“Well...because.”
He grinned. “Very illuminating answer.”
She gave him a sizzling look that only served to heat his blood a few degrees more. “You’re embarrassing me.”
“You don’t like being told that you’re beautiful? Has no one ever said it before?”
She rolled her eyes, as if wondering how she was supposed to answer that question. “It’s just not the sort of thing you say to me.”
“Not in the past,” he agreed. “Things are different now.”
She bit her lip, looking worried.
“I really do think you’re beautiful,” he said gently. “Does that displease you?”
“Well, no,” she admitted, suddenly shy. “Of course not. I mean...it’s nice that you think I’m...pretty—”
“Beautiful,” he corrected her, enjoying her confusion.
“Anyway,” she said quickly, her tone suddenly prim, “it’s always nice to get a compliment.”
“You’re right,” he agreed gravely. “So why don’t you give me one?”
She frowned. “I beg your pardon?”
“Everyone likes to hear something nice when they’re out on a date. Isn’t there anything in particular you like about me? Some reason you agreed to go out with me?”
Her cheeks were as red now as the Christmas decorations around them. “You’re asking me for a compliment?”
“I’ll take one any way I can get it,” he quipped, curious now about what she would say.
She shook her head. “Honestly, Shane.”
“Yes, honestly, Kelly. What do you like best about me? My charm? My wit? My big blue eyes? My sexy smile?”
“Well, it certainly isn’t your modesty,” she muttered, making him laugh.
“Well?” he prompted.
“You do have a rather nice butt,” she mused.
Caught off guard, Shane blinked. That was one answer he honestly hadn’t expected. Now he was the one with warm cheeks. “That, er, wasn’t exactly what I meant.”
She looked quite satisfied at having disconcerted him. “Hey, you asked.”
He frowned at her. “You agreed to go out with me because you like my butt?”
“It’s as good a reason as any, I suppose,” she mused, her smile almost feline.
“Anything else you want to mention?”
“Not at the moment.” She scooped the last bite of her apple pie into her mouth and pushed the empty plate away, looking rather smug.
Shane promptly fell a little harder for her. Kelly’s wicked sense of humor was another attribute that had always appealed to him. She had often been able to “zing” him when he least expected it.
As far as he was concerned, the evening was going very well. He had no doubt that if this truly had been a first date, this was a woman he would want to ask out again.
He drove his pickup slowly back to her apartment, taking a winding route that allowed them to admire the elaborate Christmas displays along the way. “Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet?” he asked, to make conversation when she fell quiet as they got closer to her neighborhood.