Page 13

C onnor was waiting by the back door of a large, gunmetal black SUV with tinted windows.

I couldn’t say the make or model, but it was the same type of vehicle most of my family, nuclear and extended, used when traveling anywhere.

I had my black velvet coat wrapped around me as I started to walk in his direction.

The sound of my mother’s voice reminding me to use condoms echoed behind me and I froze. So much for a glamorous entrance.

I sucked in a deep breath and tried to swallow my embarrassment. I was sure he was going to excuse himself now and run screaming. But he didn’t, and I was stunned.

Instead of making a snide comment like no need for condoms chubby he simply smiled.

And holy shit, it was beautiful.

I bit my lip, and his lips straightened, forming a hard line, making my own quirk at how serious he suddenly looked.

Oh, I liked seeing him smile, but this was fine, too. In fact, I was fully smiling by the time I made it over to his side.

“Don’t look so happy about going out with me, Connor. Might go to my head. Oh, and don’t worry about protection, I have an implant,” I said and winked.

Teasing him was definitely a risk. But I also did want to have sex with him, so I figured it was worth the chance.

His lips twitched. Those intense dark eyes of his flashed with amusement, and right there, in front of my uncle’s house, he leaned down, close enough to kiss me.

But if that was what I’d wanted, I was doomed to disappointment.

Connor didn’t kiss me. Instead, he pulled the door open, but not before he whispered in my ear.

“Good to know about the implant, Darlin’, because when I fuck you, it will be raw. Now, get your fine ass in the car. Quick now, or I’ll be forced to spank it.”

I swallowed. Then I moved.

Quickly.

My heart was pounding so hard I thought I imagined it when I heard him say, “That’s my girl.”

I really don’t know what I’d been playing at when I dared this man to take me out for a drink. I mean, I practically set him up.

But as I watched him prowl to the other side of the vehicle and kept my gaze as he climbed into the seat beside me, I was starting to think maybe I was the one being set up.

Connor Callahan was much more man than any of the guys I dated. Truth was, he was out of my league.

Wholly and completely.

He leaned close and, oh my God , he sniffed my neck. I never had a man do that to me, and for some reason, my whole body reacted like never before. It was just as potent as if he’d reached out and touched me.

“What perfume do you wear?” he rumbled the question.

“What? Oh! I don’t, really. I have allergies and perfumes usually give me a headache,” I explained, a little embarrassed.

“So it’s just you that smells so good,” he whispered, and tugged on his lower lip with his long, tattooed fingers.

The cabin was spacious, but he sat close, right beside me, his big thigh brushing against mine. I bit my lip as he turned his attention to the driver.

“Take us to Chez Paul,” Connor told the man.

I gasped as he said the name of my favorite restaurant downtown. What a coincidence!

“Chez Paul? In downtown Jersey City?” I asked excitedly.

“That okay, Darlin’? They have the best dessert, and their Irish coffee is perfection.”

“Yeah, um, actually, I love that restaurant. And I live nearby, too,” I blurted, and immediately felt like an ass.

“Um, not that I meant for you to feel obligated to come over. I mean, before was just flirting, I get that. Seriously, I wasn’t suggesting you had to do any, um, thing with me, that is. Shit.”

Classy, Clem. Really classy.

So much for my new sexy and mature persona.

I closed my eyes and hoped for a black hole to just open up and swallow me.

“Hey, look at me,” Connor said, and I felt his finger on my chin, turning my head so I was forced to look at him.

“First, I’m glad you like the restaurant. Second, I’d love to go back to your place, Darlin’, but not unless you want me to, okay? Anything that goes on between you and me, it’ll be with both our eyes open, got it?”

“Yeah, I got it,” I whispered, mesmerized by him.

“Good. Now, why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

“Okay, well what do you want to know?” I asked, crossing my legs.

Connor’s eyes immediately drifted to the place where my dress parted. It wasn’t indecent or anything. The dress parted halfway up my thigh, allowing me to move comfortably.

Connor cleared his throat and sat up straighter. His gaze flicked to the front, and that’s when I saw his expression change.

I followed the direction of his gaze and saw his driver had been looking right where Connor had been a moment ago.

His dark eyes narrowed, and he growled, sending lightning bolts of awareness shooting through me.

The driver coughed and switched his signal on. But his eyes were now on the road.

I had to avert my gaze to hide my smile.

Seemed like Connor Callahan was just like Pop and my uncles.

“What?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing,” I lied, and shimmied a little in my seat to steady the nerves shooting up and down my spine.

I would be a real liar if I said I was unaffected. But Connor was just so, so much .

The man was just super fine with broad shoulders, and what I imagined was an insanely tight body beneath that suit of his.

Just sitting next to him, I could feel heat and raw, masculine power radiating from his body.

I knew myself well enough to realize I was not the type of person to change her way of life for anyone, but I wondered if I was to stay with him, if Connor would mind the differences in our appearances.

Not that I thought I was ugly. I wasn’t, and I didn’t. I was plenty cute. But I was not a gung-ho, let’s go to the gym kinda gal. And I never would be.

Period. End of story.

I’d dated men who were into fitness before. At first, they always claimed to think I was pretty. But it was never long before the hints started. The whole I can fix you attitude so many people had towards men or women who carried extra weight.

The fact was, I did not want to be fixed. I was overweight, true. But I ate healthy foods, and I did exercise, but mostly in the form of stretching or yoga to videos I watched.

When the weather permitted, there was walking, swimming, and horseback riding. It all depended on the season.

“Clementine. What’s going on inside that pretty head of yours?”

“Oh, okay, if we are going to be honest with each other, I was just thinking that you’re interesting.”

“I’m interesting?” he parroted.

“Yeah. I mean, I think I could like you.”

“Yeah?” he asked and grinned.

“Yeah, but I wish I didn’t.”

“Why?”

His face fell and his mouth went hard, but he looked more curious than angry. I exhaled a breath and locked eyes with him.

Might as well.

“Because in my experience, men who look like you think women who look like me are just waiting for you to waltz in and fix everything you think is wrong with our lives.”

“What?” he asked, seemingly shocked.

“It’s not your fault, and I am not trying to make you pay for the sins of others. But you see, I’ve reason to be cautious. I dated someone for two years in college and the whole time, I didn’t realize he didn’t even like me. I was a sucker for his six-pack, and it took me a long time to understand he was slowly separating me from the things I liked and the people I loved just so he could make me over into his version of the right girl . And whereas I appreciate men with muscles, I’d rather date no one than have someone treat me like that again.”

“Who was he? What’s his name?” Connor growled, and he had his phone in hand.

“Oh my God, that’s not important.”

“I beg to differ?—”

“I’m not telling you that. My point is this, I don’t need you to change my diet or sign me up for Pilates, or cooking classes, all in some effort to make me into your idea of the perfect woman. Truth is, I don’t need anyone to fix my life. I like myself just fine. So if you have any notion like that in your handsome head, you can just turn this car around and take me back to my uncle’s house,” I blurted, shocked and appalled at how much I just revealed.

The inside of the vehicle felt tense and pregnant with emotion.

“Okay,” Connor said after a long, drawn out moment. “But for the record, this is how I feel about your appearance, Darlin’.”

Then he leaned over and cupped the back of my neck, drawing my face close enough for him to claim my lips in a hard, heavy kiss that was over way too quickly far as I was concerned.

Holy. Shit.

“Well, that was,” I whisper as he pulls away and straightens his jacket.

“It was, indeed.”

“Now that we’ve established that you’re not looking for a project or someone to fix, why are you taking me out?” I asked point blank.

“Because I want to, Darlin’. Because something about you just draws me in and I want to discover more. You’re so fucking pretty, Clementine. So perfect and good. I wanna make you dirty. I wanna see the real you without the silk and pearls. I wanna touch you. Taste you. Fuck you,” he growled in a voice so low it sent trembles rushing through me.

“But not until you’re ready,” he finished, straightening his shoulders and looking straight ahead. “So, we’ll start with dessert at Chez Paul and go from there,” he replied, and my whole body lit up like the fourth of July.

I couldn’t understand why a man like him wanted anything to do with me. I was certain he knew my people, which meant he was more than acquainted with what he was signing up for.

My sisters and cousins and I had more than our fair share of lousy dates.

It came with the territory of being heiresses and daughters of powerful men and women with a fuck-ton of money and clout.

That also meant anyone who fucked with us got fucked with back. Badly.

Connor knew all of that, and yet, he was still here. Still intent on taking me out.

Hope and anticipation rose within me, and I bit my lip, looking out the window. Hope was a dangerous thing. It led to all sorts of emotions. For me, it was mainly disappointment.

How many times had I thought I was on the cusp of a solid relationship when it turned out to be otherwise?

I wasn’t a fool. But sometimes, I was a dreamer. And that was dangerous, sometimes foolish, too.

But maybe, just maybe, Connor won’t be like the rest. Maybe he’s different.

But thoughts like that were risky. So, I pushed them from my mind and focused on reality.

The truth was, Connor Callahan was a very sexy man. He had that larger-than-life vibe about him women like me found irresistible.

The way I felt sitting beside him. The thrill I got with the too short kiss he’d given me. It was all leading to one inevitable thing.

Sex.

And that was something I had too little experience with for me to waste my time pussyfooting around. I was more than on board with letting this play out tonight with him .

So why bother with pretenses?

“Connor?” I licked my lips, waiting for him to turn his dark gaze to mine.

“Yeah, Darlin’?” he asked, and I grinned at the pet name he seemed stuck on.

Oh, I’d heard it before. Thanks to My Darlin’ Clementin e and all, which was precisely why I’d been named that. But it never sounded quite as good as it did coming from his lips.

I swallowed my nerves. My mind was already made up. I understood this would be a one time thing.

But I could have one night of consensual sex. Why couldn’t I? Better yet, why shouldn’t I?

Tell him , my inner voice insisted. So I did.

“I think we should skip dessert.”