She slipped past, letting him get a whiff of her delicious perfume.

“Damn, you clean up well.”

She turned as he shut the door. “You, too. I’m impressed with the tie. Does that mean we’re going somewhere fancy?”

“I don’t know how fancy it is, but we’re going to the Poisoned Apple. Is that okay?”

“That’s great. It’s like a pub-bistro sort of place. Not sure the tie is totally necessary, though.”

He shrugged and put his hands on her hips. Keeping his hands off her wasn’t part of the equation anymore. “I didn’t put the tie on for the place, I put it on for you. Because you’re worth the effort.”

Her smile turned shy. “That’s really sweet.” She stretched her arms up and wrapped them around his neck. “I think that deserves a kiss.”

“I can start wearing a tie every day.”

She snickered. “That won’t be necessary.”

“I like you at this height.” He wrapped her closer. “Lip level.”

She kissed him with a kind of languid pressure that made it clear she was going to take her time and do it right. Her irresistible warmth felt like the sun on his skin. It traveled through him all the way down to his toes.

She backed him against the door and pressed herself harder into him, her kiss becoming more insistent, more demanding. Little noises vibrated out of her throat as her hands threaded through his hair.

He lifted one hand to cup the back of her neck, braced himself against the door and shifted his stance so that she was planted between his legs.

She somehow got closer. There wasn’t a hair’s breadth of space between them. She scrapped her teeth down his neck, sending a shiver of pleasure into his bones. A teasing breath of air spiraled around them and rush of wind spilled over his skin.

“We’re, uh…never going to make it to…” He was coiled like a spring and on the verge of shifting, although the pull wasn’t quite as strong as it had been before. But her roaming hands were making it impossible to think.

She leaned away to see him, their bodies remaining in contact from the hips down. Her lids were heavy with need. “Dinner?”

He nodded. “That.”

She took a step back and tugged her dress into place. “You’re the one who put on a suit and tie.”

“That was all because of a tie?”

She wiped the edge of her mouth with a fingertip. “More the suit, really. Not that you don’t look hot in your jeans and T-shirts, but there’s just something about a man in a suit.”

“Apparently.” He took a breath and shook himself. “I forgot why we even came into the house.”

“Shoes.”

“Be right back.” He jogged upstairs, happy for the excuse to burn off some of the energy coursing through him. He glanced at his bed and thought about what they could do instead of dinner, but that wasn’t the evening he had planned. It also wasn’t on either of their agendas until they knew they could risk being bonded.

He put his shoes on and went back downstairs.

“Ready to go?”

“Not quite. Hang on.” He went into the kitchen and grabbed the flowers he’d bought her. He’d stuck them in a vase with some water to keep them fresh. He carried them behind his back, brandishing them with a flourish when he entered the foyer. “For you.”

Her eyes widened in happy surprise. “More flowers? You’re spoiling me.”

“Good.”

“Those are beautiful.” She took the bouquet, bending her face to inhale the fragrance. “I love them. They’re so me.”

“They should be. Your sister fixed them up.”

“Yes, but you went to get them.”

“That I did. You want me to put them back in the water until we get home from dinner?”

“Absolutely.” She handed them over. “I want them to look this good when I take them home.”

“Your cat won’t bother them, will she?” he asked as he went to the kitchen to return them to the vase.

Pandora laughed and called after him, “It’s cute you think she could actually jump onto a counter.”

Cole came back and opened the front door. “How’s the diet coming, by the way?”

“Daily protests ensue.”

“Maybe you should just let her be fat.”

“Trust me, it would be easier.”

He shut the door after they were both on the porch, then locked it. “You look way too nice to ride in my pickup.”

“So do you, but who cares? It’s clean inside.”

He stuck out his elbow. “In that case, your chariot awaits.”

They were only a few minutes late for their reservation, but being late because Pandora had wanted to make out was just fine with Cole.

The hostess led them to a booth in the back corner. The high sides gave them a lot of privacy, which was what he’d asked for when he’d made the reservation. Dark wood paneling, deep green paint and burgundy leather made the Poisoned Apple feel like a private club despite the relatively full dining room.

Light from the small oil lamp in the center of the table gave Pandora a soft glow and put sparks in her eyes.

“So far so good?” he asked.

“Perfect. I love this place.”

“You come here a lot?”

“I bring clients here for lunch maybe once a week, but we usually sit over on the bar side. I haven’t been here for dinner in a long time.” She looked around. “I forgot how cozy it is.”