Taming Natasha by Nora Roberts

have a date.”
    â€œA date?” he managed, getting an immediate picture of someone dark, dashing and muscle-bound.
    â€œYes. Excuse me.” She shook off his hand and stuck an arm into the sleeve of her coat. Since the men on either side of her seemed equally paralyzed, she shifted the books to her other arm and struggled to find the second sleeve. “Are you ready, Terry?”
    â€œWell, yeah, sure. Yeah.” He was staring at Spence with a mixture of awe and trepidation. “But I can wait if you want to talk to Dr. Kimball first.”
    â€œThere’s no need.” She scooped up his arm and pulled him to the door.
    Women, Spence thought as he sat down at a desk. He’d already accepted the fact that he had never understood them. Apparently he never would.
    â€œJeez, Tash, don’t you think you should have seen what Dr. Kimball wanted?”
    â€œI know what he wanted,” she said between her teeth as she pushed open the main doors. The rush of autumn air cooled her cheeks. “I wasn’t in the mood to discuss it tonight.” When Terry tripped over the uneven sidewalk, she realized she was still dragging him and slowed her pace. “Besides, I thought we were going to have some coffee.”
    â€œRight.” When she smiled at him, he tugged on his scarf as if to keep from strangling.
    They walked into a small lounge where half the little square tables were empty. At the antique bar two men were muttering over their beers. A couple in the corner were all but sitting on each other’s laps and ignoring their drinks.
    She’d always liked this room with its dim lighting and old black-and-white posters of James Dean and Marilyn Monroe. It smelled of cigarettes and jug wine. There was a big portable stereo on a shelf above the bar that played an old Chuck Berry number loudly enough to make up for the lack of patrons. Natasha felt the bass vibrate through her chair as she sat down.
    â€œJust coffee, Joe,” she called to the man behind the bar before she leaned her elbows on the table. “So,” she said to Terry, “how’s everything going?”
    â€œOkay.” He couldn’t believe it. He was here, sitting with her. On a date. She’d called it a date herself.
    It would take a little prodding. Patient, she shrugged out of her coat. The overheated room had her pushing the sleeves of her sweater past her elbows. “It must be different for you here. Did you ever tell me where you were going to college before?”
    â€œI graduated from Michigan State.” Because his lenses were fogged again, Natasha seemed to be shrouded by a thin, mysterious mist.“When I, ah, heard that Dr. Kimball would be teaching here, I decided to take a couple years of graduate study.”
    â€œYou came here because of Spence—Dr. Kimball?”
    â€œI didn’t want to miss the opportunity. I went to New York last year to hear him lecture.” Terry lifted a hand and nearly knocked over a bowl of sugar. “He’s incredible.”
    â€œI suppose,” she murmured as their coffee was served.
    â€œWhere you been hiding?” the bartender asked, giving her shoulder a casual squeeze. “I haven’t seen you in here all month.”
    â€œBusiness is good. How’s Darla?”
    â€œHistory.” Joe gave her a quick, friendly wink. “I’m all yours, Tash.”
    â€œI’ll keep it in mind.” With a laugh, she turned back to Terry. “Is something wrong?” she asked when she saw him dragging at his collar.
    â€œYes. No. That is… Is he your boyfriend?”
    â€œMy…” To keep herself from laughing in Terry’s face, she took a sip of coffee. “You mean Joe? No.” She cleared her throat and sipped again. “No, he’s not. We’re just…” She searched for a word. “Pals.”
    â€œOh.” Relief and in security warred. “I just thought,