Convincing Lina: A Bachelor of Shell Cove Novel (The Bachelors of Shell Cove Romance Book 2) (7 page)

“What did I say?”

“You’re saying too much for a casual dinner between co-workers. My legs are compliments of sixty minutes of kickboxing four days per week.” He was not repentant about his comment regarding her legs.
 

“I am not apologizing for telling the truth. Where I come from men compliment women.” He liked her bold style, her intelligent eyes, and her body. Statuesque didn’t fully capture the essence of the woman before him. Everything about her was built to suit a grown man. It was reflected in her runway fashion style, the body she wasn’t afraid to showcase, and the witty banter she had for one and all.

“Thank you for the compliment,” she said sitting back in her chair.
 

“Come here.”
 

“What?” Cautiously she leaned into him. She must have thought better of it because she then pulled back. “Just tell me from here,” she tossed a sideways glance in his direction.

“With your Ali bob and weave moves, it would be better if you leaned in close. You’ll thank me later.”

She moved within striking distance, and he trapped her chin between his thumb and forefinger. He brushed his thumb over the left corner of her mouth. She tensed, he let his hand fall.

“There was a drop of cream on your lip.” Never taking his eyes off of her, he slowly raised his thumb to his mouth and licked. “Tastes sweet.”

She must’ve been spring loaded, the way she shot out of her chair.
 

“I’m going to the ladies room. If our server comes, order me a grape crush cocktail.” Seeing her like this, he was tempted to burn all of her work wardrobe.

“You need a stiff one to finish dinner with me?” A strained smile covered her face.

“A woman’s got to do, what a woman’s got to do.” Confident and poised she remained, but she was on edge. He could feel pulses of her energy tracking him.
 

He reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out his personal cellphone. Extending his hand, he offered her the device.
 

“Add your information to my list of contacts.” She didn’t reach for the phone.
 

“Come on,” he coaxed her. “I want to be prepared if that cough of yours should cause you trouble.” She took the phone from his extended hand.
 

“Do you always hand your phone over to women you barely know? You’re not afraid I might find incriminating pictures of you?”

 
He saw her eyes stretch wide, probably at discovering her name and address were already programmed into the phone. He smiled to himself. She tried not to notice how many feminine names were in his phonebook. She was about to return his phone when he spoke.

“You only added one telephone number.”
Thank goodness he paid attention to detail.
“Give me your land line and your cell.” She grinned, then did as he asked.

“There,” she said handing his phone back to him. “Now, you have everything.” She entered the restaurant, hips swaying to an inaudible beat made just for her.
 

Gideon watched as men, young and old, fixed on Lina’s feminine stride. Those gorgeous legs carried her away from him. She’d said that he had everything. Smiling.
 

“Not yet, but I will.”

 
Her heart beat faster than the lead drummer at a rock concert. Her entree wasn’t the only thing steaming hot at the dinner table. At his touch, her body transformed into an overheated chocolate fountain without a shut off switch. He made her feel desirable and special. It was a sobering thought, as all her man problems started with those emotions. She could not like Gideon. As she walked away from the table, she renewed her chant in earnest.
Do not like him. Do not fall for him. Please let a unibrow troll replace Gideon in the next five minutes
, she begged the universe.

She tried to look unaffected by his charm, focus on the musical score and the buzz of conversation around them, but her blood pressure rose with each visual caress. Gideon was a gentleman, but with a raw edginess that appealed to her on a primal level. The way he swept her into his arms and held her close, had her body pulsing with need. If Jace tried that move, they would both be on the floor, with him writhing in pain. She rounded the stone waterfall sculpture leading to the ladies’ room. She opened her purse, approached the mirror, and reached for a make-up compact, while regarding her appearance. Beauty looked back at her. Beauty that men admired, craved, but never claimed. Would Gideon be any different? Her heart couldn’t pay the cost to find out. When she returned to the table, she would put as much distance as physically and emotionally possible between the two of them. Numb was her goal. Let it happen, but do not feel it. Yes.
 

The banging at the door had her jumping for the ceiling. She did a quick check of her surroundings before looking in her purse. Keys-check, wallet-check, lipstick-check, pepper spray-check. Purse in hand, she took a deep breath, steeling her resolve to handle the rest of dinner in cool detachment. She collided with a wall of muscle as soon as she exited the door. Her feet had stopped, but the force of the impact had her body moving backward. This wasn’t going to be pretty. She closed her eyes readying herself to make contact with the stone floor. An arm wrapped around her waist pulling her up short.
 

Gideon.

She instinctively grabbed hold of his shoulders, needing to hold onto something solid. Her nose was in the hollow of his neck and she took a deep steadying breath. He smelled of warmed cedar on a breezy summer day. Her mouth watered as his scent filled her nostrils.
 

“Thank you,” she said on a breathy note. She allowed her head to rest on his shoulder as his scent and body heat co-mingled into a sensual cocktail.
 

“I’ve got you, sweetness.” His hand stroked along her spine in a soothing gesture.

“I didn’t see you standing there. It was my fault.” His cheek pressed against her temple.

“Shh, it’s not your fault. You weren’t expecting me to be at the door.”
 

She laughed. “That is true. I don’t remember inviting you with me to the ladies’ room.” Through her palms resting on his chest wall she could feel the rumble of his laughter.

“You left the table fifteen minutes ago. That’s an invitation to chase in my neck of the woods.” She released his shoulder, to look up at him.

“Neck of the woods? I haven’t heard that term in years. What part of the country are you originally from?”
 

“I was born and raised in West Virginia.”
 

“Big city or small town West Virginia?” He raised an eyebrow at her line of questioning.
 

“They are one in the same in mountaineer country.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“I did, trust me. Now, allow me to escort you back to your seat. You garner a lot of attention, Lina.”

She stiffened. Had she misjudged him? Guardian angel of curvy women please don’t let him be a Jace Harper disciple.
 

“I have to follow you around to make sure no other man snatches you away.”
 

The tension slowly left her shoulders.

“I’m a big girl, Gideon.” She gestured her hands up and down her body. “This is not a snatch and grab sized package.”

“I’m a big man and I like handling a package just your size.” She blushed. Thank goodness he couldn’t see it with her darker complexion. She admitted to herself that she did like Gideon. More importantly, she accepted that she couldn’t act on that attraction. Focus on protecting yourself. Boundary management would be her last course for the evening.

Chapter 6

He didn’t know what he did or said, but their connection from early in the evening was officially gone from high-speed to dial-up. Gideon could feel the distance between them, tangible as the shirt covering his back. It was a quarter past ten when they arrived at her condominium. Even the night creatures kept a low profile in the humidity. He was thankful Lina hadn’t balked about him not wearing a tie. She hadn’t recoiled in horror when he slipped up, responding to her question with
yeah
instead of
yes
. Gideon could be himself with Lina. He freed his second button as he rounded the car. She wasn’t running to her door. That was a good sign. Opening the passenger door he extended his hand palm up for her. It warmed his insides that an independent woman, such as Lina, could defer to a man the courtesy of allowing him to get her door. She hesitated a moment before placing her much smaller hand in his. He maintained his grasp on her hand as they walked to the stairway. He shouldn’t ask, but he didn’t want the night to end.
 

The scent of flowers assailed him when they reached the landing to Lina’s place. He looked down to find they both were stepping on crushed, white rose petals.
 

“What’s with the flower covered walkway?” Lina pushed out a breath, shaking her head.

“Jace must’ve stopped by while we were at dinner. The roses started after our break-up. I told him to knock it off.” Gideon regarded her with skepticism. She shrugged her shoulders in bewilderment. “I guess crushing them was his way of retaliating after my confrontation.”
 

“He seems determined.” Jace’s actions were disturbing. Lina didn’t appear to be concerned about her safety, but he was. “Is there a chance he believes the two of you could reconcile?” He searched her face. Women could hide their emotions in plain sight. He knew that from experience.
 

“Not humanly possible.” She formed a large cross with her forearms. Then added head nods in the negative. “He’s been a brat since he dumped me.” Gideon’s mouth slackened. His thoughts scrambled. What man in his right mind would ever leave Lina behind?

“Jace Harper ended your relationship?” Disbelief clouded his better judgment and reached for her. Closing his hands around her bare upper arms.
 

“You doubt me after one night?” He liked her joking with him.
 

“I never doubt a lady, but it’s about the stupidest decision I’ve heard of a grown man making in recent years.”

“Keep up the flattery. It’ll get you nowhere, but it’s nice to hear.”
 

“I’m serious.” He looked down at her. Taking in her firm upper lip and the stubborn chin, it was clear she didn’t believe him. “One man’s rhinestone is another man’s diamond.”
 

She laughed, but it didn’t reach her eyes. The reminder of being discarded was far from amusing. It reminded him of his own humble beginnings.
 

“You are good for a woman’s ego.” He caressed her shoulders, but the playful Lina was gone. Before he thought better of it, he pulled her into a warm embrace.
 

“You are worth more than diamonds, rubies, and pearls.” The words whispered at her ear had no effect. What words could he say to draw her out of her head and back to him?
 

“In my neck of the woods, we have a saying. One man’s fling is another man’s future.” Challenge issued. Would she take the bait?

“Oh…that’s good, Gideon. The problem is every man I encounter tells me, I’m his future. The onus is on me to realize when I’ve been downgraded from future to fling.” She stepped out of his embrace. The night seemed cool without her warmth. Words like humble beginnings had been used to describe his childhood. A camouflage for being poor and unwanted. To have humble beginnings attached to your family name was a politically correct phrase for abject poverty. It made social and economic inequality more palatable to the societal elite. In his hometown of Waverly Falls, his birth name was synonymous with worthless. That was the reason he’d taken his adoptive family’s last name-Rice.
 

“Everything about you is pure platinum.” He didn’t think it was possible, but she backed up against the door creating what felt like a canyon sized space between them. He didn’t like it.
 

“You are like a brainiac, eye candy, and a hallmark card all rolled into one. The ladies need a stealth detector around you,” she said.

“I’m only interested in one lady.”
 

She gave him an “is that so” look.
 

“How interested?”