She blushed. "Just a little."
They ordered, and Devlin requested two meals. He asked for a double cheeseburger and a Swiss burger with fries. She ordered a burger and a side of nachos to take home. Devlin seemed to prove he wasn't who she expected because he ate both of his burgers, leaving nothing to be thrown away.
She could hardly believe everything he had eaten, and it made her stomach hurt thinking about it. He was a big man, though.
After they finished eating, she was ready to get on home, but he had other plans. He pulled her onto the dance floor, and she tried to wiggle herself free.
"Just two dances is all," he said, still holding his wicked smile. "You can't say I don't have great moves." He flipped his hips, and she snorted, unable to fight him. She couldn't remember the last time she danced.
They danced for a while before they slipped outside into the cool night air. They had both worked up a sweat and danced longer than two dances.
They got into her car, still laughing together. She was having a good time. She didn't expect to enjoy herself as much as she had.
As she drove them back toward his condo and pulled up, Devlin looked at her. "Would you like to come up and see my place?"
She froze. This would seem like a normal question, and to anyone, it might be, but it wasn't for her. That was a big thing and intimate. She wasn't ready for that.
She took a deep breath in and looked at him. "I have had a great time, but I don't think I'm comfortable enough for that yet."
He looked at her confused and tilted his head slightly to the left. "Why? Is it because I'm rich?"
She knew it was wrong because it really shouldn't matter that much, but it did. It made a difference. She sighed, nodding.
"It sounds terrible when you say it, but yes. I'm not a big person that dates, and to imagine myself dating someone that has a lot of money is hard. If the person was in the same wealth bracket as me, it would be one thing, but you aren't. You're not even close. And I don't mean it as bad as it sounds, but ... it's a concern. It's hard to see a future."
He gave her a gentle smile. "I think that maybe you should spend some time in my world, and you'd see that there are no rules when it comes to love. Wealth isn't a defining feature that separates hearts. The heart wants what the heart wants, Kate."
She wanted to believe that, but it was hard. She'd been through so much in her life it wasn't easy to trust things at face value.
"Maybe you have a point, but still." She patted her steering wheel. "Maybe next time."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "All right. But I'll hold you to that." He leaned over, pulling a hand up and swiping her loose hair back. She inhaled sharply, seeing him in such close proximity to her.
She could see he had amazing eyelashes, and he smelled good for someone that was just sweating a few minutes ago.
He leaned down and gently kissed her. His lips were tender and sweet. There was little tension in the kiss, and she leaned into it. She couldn't remember the last time she had a decent kiss.
She'd had the tongue thrasher and the mouth sucker. She'd even gagged a few times, but this. This was the perfect goodnight kiss.
He leaned back, and she was flustered, feeling her heart skip a beat or two.
"How about you come with me to a party next week? Give my lifestyle a chance before you decide anything. Who knows, maybe you'll have a blast?"
She was swooning, still feeling his lips on hers. She nodded, giving him a weak smile. "Yeah."
His grin widened, and her heart quickened once more. She had no idea what was going to happen, but she was looking forward to it.
SIX
DEVLIN
Devlin knew that their second date was approaching quickly, and unlike his first date, he wanted to pull all the stops out. He knew that everything was more casual and laid back on the first date.
He wanted to make her comfortable and allowed her to pick the spot. But this time, he was going to up his game and really woo her. This started with making himself irresistible.
He had booked himself an entire day to make sure he looked his best. After that, he had an appointment at a jewelry store. He was excited.
He woke up that morning, ate his breakfast, and did a quick workout which consisted of him shifting and taking a long run into the forest. He needed to release a little of his energy. That and the panther within him needed to be released before the long night. He ended up finding an elk just a couple miles away from a nearby river. It was an hour-long process, but it forced him to focus long enough that he could relax a little.