“I can meet you at the restaurant. You don’t need to pick me up.”
“I’ll be there at six, darlin’,” I throw over my shoulder just before I step outside, a big smile spread wide across my face.
Chapter Six
Erin
I think I’m having an out of body experience. I can see myself standing in front of the mirror in my bedroom, but I can’t seem to move my body. I can only stare. Who is this person staring back at me? I used to think I knew her.
That person would not be wearing tight jeans and a very form fitting black sweater. That person would not have applied make-up – more than just a light dusting of eye shadow and mascara – all over her face. That person would not have accepted a dinner date with Jake freaking Stevens! He is the bane of my existence. The thorn in my paw. The rainstorm on my parade.
This person staring back at me is someone I’ve never met before. She’s dressed up in trendy clothes. She’s wearing make-up. She’s watching the clock and waiting for Jake to pick her up. When did I become this person?
Before I can dive further into this dramatic turn of events in the life of Erin Anderson, my doorbell rings signaling the arrival of my date. My date. AKA Jake Stevens. I grab my small purse from my bed and head out of the room and down the stairs.
When I open the front door, I’m struck stupid at the sight of Jake at my front door. He’s wearing dark jeans that hug his incredible legs and hips, a dark grey tight ribbed Henley shirt that shows off his broad, sculpted chest, worn boots, and a worn brown leather jacket. He looks delicious and I can’t seem to process words.
“See something you like?” he asks with that big, cocky grin on his face. My face burns with the worst blush ever as I quickly turn away, realizing I was just busted ogling his chest.
“No. I was…” I stutter but can’t even come up with a good lie.
“Darlin’, you can look at me all you want,” he says with a chuckle.
“I’m ready to go,” I say, quickly changing the subject and making a grab for my warm black pea coat.
Jake grabs a hold of my coat and holds it open for me. He can actually be a gentleman when he’s not being a pompous, arrogant jerk. Jake places his hand on my lower back as we walk out the front door towards his old pick-up truck. I can feel his hand burn me through my clothes, sending shivers of delight coursing through my entire body.
“Cold?” he asks. “We’ll be inside in a second and I’ll crank up the heat.” If he only knew that the heat was already cranked.
Once we’re backing out of the driveway, he turns his attention on me. “So, what do you feel like eating for dinner?”
“I’m not picky. You choose.”
“Well, I was thinking about Laverne’s Steakhouse. Is that okay?”
“That sounds great. I haven’t been there since I’ve been back in town. Does Laverne and George still own it?”
“They retired a few years back, and their granddaughter, Lizzy, runs it now. She was a few years younger than us in school. Her brother, Pete, was our age.”
“That’s right. I remember him.”
“So, how was the last half hour at the library before closing? Did you get all your books put away?”
I feel the blush creep up my neck as I recall the reason I was running behind on my end-of-the-day tasks. “It went fine once I was able to actually focus on getting my work done without any distractions.”
“Is that what I am? A distraction?” he asks with a little grin on his face.
“Today you were. You came in there with the sole purpose of distracting me from completing my work.”
“No, I went in there with the sole purpose of saying hello. The distracting just sort of happened.”
“Well, it can’t happen again. You can’t come in there and try to round the bases in the back of the library just because you feel the need. It’s a professional, family friendly place and anyone could have walked up on us.”
“First off, there was no one there and the ones that came in, we heard right away. And second, when I feel the need to round the bases in the back of the library, I guarantee you will be begging me for that homerun, darlin’.”
I have to restrain from fanning myself from the incredible heat permeating from the inside of the truck. No one has ever talked to me the way Jake does. It’s controlling and edgy and sexy as hell. And I think I like it. I just can’t let him know that. “Whatever. Just make sure that if you come back to the library, you’re there to check out books.”
“Deal.”
When we pull into the parking lot, I see it’s just as busy as it used to be on Saturday nights. There are probably tons of locals in there, ready to drop a title onto whatever this night is between Jake and I. Is it an official date? I mean, it’s just dinner amongst old classmates.