The quacking of little black ducks had Cait looking behind her to watch the birds as they swam across the pond. Phoenix had taken her to a lovely, little park where they seemed to be the only patrons that afternoon. Except for a strolling Italian acoustic band who made is seem as if they were in a remote Italian village rather than the middle of Massachusetts.

A small, round, white linen clothed table with two chairs was filled with wine, oysters on the half shell, and a cheese and fruit tray.

Phoenix looked like some kind of a model as he sat in the sun’s glowing light. And Cait resembled a princess in Phoenix’s eyes. He couldn’t remember a time he’d thought anyone looked so beautiful.

“Would you care to take a walk with me, Caity-cat?” Phoenix asked as he got up and offered her his hand.

“Sure,” she said as she took it and got up.

He slipped his arm around her waist, holding her close to his side. Cait wished things didn’t feel so natural and right with the man. Either that or he’d tell her about the bet and add that he’d stepped out of it.

But he never said a word about that. Instead, he said, “Since I’m coming over for dinner tonight, maybe we should make some plans for tonight too.”

Cait tensed with the offer. “Why?”

He stopped their procession down a small pathway through a grove of lovely trees. “Why?” he asked her as he took her by the shoulders. Then he kissed her with an easy kiss.

Cait knew the kiss was meant to throw her off guard. Phoenix was trying to coddle her into thinking he had no ulterior motives. Thankfully, she knew better. When he pulled his lips from hers, leaving hers pulsing and wanting more, she said, “Phoenix, tell me what you want in life.”

He had no idea what to tell her. He had all he could ever ask for and then some. He was rich. Didn’t have to work another day in his life. What more was there?

But he knew she was looking to get to know him better, so he made some shit up. “I want it all, Cait. I want the big dream. You know?”

“No, tell me,” she said as she took his hand and started walking again. “For instance, my big dream is to have a great career. Develop some great tasting and nutritional foods out of insects, mind you, and get people to not only buy them but like them too. And I want to have a family of my own one day, to share my life with.”

“Like a hubby and some kids?” Phoenix asked as he hoped she’d be adding that she wanted that in the distant future.

“Yes, like that. Maybe in the next year or so,” she said, freaking him out.

Phoenix coughed and looked away. “You’re young, Cait. No need to go rushing into anything.”

“Oh, I’d never rush into something that important,” she said. “Do you believe in love at first sight?”

“No,” he said abruptly. Her words were making him think she was getting a bit too serious with him and he wanted to slow things down. “I think love grows on a person.”

“I don’t know,” Cait said. “I think I’ll know I’ve found the man for me when I see him.”

“Have you seen him yet?” Phoenix asked as he crossed his fingers and hoped she wasn’t about to tell him she was in love with him or some shit like that.

“No, I haven’t,” she said, and she looked at him with a smile.

He should’ve felt relief. Instead, he felt let down. “You sure about that, Caity-cat?”

She nodded and pulled at him to go over to a swing set. “Would you push me on a swing, Phoenix?”

“I will,” he said but forced the issue about her not finding love at first sight with him. “You know, I saw a spark in your eyes when you first looked at me, Cait.”

“I saw one in yours too,” she said as she sat on the swing and he went around behind her, pulling it back a bit then letting it go.

As she swung, she had to smile and think to herself that Phoenix seemed to be trying to get her to admit she’d found love at first sight with him. A thought that was hilarious in her mind.

Phoenix had no idea why it was getting to him so bad as he blurted out, “Well, I think you liked me when you first saw me.”

“I didn’t know you at that time. So, I didn’t like you just by looking at you. Did I think you were hot? The answer to that is hell yes. But I didn’t like you until we talked and you kissed me. Then I liked you very much. But I have no idea about anything other than that. You’re a bit closed off. A bit secretive about who you really are. That’s off-putting.”

He stopped the swing and went around to get in front of her then pushed her away from him as he said, “I could tell you more about myself tonight, after dinner. If you’d go with me somewhere afterward.”

“Hmm, a hotel maybe?” she asked with a grin as the swing came up to him and he pushed it back.

He smiled, and the next time the swing came up, he grabbed it and kissed her then let it go, and she swung away from him. It made her giggle, and he found the sound intoxicating. “Maybe a hotel. If you want to do that.”

“I don’t.”

“I think you would like to, but I won’t push you on that. So, how about drinks after dinner. Since you told me that your mother’s making haggis, I think I might need a drink or two.”

“Knocking my mother’s cooking before you’ve even tried it, Phoenix?”

“It’s guts cooked in a stomach, Cait! Yeah, I’m knocking it.” He laughed, but his tummy clenched as he thought about actually having to eat the dreadful stuff.

“You said you like authentic Mexican food, Phoenix. Haven’t you ever eaten menudo?” she asked him as she put her feet down to stop the swing.

“I have,” he said. “It’s delicious.”

“And that’s guts too,” she said then got off the swing, taking his hand again and walking to the edge of the pond.

“But that’s different,” he argued.

“I don’t see how,” she said as she swung their clasped hands between them. “If you don’t want to come eat, you don’t have to. I won’t hold it against you.”

But he knew she would so he changed his attitude about the dinner. Stopping, he pulled her up into his arms and leaned his forehead against hers. “You know what, I’d eat anything as long as I could be around you, Caity-cat.”

With another kiss, he’d melted her heart, and she wished like hell it wasn’t all an act. She could see herself falling for the guy if he was legit and not just trying to win a bet.