Gabe

With Eloise’s hand in mine, I lead her to my pickup truck. As she climbs in, I worry that I didn’t clean my truck thoroughly enough for her. At least I got all the junk out of it and she has a place to put her feet.

I get in the driver seat and start the engine. Before I pull away, I pause to look at Eloise. I was speechless when I first saw her with her hair down. She’s the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen.

It’s going to be a struggle to stick to my plan making her realize this evening is more than about sex. Tonight is all about us becoming an item.

I don’t know why she makes me feel the way she does. No other woman has ever done this to me. Hell, normally women are in and out of my life and any who do stick around do so out of their own persistence.

But there’s something about her that I can’t get enough of.

Putting the truck in gear, we head off.

“Do you feel like a burger?” I ask.

“I’m always up for a burger.”

“Perfect.”

Eloise says nothing else, and I get the sense she’s nervous. I guess that’s understandable. She’s probably never been out with a guy like me before, and on the promise of sex she’ll actually enjoy.

“We could always go to Nick Tahou Hots for a garbage plate,” I joke.

She laughs immediately, and says, “I haven’t had one since I finished college. It’s tempting, but maybe kind of heavy.”

“Don’t worry, I was teasing. I wouldn’t take you there on a first date.”

“Oh,” she says, her voice constricted. The nerves are back. Maybe I shouldn’t have called this a date.

Reaching across the seats, I find her hand and lace my fingers through it. She doesn’t pull away, and I squeeze her hand, trying to reassure her.

“What’s your sentimental reason?” she asks.

“For what?”

“For roses. I mean, you have a lot of them tattooed on you.”

I don’t want to get into that now. “They were a family favorite. When I was a kid, our backyard was full of them. When they were in bloom, my mom used to bring bunches of them into the house,” I say.

“Nostalgia, then.”

“Something like that.”

“Did they hurt?” she pauses, then adds, “Getting all the tattoos.”

“It didn’t bother me, obviously.”

“I’d be too scared of the pain.”

“Pain is only in your mind. Besides, you were about to pierce your most sensitive area.”

“But that’s only one quick thing, not all the hours that it must’ve taken for all your tattoos.”

Smirking, I look across at her, and ask, “Do you like my tattoos?”

Eloise shrugs, and says, “They’re growing on me.”

I burst out laughing, and so does she.

“I’ll make a bad girl out of you yet.”

“Never in a million years.”

We joke around the rest of the drive. I pull the truck into the classiest burger joint in town. At least as classy as a burger joint can get.

Eloise hops out of the truck, and I drape my arm over her shoulders. She feels perfect against me, like she’s exactly where she belongs. At least she’s loosening up around me and doesn’t seem nervous anymore.

When we reach the entrance, I hold the door open for her. She steps inside and I follow behind. We stand at the hostess station, waiting to be seated.

While we wait for a hostess to appear, I look around the restaurant. It’s nicer than my usual spots. It’s mostly tables and chairs instead of booths. And they even have real tablecloths, and they don’t store the ketchup on the tables.

Fuck.

Marshall is eating at one of the tables on the far side of the room. We’re going to have to leave. But there is no way I am telling Eloise the reason.

Somehow I don’t think she could handle the news that someone has a restraining order against me. Even if I took out the restraining order against him first.

“Jewel, let’s go. I don’t want to eat here anymore,” I say, and pull her hand.

“Why? We just got here.”

“I don’t like that guy over there,” I say, nodding my head toward him.

“So we’ll just sit away from him. It’s not like we’ll be at the same table or anything.”

“No, we’re leaving.”

I head to the door, taking her with me. As my hand makes contact with the handle, guilt hits me. I should warn Marshall about Kaylee. I’d want him to do the same for me.

Except I’m not allowed to even be this close to him, or to contact him in any way. But his clients deserve protection, even if they do use my competition instead of me.

I glance over my shoulder, Marshall spotted me and is shooting daggers with his eyes. Fuck him. I open the door, and we walk back to my truck.

“What was that about?” Eloise asks, her brow creased.

“Nothing. Let’s go someplace nicer. You deserve it.”

Her brow creases even more, and she mutters, “Okay, whatever.”

“It’s like Mrs. Singleton used to say, if something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.”

She laughs so I think I’ve convinced her. Or at least made her stop asking questions. We get back in the truck, and drive to a nice Italian place just down the road.

“What happened to burgers?” she asks.

“Next time,” I say, flashing her a massive smile.

Eloise doesn’t say anything, and I know she’s contemplating the idea of there being a next time.

I lead her into the restaurant, and we’re greeted right away.

“Good evening, table for two?” the hostess asks. She’s smiling but she’s looking me up and down, like I don’t belong in her restaurant.

“Yes,” I say, my eyes boring into her.

“Follow me.”

She grabs two menus, and we follow her to a table by an ornate fountain.

“This is much nicer, isn’t it?” I wink.

We order dinner. I have chicken linguine and Eloise has pumpkin ravioli.

As we eat, we laugh and reminisce about school. Since I moved back to Rochester, I haven’t seen anyone I went to grade school with. It’s nice to think about my childhood, when it was still happy. And it’s especially nice that it’s with Eloise.

“Where did you move to when you left Rochester?” Eloise asks.

“Pittsburgh.” I don’t want to have this discussion, especially not now.

“Did you like it there?”

“Hated it,” I say and shove a heaping forkful of food in my mouth so I don’t have to say anything else.

Eloise watches me chew, her eyes searching my face. She’s not getting anything out of me. This is about me and her, and nothing else.

“I think my sister was in the same grade as your sister,” she says, her eyes fixed on mine.

Seeing a way to change the subject, I swallow, and ask, “What’s your sister doing now?”

“She’s in med school. She’s planning to join my parents’ practice when she finishes.”

The last thing I want to talk or even think about right now is her parents’ medical practice. Just hearing her say the words tenses my shoulders. I exhale sharply, my eyes raking over Eloise. I love seeing her without her ponytail, and her cleavage in that flimsy dress is making me hard.

“I’d planned to yank on your ponytail as I made you come,” I say, eager to change the subject.

Her eyes bulge, and I smirk at her.

“That’s if you can, and a big if.”

“It’s a promise. I’m going to start by kissing those soft lips of yours, and teasing you with my tongue. Then I’m going to take my fingers, and find that same spot I had you by in my chair, and I’m going to massage it until you’re so wet your ankles are soaked and your mouth is dry. At that point, I won’t be able to resist you any longer, and I’m going to put my dick in you. I’ll be gentle at first, letting you get used to the size and feel of a real man. Once you’re ready, I’m going to pound you until you scream your brains out. By the time I get through, you won’t remember your own name.”

Eloise sits motionless with her eyes wide and her lips parted as I speak. I don’t even think she’s breathing. I shovel a piece of chicken into my mouth and watch her react.

Eloise clears her throat, and says, “As long as you’re not just all talk.”

With a coy smile, I say, “You’re wet right now, aren’t you?”

She wiggles in her seat, and says with a smile, “This ravioli is delicious.”

We talk easily as we finish our meals. Neither of us wants dessert, so I pay the bill before Eloise has the chance to demand to pay half.

As we get back to the truck, Eloise says, “Back to my place now?” Her voice has a slight tremble in it, and none of the confidence she’s had over dinner.

“Not yet,” I say firmly.

“Where are we going now?”

“I thought we’d get a drink.”

“I thought the deal was dinner.”

The thought of taking her back to her place now and ripping her clothes off is hard to resist, but I’m having too much fun with her and I’m going to stick to my plan. Eloise chats nervously as I drive to a quiet bar I know.

“You’re not ready. Besides, aren’t you having fun?”

Eloise smiles, her lips a tight line. I tap her knee, and drive to the nearby bar. We park, and I lead her inside.

“Oh my God, it’s Sophie, my sister.”