“If you’ll follow me.” The woman gave a smile and led the way.
“You have a suspicious look on your face,” he whispered in her ear. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“I’m not used to hearing you called Pierce. I don’t see you as one. Just interesting is all.”
“You don’t see me as one?”
“No. Tuck fits you so much better. Pierce seems, oh, I don’t know, stuffy or something like that.”
His chuckle had her smiling. “If it helps, I don’t see myself as a Pierce either.”
Tuck held her chair for her and brushed a kiss along her cheek as he pushed her in. Their table was by a wall that had water rivulets streaming down it, creating a lovely sound. Soft lighting behind the water circulated hues every minute and added to the atmosphere.
Sleek. Elegant. Way nicer than anything she’d attended recently.
Not even just recently. I’ve not been out anywhere nice in a while. Not to this degree.
Roxi’s wedding had been lovely but they didn’t get to any places like this.
“What do you think?”
She stared at him across the white linen tablecloth and the two lit tapers in silver engraved holders.
“Thank you for bringing me.” She gave him a smile. “It’s lovely. And I am really digging this water thing here. I’d like one in my house. Once I get a house, and that would of course be after I figure out where I’m going to live.” She realised she was rambling and shut her mouth.
While Tuck ordered and picked the wine, she watched him. The man she was used to seeing was the opposite of the one before her, yet he wore both personas well.
“You’re awfully quiet,” he said. “Uncharacteristically so.”
She tinkered with her napkin. “Not sure what to say that won’t have me sounding like a loon.”
“How about you tell me about work?” He must have noticed her hesitation for he amended the question. “How was your two weeks?”
This she was fine discussing. “It was absolutely wonderful. Great to see old friends and spend my days getting dirty instead of sitting behind a desk. Been thinking it may be in my best interest to get back in. Not sure yet.” She drank some water and her attention was snagged again by the changing colours. “Have a fractured rib from a ballgame but—”
“You fractured a rib?” He leaned closer, concern present on his features. “And you’re thinking about going back in the Marines?”
“Yes,” she said airily. “I did it sliding into second.” She grinned wryly. “But we won the game so it was worth it.”
“And your rib now?”
“Will be sore for a while.” She lifted her shoulder indolently. “Not a big deal. I’m not doing anything which will hurt it for a while.”
His expression told her he wasn’t on board with her cavalier attitude towards her injury. Then again, it could be about her going back into the Corps. He had a slight scowl on his face. Their order came and she thanked the man after he had placed it all down. The presentation was so nice on the plate, she wasn’t sure she wanted to eat it—seemed like it should have its picture taken instead of being devoured.
He’d ordered her grilled Alaskan salmon, wild rice and steamed veggies. The fact he’d remembered how much she enjoyed salmon was touching. She lifted her wine glass and toasted him before sipping the liquid. Not typically a wine drinker, she was pleasantly surprised with the taste.
“What’d you get?” she asked him, staring at his plate.
Okay, so I wasn’t paying attention to what he ordered for himself. I was busier staring at him after I told him what I’d like.
“Veal.”
“Baby cow.” She tsked. “Poor thing.”
He cut and ate a bite. “It did its job well.”
She laughed and turned her attention to her own plate, tasting her salmon. After putting her napkin on her lap, she cut some salmon and ate a few bites. It fell apart in her mouth. “Done to perfection.” She tried a bit of everything else on her plate and found them in the same calibre, perfect.
Suddenly she was struck with a case of the nerves. With a deep breath, she stared at him. “I’m fucking nervous over here,” she admitted with a shaky laugh.
He rested his elbows on the table and gave her his too-damn-sexy smile. His normal smile actually, which was one of the things that had first attracted her to him. The dimple was present and she had the oddest urge to lean closer and dip her tongue into it. Just see where that led them.
“Me too.” He drank some wine. “I’m not sure why either of us are.”
She began to relax. “Me either. I mean, I’ve seen you naked. Not sure why sitting here across from you is making me a bundle of nerves.”
His brown eyes heated. “Dinner will be extremely short if you continue the discussion of our naked bodies.”
Tingles shot out from her clit and spread throughout her body, tightening her nipples. The urge to slide all over the seat and moan was great, yet she refrained—with immense difficulty.
She gave a small shrug. “Just a comment.”
Danger lurked in his gaze. “Like me merely commenting how I want to fuck you against the nearest wall and have those damn heels of yours digging into my back as you scream my name at the top of your lungs?” He pursed his lips. “True, it is just a comment.”
She stared at his mouth as he ate another bite, her core temperature nearly through the roof. Licking her lips, she focused on her meal.
“How’s work going for you?” she asked.
“Staying busy. The museum is coming along well, though. It would be faster if Schaffer would stay away. We can’t trust the man to walk around alone so someone always has to be with him. And he comes all the time to
inspect
our progress.”
She snorted. “He stopped by my office the other day. Wanted to ask me to another golf game. I mean, he did ask but he wanted me to go with him.”
“And you said?”
There went his voice, dropping and getting all sexy deep again.
“I politely reminded him I don’t date clients and I wouldn’t be going out with him anyway. Oh, and how much I despised the game of golf. I think he got the picture by the time I was ranting about how much water it wastes just to keep the greens green. He left before I could get to how the country clubs were too damn exclusive.”
Tuck chuckled. “Isn’t the Marine Corps exclusive?”
She held his gaze. “Everyone has the chance to get in. There are some clubs I wouldn’t even be allowed past the door because I don’t have a dick. Or because of the colour of my skin. The Marines aren’t like that. If you can physically do it, you’re given a shot to prove you have what it takes to be one of us.”
“Think he’ll be back to see you?”
“Doesn’t matter. I told Connie to tell him I wasn’t available if he showed up alone. If he comes with his father I’ll talk. Otherwise, not there.”
“Connie is wicked funny. I enjoyed hanging out with the two of you. So did Steve.”
“She is that. A lot of people don’t get to see that side of her.”
“Sure is different than the woman behind the desk at your company.”
She nodded. “Very much so. But she’s one of the first friends I made when I moved out here. I just also tend to forget she’s capable of being laid-back.”
“Is it dangerous for her to work reception? I mean, the rest of you are behind that door but what if someone angry comes in?”
Her normal hesitation cropped up again and she dabbed the corners of her mouth. “We know who’s arriving before they even get in the room. And she can more than take care of herself.”
“She’s such a little thing. How can she do that?”
“Connie can kick my ass before I even know what happened.”
“No way.”
“Yours and Steve’s as well. Oh yeah, she’s a multi-trained martial artist. I don’t even know how many she knows or how many belts she has. Don’t tell anyone that, however.”
“I wouldn’t—not that I’m believing it. She’s like a little china doll.”
She shook her finger. “Don’t call her that. Not unless you don’t want to continue standing upright for a week or so.”
“Wow. Volatile woman with volatile friends.” He winked.
“Me? I’m not.”
“Right,” he drawled out the word. “I believe that.”
After their dessert, Tuck paid and they left to get back in his truck.
“Thank you for dinner.”
“My pleasure. But we’re not done yet.”
Why did those five words send such a thrill through her?
* * * *
Tuck strolled along the River Walk with Ariel beside him. The weather was cooperating—off in the distance he could see some lightning but for the moment, they had a nice breeze as they meandered. Her arm was looped through his and her head rested upon his shoulder.
Many men stared at her as they passed—some women as well. He didn’t blame them—she was killing him with her attire tonight. It had gone well, their first official date. At least he believed so. More were definitely in the plans.
“Sometimes I forget how nice the River Walk is,” she said as they sidestepped some children running along the networked walkways. “I don’t spend enough time exploring this city.”
“What else did you want to see?”
“I’ve not even gone to SeaWorld yet. That’s just crazy.”
He made a mental note to take her there. “There are only so many hours in the day, Ariel. Give yourself some slack.”
His mind drifted back to her comment about rejoining the Corps. That had created a big ball of sourness in his gut. He didn’t want her to leave. At all. Hell, he was half in love with the woman and had been since they’d met. Most of the women he’d dated—slept with—prior to Ariel had been one-dimensional.
A fact he had wanted, because he knew there was nothing permanent about them. No need to worry about attachments and he could focus on getting his architectural firm up and running without having to think about if he was giving someone else enough attention. None of that had mattered when he first met Ariel.
In that moment, he’d known he’d be willing to do whatever it took in order to keep her happy and do what he had to for himself. But she’d not shown interest in him, so he was in the friend category. She didn’t date much but it killed him whenever he saw her out with another man. And she’d never disparaged him for his dating habits—or man-whoring as Steve called it.
She fitted him. He fitted her. All he had to do was get her to see it as he did. One good thing to come from tonight was that he knew he could finish his plans and get them off to Richard finally. For the last bit he’d been missing to make his design perfect had come to him. It was now clear what he had to do.
“How about some ice cream?” he offered.
“After that dessert I ate?” She placed her hand over her belly. “Oh hell, sure. Why not. I’m walking it off.”
They’d be working more of it off later if things went his way. He guided her to a table beneath a red umbrella and smoothed his hand along her cheek. “Be right back.” He took a few steps away then looked back—she was watching him and even the approaching darkness couldn’t hide the desire in her gaze.
“Same as you like at the ballpark?”
She gave him a thumbs-up and he went on his way to get her some. It didn’t take him too long before he was on his way back. He paused before getting back to where she sat, taking a moment to watch her. She’d turned her attention to the San Antonio River and the boats that cruised up and down it.
He allowed his gaze to linger over the firm leg showing through the cut of her dress. Damn, he wanted her. Shoving his lust back, he closed the distance to her. “Here we go.”
Her smile blinded him as she turned it on him. “Thank you.” She smiled as she took the spoon and dipped it into her waffle cone cup full of chocolate ice cream.
He sat beside her and took a bite of his as well.
“What kind did you get?” she asked.
“A few flavours.” He smirked. “Vanilla, chocolate, mint and strawberry.”
“Such a kid, Tuck.”
He took another bite. “Do you have plans this weekend or can I take you out again?”
She thought for a moment. “Sorry, not this weekend. I’m doing a—” She tipped her head and pointed her spoon at him. “You could come with me. If you liked.”
He sucked some ice cream off the spoon. “I have
every
intention of coming with you again, Ariel.” He hid his smirk when her pupils dilated. “What are you doing?”
“Clean-up and rebuilding a few things at one of the places Prometheus Protections sponsors. This one is a church.”
“I’d love to go with you. Do I need to bring any materials?”
“Nope, they’re supplying everything we need. They just needed bodies to help out.”
“Sounds like a plan then. What time do we need to leave?”
“About five thirty. We want to get a good jump on the workload before it gets too hot.”
“Understandable. It’s a date.”
Her smile was almost shy and he let it go, just enjoying the time they were having. After they’d finished the ice cream, they walked more and made it back to his truck as the first drops of rain began to fall.
They dashed through to the door once they reached the apartment building. She headed for the stairs but he drew her back close to him. “Take the elevator with me,” he murmured in her ear.
“We both know what happened last time I was in there with you.”
“You’ve not been drinking like that.”
She acquiesced and he held her close as they rode up. Lord, he didn’t want to let her go into her apartment but he didn’t say a word after unlocking the door for her. She faced him and rose up on her toes to kiss his cheek.
“This was a date date, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then I will bid you goodnight. Thank you for everything, I had a blast.”
He cupped her upper arms and pulled her nearer. “Soon, Ariel, we’ll be back in bed together.”
She smoothed a hand over his chest. “I’m sure we will, but not tonight.”
He nodded. “Because it’s a date date.”
“Our first one.”
He smiled softly. “Does that mean you are willing to have more?”
“That’s exactly what it means, Pierce Carter.”
He kissed her softly on the lips. “Tuck. I’ll always be Tuck to you. Sleep well, Ariel. Have lots of explicit dreams of me so we can act them out together, later on.” He brushed his erection against her and she whimpered. His determination not to push wavered so he backed off. “Goodnight, beautiful.”