Seduced by Innocencey(16)

Sandy walked up to me and sat at my heel. "Sorry girl, I can't take you this time. Maybe next time." I sure hoped Derek liked dogs, otherwise this relationship was doomed before it started.

I grabbed my nicest coat and slipped gloves over my freshly painted, and finally dried, red nails. Ocean scowled at me. "You can't cover up your pretty hands." She yanked the gloves off, and I looked down at my flesh, panic rising in my throat. "I can't go gloveless, not with him, not after what happened. It's too soon, Ocean."

She sighed dramatically but handed me back my gloves. "Fine, but try not to act weird and nervous. Just relax and be yourself."

"If I was being myself I'd be in jeans and a cotton shirt, not dressed up like Pretty Woman."

She pulled me through the door and into the night. "Ha, ha! Very funny. Let's go get you laid."

"Ocean, I'm so not having sex tonight. I just met him."

Her car alarm clicked off, and we both slid in. "Well, at least get a good kiss in. It's the least you can do after all the work I put in on you."

"Remind me again why we're best friends."

The car rumbled to life, and she pulled out onto the dirt road that lead to the main gate. "Because, I'm charming, fun, beautiful, and I make you laugh."

"I suppose that's all true. You're also irritating."

She smiled. "It's one of my many charms."

We arrived at the gate just as Derek pulled up in a black Mercedes.

Ocean whistled under her breath. "Who knew Mr. Hot Stuff was loaded. You sure know how to pick them, girlfriend."

Rich and gorgeous? I was so out of my league.

He pulled his car to the side and stepped out. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw his pressed, pinstriped suit and tie. His dark hair still had a wildness about it, though I could tell he'd tried to tame it with product. The suit fit him in a way only tailored suits fit, and I wondered why he was working at the martial arts studio when he clearly didn't need money.

I leaned in and whispered to Ocean, "Thank you." I would have been mortified if I'd shown up in jeans.

She held out a thumbs-up and drove away after I slammed the door shut.

Feeling very exposed, I teetered over to him, and he rushed to hold his door open for me. He leaned in close, nearly grazing my shoulder with his chin. "You look incredible."

My heart stammered and stuttered and I'm sure I turned the same color as my dress. "Thanks. So do you."

I slipped into the most comfortable leather seat I'd ever been in. In that moment I understood why someone would spend an obscene amount of money on a car. I wanted to sink into the cushions and never get out.

When he returned to the driver's seat and closed the door, I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding in. "Nice car."

"Oh, this isn't mine. It's my sisters. I didn't think you'd want to drive all the way to Seattle on a motorcycle." He grinned, and the dimple in his chin deepened. I had a sudden urge to glide my tongue over his chin and suck on his bottom lip.

Oh my! I needed to keep my head clear. "Um, yeah, that would have been tricky, at least in this dress." I motioned down to my exposed legs and the dress that wouldn't have even allowed me to straddle a bike, let alone ride on it for over an hour.

"So, we're going to Seattle?" Yeah, because that's the height of intelligent conversation, repeating back to him what he'd just said. Good going, Rose.

He frowned. "Yes, that was the plan, unless you'd rather stay local? Do you have to be back by a certain time?"

"No, I'm free for the evening, and Seattle sounds nice. I haven't been there in a long time."

"Great! Let's get going." He pulled out and turned the car around, then headed back to the main street.

Warm air blew on my legs, thawing them from their brief exposure to the cold. I hoped he didn't have a lot of outdoor plans in mind.

At first I worried we wouldn't have much to talk about during the long drive, but it turned out we had a lot in common. We enjoyed many of the same bands, and hated a lot of the same foods—like oysters and clam chowder. "It's the texture, right? It's just too chewy!"

"Exactly," he said. "It's like eating one of those blobs that kids play with, you know what I mean?"

I nodded. "Yes, I think I had one of those when I was a kid."

He glanced over at me, then back to the road. "You're even more beautiful when you smile, you know that?"

There went my heart again. "Um, thanks."

"You don't like being complimented very much, do you?"

I shifted in my seat, positioning myself so I could look at him better. "It's not that. I'm just never sure how to respond without sounding cocky or self-effacing. Now Ocean, she knows how to take a compliment and make it sing for her."