As they finished dinner and he helped her into that flirty little cape-coat that swung back and forth with every movement, Luke couldn’t help but let his fingers linger a bit on her shoulder before pulling away.

“Let me walk you to your car,” he said.

“Oh, I parked quite a bit away,” she said, like she was afraid she was putting him out.

“It’s no trouble at all,” he said. There was no way in hell he was letting a woman walk alone at night. He knew all too well the fear that so many women had to constantly carry within them, the wariness and awareness that was ever-present. He’d always considered himself a pretty enlightened guy, but working with the women at Our Safe Place had opened his eyes big-time about the safety he took for granted as a guy walking in this world.

The idea of Nora feeling even the barest flash of fear as she walked alone down a dark street and saw a stranger approaching made him sick to his stomach.

He liked her, he thought, as her lips twisted into a smile as he held out his arm. She took it and he noticed that her nail polish was chipped on her thumb, like she had a habit of worrying it between her teeth. What other little bad habits did she have? Or good ones? Or naughty ones? His mind tilted to place it shouldn’t—not on a first date—but he couldn’t help himself.

She’d been beautiful in the candlelight, laughing with Antonio and the waiters, sharing a slice of tiramisu with him for dessert. He’d coaxed some information out of her about her photography, the little bits she was willing to tell him making him even more intrigued. Her eyes had lit up when she’d talked about the science and art of motion, the challenge of capturing it with the camera.

This woman had passion in her. And God, he wanted to stir it into a storm. But he was trying to keep Margaux’s words fresh in his mind. Nora had been hurt badly by a man. Her scummy ex-fiancé. He needed to be cautious here. He didn’t want to scare her off.

Because he liked her. He really liked her. He hadn’t felt this attracted to someone in years. If he had his way, they’d be halfway to his place by now, but he wasn’t about to propose that. Not when he wanted a second date. And a third.

They passed by an antique store, and she paused for a moment, looking in the window, before continuing on.

He smiled when he noticed she did it again a few minutes later, peering into another antique shop window like she was a bird, drawn to something shiny.

“You like antiques?” he asked.

“Hmm?” she looked up, looking a little startled, those big green eyes doe-like. Her cheeks bloomed pink, and his stomach tightened in reaction, his fingers itching to touch her. “Oh, sorry,” she said. “It’s a quirk.”

“A quirk?” he echoed questioningly. He was so damn curious about her. He wanted to know everything. Every quirk, every idiosyncrasy. He wanted inside jokes with her. Little innocuous things he’d say that would make her burst out laughing.

“My grandmother once had a locket,” she explained. “My grandfather had given it to her for their first anniversary. White gold. Engraved with a little house by a creek.”

“It sounds lovely,” he said.

“It was,” Nora said. “But right before they had their first baby, my grandfather lost his job. Things were really tough for quite a few years. And my Grandmother pawned all of her jewelry, including the locket. When things got better, my Grandfather got most of her things back, but the locket…” she trailed off, shaking her head, as if to clear it. “I’m sorry, I’m rambling.”

“Not at all,” he said. “So you look in every antique shop you come by, hoping to find that locket someday?”

She bit her lip. “I know it’s silly,” she said. “An impossible task. But my Grandma Nora… she always said you should do six impossible things before breakfast.”

He grinned. “Alice in Wonderland!”

She nodded, her eyes sparkling when he got the reference. The light in them was so hard to resist.

“I don’t think it’s silly,” he said softly.

“It’s fanciful,” she said.

“Hopeful,” he countered. “It speaks to your heart.”

She sighed. “But there I go again, listening to my heart over my head. I need to focus on sticking to my new rules. ”

“This is the first time I’m hearing of rules. I think you should let me know what they are, so I can help you break them.”

“You’re a bad influence!” She laughed, that beautiful, bell-like sound ringing through the empty street.

“My new leaf is all about being practical,” Nora said with a determined nod. “Thinking things through. Possibly making lots of pro/con lists.”

“Did you make one about going out with me?” he asked, half-joking, but then when she turned bright red, he laughed. “Really? Now I’m really interested what was in the con column.”

“All the cons were about me, not you,” Nora said, looking relieved he was taking this so good-naturedly. How could he not? She was great. Funny and smart and just a little quirky.

He liked unique women. And Nora Phillips was definitely a singular one.

“What about the pros?” he asked.

“All the pros were about you,” Nora said. “Well, at least, what I knew about you from Margaux and Hunter.”

“And what did they tell you about me?”

“That you were nice and funny and handsome and absolutely fated to be my soulmate,” Nora said with a wink that made the pull he felt toward her so hard to resist. He wanted to grab her hand and give her a little twirl as they walked down the street, slip his hand around her waist, so his fingers were resting on the soft curve of her hip. “You know, all the things people say when they’re setting you up.”

“I am absolutely all those things,” he said with a deadpan expression. “Especially the soulmate part.” And sure enough, it made her laugh again.

He loved making her laugh.

“This is me,” she said, nodding her head toward the dark blue Volvo parked on the curb. “Thank you for the lovely evening. And the walk to my car.”

She hesitated, a shy, unsure look crossing over her face, and heat lanced through him as he realized she didn’t want to evening to end.

A slow smile spread across his lips. Oh sweetheart, he thought. You and I are going places.

“If this wasn’t a first date, I’d kiss you right now,” he said.

Her head tilted. For a moment, he thought he’d pushed a bit too far, because her eyes flickered and he could see nervousness there. But then, oh, then… her lips—that perfect red cupid’s bow of a mouth—curved.

“Kiss me,” she said softly.

It was an answer and a question wrapped all in one. A request, and maybe a bit of an order.

And when his hand settled on her waist and his lips closed over hers, something clicked into place deep inside him, like a key fitting in a lock. Her mouth opened beneath his, and the heat and taste of her—ladyfingers and coffee and whipped cream—pulsed through him like the best kind of sugar rush.

One step, and he could press her against her car and angle her head, taking the kiss deeper, hotter, wetter. And for a moment, God, it was all he wanted to do. He wanted to take her home and spread her out on his bed and worship her until dawn was streaking the sky.

Slow down, cowboy, he thought, forcing himself to break off the kiss. But he couldn’t quite force himself to fully retreat, so for a moment, they stood there, their foreheads pressed together, breathing each other in. When he opened his eyes and saw her looking into his, it took his damn breath away. Made his heart skip a beat like he was a prince in a story. Just being so close to her, caught in her gaze, was more intimate than some kisses he’d experienced.

“You make it hard for a man to walk away, Nora,” he said softly, his voice rougher than he liked. “But I’m going to. For tonight.”

She licked her lips as he pulled back, nearly swaying when they finally parted.

“Goodnight, Luke,” she said.

“Drive safe.”

He watched her drive away, unable to look away until her headlights had long-faded into the darkness, wondering if this was what meeting his future felt like.