bottle of champagne to enjoy with her fiancé.
Gretchen demurely wished them an enjoyable dinner and left them.
Josephine speared him with a confused look. “You come here often.”
She stated it, but he knew it was a question. He smiled at her and held out the menu. “They have great scallops. Want a cocktail?”
She frowned, absently taking the menu. She looked him up and down, her frown deepening. “This is one of the best restaurants in the city.”
“I like the best,” he said mildly as he opened the menu.
“But you look like you’re at home. You even dressed…”
“Yes?” He could feel her staring at him, but he kept his gaze on the menu. Let her have the opportunity to check him out, because he knew he looked good tonight. He wore slacks, a patterned shirt open at the collar, and a dark velvet jacket. He hoped at some point she’d want to run her hands on the soft fabric.
“Nice,” she said finally.
He smiled pleasantly at her. “Thanks.”
Her brow furrowed even more, as if nothing made sense.
“Let’s get you a cocktail, sweetheart. That’ll help.” He patted her knee and waved the bartender over. “Juan Carlos, my friend would like a French 75, and I’d like some Thunder
He exhaled, tension draining in a rush. He didn’t give her a way to cancel the date—she didn’t want him to have her phone number, so he didn’t offer his. And he didn’t think she’d stand him up, but it’d been a possibility.
If she had stood him up, he’d have been crushed.
He took her in. Instead of her usual sexy librarian look, she looked like an uptight spinster from Eastern Europe. She wore all black, her skirt hitting halfway down her calves. She had on a gray coat that covered all of her up. She even wore mannish black-rimmed glasses.
He grinned, not taken by the ruse. Game on.
She walked toward him, her nose in the air. Her clunky black shoes made a dull sound on the pavement. “Good evening,” she said in her sweet Southern voice, pushing her glasses up her nose.
“Yo,” he said deliberately, just to see her cute nose wrinkle. He resisted the urge to laugh as he leaned in to place a peck on her cheek.
Damn, she smelled good. He brushed his nose against her skin, inhaling her, before putting distance between them. “Love the look,” he said enthusiastically.
Her brow furrowed. “You do?”
He nodded with a straight face. “The only thing that could make it better is if you covered your hair with a scarf.”
She stared at him. He knew she was trying to figure out if he was serious or not. He smiled, liking that he had her off-balance. Taking her elbow, he escorted her toward the restaurant.
“You aren’t really taking me to Gary Danko, are you?” she asked suspiciously.
“I am.” He nodded to the valet who held the door open for them. “It’s one of my favorite restaurants in the city.”
She didn’t look convinced.
He grinned. He was so going to enjoy this.
The hostess, Gretchen, smiled wide when she saw him. “Mr. Torres! It’s a pleasure to see you again. I hope you’ve been well.”
“Thank you, honey.” He gave her a hug. “How’s that boyfriend of yours treating you?”
She brightened. “He’s my fiancé now.”
“Smart man. Congrats.” He kissed her cheek, loving the way she beamed.
“There’s a couple seats at the bar. Want to take them, or would you like a table tonight?” Gretchen glanced inquisitively at Josephine.
Bull smiled proudly, putting his arms around his woman’s waist. “The bar would be great.”
“This way.” She walked them to the seats at the far end, secluded from the rest of the bar. Gretchen pulled out the chair next to the wall for Josephine, discreetly winking at him.
His smile turned into a grin. At the bar, he’d be closer to her than sitting across from her at a table, and putting Josephine in the corner created an air of intimacy. He’d have to send the hostess a bottle of champagne to enjoy with her fiancé.
Gretchen demurely wished them an enjoyable dinner and left them.
Josephine speared him with a confused look. “You come here often.”
She stated it, but he knew it was a question. He smiled at her and held out the menu. “They have great scallops. Want a cocktail?”
She frowned, absently taking the menu. She looked him up and down, her frown deepening. “This is one of the best restaurants in the city.”
“I like the best,” he said mildly as he opened the menu.
“But you look like you’re at home. You even dressed…”
“Yes?” He could feel her staring at him, but he kept his gaze on the menu. Let her have the opportunity to check him out, because he knew he looked good tonight. He wore slacks, a patterned shirt open at the collar, and a dark velvet jacket. He hoped at some point she’d want to run her hands on the soft fabric.
“Nice,” she said finally.
He smiled pleasantly at her. “Thanks.”
Her brow furrowed even more, as if nothing made sense.
“Let’s get you a cocktail, sweetheart. That’ll help.” He patted her knee and waved the bartender over. “Juan Carlos, my friend would like a French 75, and I’d like some Thunder
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