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“It sounds like a fun idea, does it not? Tell me who you think I am, and I’ll tell you if you’re right.”
I study his face for clues that this is some kind of joke, but his blue eyes are completely serious. “You’ll tell me if I’m right?”
“More or less.” He straightens in his seat.
“Okay.” I eye his fitted shirt and his muscled forearms. He may be strong, but his hands are perfectly smooth, no chips in his nails. His face is smooth too and he sits with the ease and confidence of one used to getting what he wants. “Let’s see, you were born in London, the second son of an Earl. You were jealous of your older brother and often misbehaved to gain your parents' attention. But it didn’t work; they sent you to boarding school instead.”
His smile freezes in place but I continue.
“And that’s where you learned how to be a spy and you’ve since taken down thirteen and a half bad guys.”
His eyes light up. “What is the half?”
I lean forward and lower my voice. “Well, yourself of course. You’re still trying to decide if you’re good or not.”
He’s quiet for a moment before he breaks into a laugh.
I scrunch up my nose. “Did I get anything right?”
“Yes,” he says after a moment. “I went to boarding school.”
“Darn, I was hoping I was right about the spy thing.”
He raises his glass, tipping it toward me. “I’m sorry to disappoint you. I fear my life is far too dull to provide you with a taste of danger.”
The face of a man I don’t even know flies through my mind. I want adventure. I may have to call it quits on Mr. Tall, Dark, and British and go in search of the detective. “A real shame.”
“Perhaps I could impress you with a fancy yacht?”
“You have a yacht?” Totally back in.
“And a beach house in Turks and Caicos.”
Interesting. He’s young, easy on the eyes, and rich while somehow humble enough to like. I want to be his friend. And not just for the yacht.
While we finish our meal, he regales me with stories from his youth that make me feel like I was there, pranking the headmaster and almost getting kicked out of school. He also tells me about the underfunded school for disabled kids he’s in town for. And the forty-three, yes, forty-three other schools his family heads up across the globe. Either he’s a great liar, or he’s an amazing human. I haven’t figured out which yet.
“There is one other thing you may have been right about,” Chad says, as he stands and comes around to help me out of my seat.
“What’s that?”
His hand brushes the small of my back. “I’m still trying to decide if I’m good enough for you or not.”
Tiny butterflies fly up my throat.
Oh, he’s good alright. Good at charming women into submission.
“May I call on you again?” he asks.
He may not be the man I want to be asking me out. But he’s here, the other guy isn’t. We have some chemistry, maybe he could be the real deal. Only one way to find out. “I suppose that can be arranged.”
His eyes light up and he leans in. For a split second, I’m worried he is going to kiss me. I don’t want to get a reputation for being a first-date-kissing floozy. But he presses his lips to my cheek instead, so soft it sends a pleasant tingle down my spine.
He pulls back and extends an arm to me, to escort me to my car I assume.
“I, uh, need to run to the restroom,” I say suddenly, unsure why. I’m not used to men being overly sweet to me. I almost prefer it when they make me chase them a little, or…tie me up. Goosebumps break out over my skin at the thought.
There is something seriously wrong with me. And I need a minute alone to figure out what it is.