Tori opened her mouth to argue with him about etiquette, but Rose came by with his plate, too. Now she couldn’t even refuse out of politeness.
“Perfect,” he said, eyeing his roast beef. “Now we can eat together. Not exactly what I envisioned for our first date, but it will do.”
“Date?” Tori’s head snapped up from her plate. The man must be reading her mind. It was the only answer.
“I told you I wanted to take you out to dinner,” he said before popping a bite of beef into his mouth and swallowing. “I was thinking more of wine and candlelight, but we can save that for our second date.”
“We’re dating now?” It was news to her. News that made her heart flutter momentarily in her chest as though she were a teenager.
Wade shrugged. “Why label it? We’re just enjoying each other’s company and getting to know one another. What are you doing tomorrow night?”
Tori paused with a bite of chicken and vegetables in midair. “Why?”
Dropping his fork to his plate, Wade spun on his stool to face her. His brow was furrowed with irritation, but the light in his green eyes indicated it was more exasperation than anything else. “Why must you make everything so difficult? It’s a simple question. Do you have plans Friday night or not?”
“No.” It was the truth. She worked during the day on the blueprints for the house, fielding calls and holding virtual meetings on other projects, but most of her evenings were spent reading or messing around on her computer until she got sleepy.
“Well, you do now. I’m going to take you out on a proper dinner date.”
* * *
Wade had to admit this was the first time he’d ever dressed in an Armani suit, gotten into his BMW and driven to a trailer to pick up a woman for dinner. As he climbed out of the SUV, he was pleased that the sunny day, while cold, had managed to melt most of the snow and reveal the well-packed gravel of her temporary driveway. A couple more warm days and he might be able to find the turtle-shaped rock on her property that served as a makeshift headstone.
He had tried to talk himself into canceling this date several times today. He was attracted to Tori, but he could suppress that urge if he needed to. Asking her out had very little to do with his desire for her. As much as he didn’t like the idea, getting close to Tori was the best way to soften her up. She’d gone from a hellcat to a kitten after spending time with his family. The information Brody had supplied him with about her business had made her putty in his hands. He was confident that a date or two would wear her down.
It had to. If Tori intended to break ground on the house in a few weeks’ time, he had to hurry. There wasn’t time to finesse this situation. He had to win Tori over one way or another, and this seemed to be the quickest way. She was attracted to him. If the past was any indication, that might be enough to influence her decision.
It was sleazy. Underhanded. And absolutely necessary. He couldn’t fail his family.
As he made his way to her front door, he enjoyed feeling the crunch of gravel against the soles of his dress shoes. He’d opted not to wear his snow boots and was hoping Tori had done the same. The knee-high boots she’d worn at Christmas were nice, but he was a self-proclaimed ankle guy. Just another reason for him to despise the cold and ice of New England winters. His favorite part of the female body was tucked away until spring.
He had his fingers crossed that she would step out of that Airstream in one of her sexy pairs of heels. Back when she’d worked for him, he could always count on finding her near the copier or in the break room wearing an attractive yet professional outfit and a pair of luscious heels. It had been the highlight of his day.
He gave a quick rap on the aluminum door and waited for her to answer. A moment later it swung open, and he stepped back to hold it for her. Cling to it was more like it.
The elevated camper gave him a prime view of a pair of black patent leather pumps with a strap around each delicate ankle. His heart almost skipped a beat as his gaze traveled up the length of her calves to the dark red bandage dress that clung to her round, full hips. The neckline was off the shoulder, and dipped low to give a tantalizing yet tasteful view of her breasts.
Tori smiled and slipped into a black full-length wool coat before stepping down to join him. Her thick auburn hair was swept up into a twist, exposing the long, pale line of her neck and sparkling ruby earrings. Her pale eyes looked mysterious and exotic lined in black with a smoky shadow.
She was, in a word, breathtaking.