Daddy in Disguise (Crescent Cove 7)

“You sure you want to hook my wagon to mine? Seeing me again might make Jessica go for blood even more.”

“I’ll take my chances,” he repeated.

“What about Dani?” I hated to even ask the question. “I don’t want to lie to her. She’s a good kid.”

“Who’s lying? We’re really going to date. I’m really going to take you out, hopefully many more times than tonight. I’m really going to lay you out and enact several of the filthy scenarios I’ve played in my head a time or two hundred. Assuming you’re on board with that. That can be negotiated. Everything can.”

Shut up, nipples. No one asked you.

There were any number of reasonable things I could have responded to that with. Instead, I asked, “You’ve fantasized about me?”

He nodded.

“Can you elaborate?”

“Before dinner on a first date? Not a chance. That’s definitely dessert conversation. Or…demonstration.”

The best part? He didn’t wink when he said it. It probably showed my deep pathology, but I absolutely hated guys who winked when they flirted. It reminded me of Bob Barker from The Price is Right or my grandfather when he gave me a hard candy when I was a girl. Neither one stirred my loins in any shape or form.

With Gideon? I was stirred so hard I was basically a coffee milkshake.

“No hints?”

He released my hand and I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or disappointed. “Definitely not. But I’m ready to go if you are.”

“Wait.” I stopped him with a hand on his arm. “You’re sure you want to do this? This evening didn’t have the best start. We don’t have to make it into some big…thing.”

“What if I want to?”

“Well, you’re dead set on this dating idea—”

“Macy, I didn’t get dressed up for you thinking Jessica would ambush me. I didn’t plan any of this. All I did was ask out a woman I like. And call me selfish, but I’m determined to get my fucking date tonight. Okay?”

I had to smile. “Okay. But seriously, dude, you call that dressing up?” I shook my head at his shirt. “Bret Michaels does have a superior set of lips on him though. If you could ignore all the places they’ve probably been.”

“Can’t say I’ve ever thought about it.”

I slipped my arm into his. “Just so you know, I’m touchy with seafood.”

“Noted.”

“Some of it is okay, some is slimy and gross.”

“Gotcha. I pretty much guarantee you’ll like dinner. At least the location if not the quality of the food.” He glanced down at me. “Trust me?”

“Not even a little.” But I squeezed his arm. “That’s the kind of date I like best.”

It was probably too much to hope for chainsaws and gore, but I’d settle for not knowing what the next step would hold.

In my business, I had to plan everything to the nth degree. Here? I could just be.

Assuming I could manage to forget Gideon and I were now dating.

Shit.

Ten

“So, I figured I couldn’t hope for chainsaws,” Macy said as we walked under the arbor of lit jack-o-lanterns and spooky creatures hanging above us.