Page 24

Halfway through dinner, I finally started breathing easier. For the first date, Derrick suggested we keep it simple. Dinner, somewhere close to my place, so we could walk there and back and have time to talk.
I expected him to talk about something related to the subject of his next book, since that was the reason we were doing this in the first place. I had yet to even learn of the main focus, but I’d glanced through his first book when I’d gotten my interview at Broker Publishing, figuring I should have some idea about what my CEO had written, but I hadn’t been impressed. He offered advice to men on dating, money, single life, and sex, and no doubt his next book would be in a similar vein.
Why he had to have experience with marriage for his next book I didn’t know since he’d never addressed the subject before. Then again, considering he was making a business arrangement for marriage, I didn’t think I was going to agree with whatever it was he was going to put in his book.
I believed in love—the real thing.
He believed in one-night stands and getting rid of women as quickly and cleanly as possible.
But, instead of jumping right into why we were here in the first place, Derrick kept the conversation focused on ordinary things for two people on a first date to discuss. I stiffened when he mentioned my parents and the bookstore, and he took the hint, shifting away smoothly as if those brief moments hadn’t happened.
By the time the server cleared the salad plates, I finally relaxed a little, and that was when Derrick asked his next question. Maybe that was why it caught me off guard.
“I don’t watch TV, but does Ms. Griffin like throwing all of your visitors off their stride, or was that little performance just for me?”
Startled, I looked at him, heat creeping into my cheeks.
Annoyed and embarrassed, I picked up my wine and took a sip, half-wishing that I’d ordered something stronger. “I’m sure the performance was solely for you, which you already knew.”
“You seem…irritated.”
And he seemed amused. Which just pissed me off even more.
I gave him a cool look. “You just tried to put me on the spot because Jami doesn’t like you, Derrick. That’s a shitty thing to do to anyone, let alone someone you want to date.”
And marry.
But I left that part unsaid.
His eyes narrowed slightly, then, to my surprise, he gave me a nod, his expression softening. “You’re right. I apologize.”
I stared at him, unable to believe what I was hearing. This night just kept getting more surreal.
At my look, he frowned. “What?”
“You just apologized.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Should I take it back?”
I considered the question, wondering if I should answer seriously or try to lighten the mood. Banter was safer, I decided. I’d been distracted by how good he looked, but this just reminded me of the man he really was. Definitely banter.
“Probably.” I kept my voice dry but let a hint of humor touch my lips. “Something tells me you don’t do it often, and you shouldn’t give me the impression you have any little human foibles.”
“Hmm.” He reached across the table and took my hand.
Just that light touch had my pulse racing, and it got worse when he rubbed his thumb over the inside of my wrist, my heart thudding against my ribcage. Heat spiraled out from where our skin touched, flooding my nerves with sensations that I was prepared to deal with.
“I’d hate for you to look at me and realize I’m human, Jessica.” The humor in his voice was laced with something that sent a shiver down my spine. “A very human man…with human desires.”
He winked at me, and I pulled my hand back. I liked him touching me a little too much, and it was only the first date. I had told him no sex, but if one little touch this early in our relationship could make me feel all those things, I needed to keep our physical contact to a minimum.
“You said you don’t watch tv.” I changed the subject. “What do you do instead?”
He took a drink of his wine and leaned back in his seat. “I work.”
I rolled my eyes. “And when you’re not working?”
His eyes darkened. “I play.”