But, hey, he was into family. That was good. She just hoped that he wouldn’t expect her to golf with him as frequently. Okay, if at all.
“How about you? Tell me about your family.”
For a few minutes she regaled him with stories, finding encouragement in his smiles and nods. She leaned forward again, happy to bask in the glow of that smile. She noticed that his eyes dipped a time or two down to her cleavage, and although ordinarily she might have objected had anyone ever suggest that one should lower herself to such physical and wanton displays, she leaned a little more forward. If you got ’em, flaunt ’em, as her aunt Bessie would say.
His eyes seemed brighter now as he smiled at her.
Good. This is good. Aside from the sushi and sashimi deal, things were improving.
The server stopped and left the check, which Benny tried to pay half of—something that Chip had usually taken her up on—but Luke refused and dropped some cash in the bill folder. Another reminder of why he was so perfect. Humanitarian, gentleman, great with kids, and hot as heck.
Everything she could ever want in a man.
For a brief moment, dark caramel eyes flashed in her mind, a lazy grin that melted her more than she’d like as he told her to move closer so he could teach her the fine art of kissing. The unabashed desire in the depths of those eyes as he stared at her just before they came to their senses and broke apart.
“You ready?” Luke asked. He’d come to his feet and stood next to her, his hand out and ready to help her up.
She nodded and pushed away the memories of the previous night and accepted his hand.
Nice.
Sweet.
This was what she wanted.
“I feel like I’ve been dominating the conversation here,” Luke said a few minutes later as they stepped off the elevator at Benny’s condo and made their way down the hall. “You’ll have to forgive me. Sometimes when I get on a subject I’m passionate about, I just lose myself.”
“No, it’s been so interesting, all of it. I had no idea that the rules of the PGA could be so complex.”
It was amazing how far a few well-placed words like “really?” and “mmm-hmm” could take a person. She hadn’t dared venture much more in the conversation, not at the risk of displaying her real ignorance of the game of golf.
They arrived at her door, and she fished awkwardly for her keys in the tiny purse that Henry insisted she use instead of her larger leather satchel. It looked less high maintenance, he’d told her. She’d bowed to his wisdom, even if she did have a heck of a time fitting everything in it.
“There,” she said in triumph and brought them out before sliding her key in the lock and turning it. The door opened, and she turned again to face Luke, unable to put off the most nerve-racking moment of the whole date.
The good-bye—and kiss if she were lucky.
She glanced up briefly to see his hazel eyes watching her, but she dropped her gaze again, suddenly feeling all of about thirteen years old.
“I was hoping,” he said slowly and waited for her to look up again at him, which she did, reminding herself to take in deep breaths, “since I had to take a rain check last weekend, you might have an opening in your schedule for me on Saturday? I have a commitment to some friends for golf, but I’d love nothing more than for you to consider joining us. Then after, maybe we could just spend a little more time getting to know each other. Catch dinner and a movie or something.”
“Saturday?” she asked, trying to buy time. That had happened much faster than she expected, and her mind reeled as she tried to remember if Henry had covered this. Was she supposed to accept another date at this point or throw in a rejection? “I think—I think I might be available…I can let you know.”
“You do that, but be prepared. I am not taking no for an answer this time. I might just have to camp out outside your door until you give in.”
“Is that right?” She bit back a laugh. Luke Seeley was insisting on a second date—with her.
Former chubby tomboy Benny Sorensen.
His smile faded, though, and it was hard to miss the way his eyes had dropped to her mouth.
He was going to kiss her.
The air was suddenly stifling, and she drew in a deep breath. Then his mouth was lowering to hers, and he was standing so close to her that she fought a tiny sense of suffocation.
This was it. This was the moment she’d been dreading and anticipating, a moment she wanted to be perfect.
The jarring slam of a door startled them both, and she nearly jumped out of her red heels.