A menu was placed in front of her face. She read over it—and tried not to hyperventilate. The prices! Sweet fancy. What did they put in their food? Gold?
Maybe Brad was paying. Maybe he wasn’t. Either way, she would not go over twenty dollars. So...it looked as though she would be one of those lame girls who ordered only a side salad and a glass of water.
“What sounds good?” he asked.
“Everything.” Truth. But what sounded good and what she would be eating were vastly different things.
He smiled warmly at her.
When the waiter arrived, Brad ordered the fettuccine Alfredo with blackened chicken, and her mouth actually watered. When it was her turn, she forced herself to stick to her plan. Thankfully, Brad merely nodded, as if he was used to women eating like baby birds on a diet.
“How do you like working for the big guy?” Brad asked.
“He is...” Sexy, thrilling, exciting. A great kisser. Good with his hands. But she settled on, “Fun. It’s a whole new experience for me.”
His gaze dipped to the tattoo peeking from the collar of her shirt. “Did he encourage you to get the flowers?”
Did Brad disapprove? “No. That was all me.”
“How far does the vine go?” he asked, definitely not disapproving.
She pointed, mapping out the entire span, then changed the subject, asking questions about his life, and he answered without hesitation. Quite a difference from Jase, who seemed to guard his every word.
And yet, she still longed to be with Jase.
The thought caused her guilt to intensify. Here she was with a wonderful man. A man who checked off every box on her Made for Me list. He deserved a fair shot.
She smiled and allowed him to take over the conversation. He asked her about the best gift she’d ever received, the most thoughtful gift she’d ever given and the role model who’d had the biggest influence on her life. She suspected he’d gotten the questions from a dating website, and that, too, should have caused her heart to flutter. So adorable! So sweet! A guy who cared enough to try to impress her.
Though...she tried not to feel as if she was being interviewed for a job and answered as best she could: her happy childhood, a scrapbook she’d made for Jessie Kay, and her parents.
The waiter arrived with the check, and Brad snatched it up.
“Allow me to pay for my portion,” she said.
He appeared horrified by the thought. “Absolutely not.”
More guilt.
As they walked through the congested parking lot, she drew in a deep breath. The air lacked the sweet scents she was used to, and she experienced a pang of homesickness. Not just for home...but for Jase.
What was he doing right now?
“I had a really nice time tonight,” Brad said as they motored down the road.
“Me, too.” He would ask her out again, she sensed it. But...even though she’d had fun with him, she didn’t want more from him—and she never would. Her attraction to Jase had burned away all thoughts of other men. It was Jase’s mouth she craved on hers. Jase’s hands she desired on her body. Jase she longed to be with—in bed or out.
That wasn’t going to change.
Jessie Kay’s car was gone, which meant she wasn’t home. Brad parked in the driveway and walked her to her door. On the porch, she paused and faced him. Light flickered from the lamp, casting muted rays over them both.
“Well,” he said.
“Well,” she said.
A sudden gust of wind tousled and lifted several locks of her hair. Brad’s gaze dropped to her ears automatically.
“They light up,” he said, his tone conversational rather than surprised.
“Yes.” She righted her hair, suddenly self-conscious. Could no one ever pretend they weren’t there?
He leaned down as if he meant to kiss her, as she’d feared, but she backed away. “Good night, Brad.”
A flash of disappointment showed on his face before he nodded. “Good night, Brook Lynn.”