After All - Romancing Manhattan

I laugh and take a sip of my red wine. “You might want to just rotate it through. But it looks nice.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in anything but a suit.”

He has, he just doesn’t remember. Which is a reminder at how little he’s noticed about me in the past.

“It would most likely be frowned upon to wear jeans to work.”

“We could do casual Fridays,” he suggests, but I shake my head.

“I think if a client is paying millions for his attorney, the staff should look professional.”

“You’re probably right,” he replies, and we sit back as our dinner is served, forced to pull our hands away from each other.

We’re quiet as we eat, both of us hungry and the food delicious.

“Would you like some dessert?” the waitress asks when she clears away our empty dinner plates.

“Oh, I couldn’t,” I reply.

“We have tiramisu tonight,” she says, and I cave.

“Sold. I’ll take it.”

“Me, too,” Carter says with a nod.

“Oh, you can share mine. Please don’t make me eat the whole thing by myself.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

He looks up at the waitress. “Just one dessert then.”

“Coming right up.”

She bustles away and Carter reaches for my hand again.

“I wouldn’t have figured you for a physically affectionate person,” I say, thinking aloud.

“I think there’s plenty about both of us that we don’t know,” he says and I nod in agreement.

A working relationship is very different from a romantic one.

And after tonight, we’ll go back to the way it’s always been. He’s my boss. This is just a pretend date, even though it feels quite real from where I’m sitting.

“Here you go,” the waitress says as she sets a large square of tiramisu in front of us, with two clean forks. “Enjoy.”

“Holy shit,” I murmur. “I’m so glad you agreed to share this.”

“It’s delicious,” he says after taking the first bite. “I probably didn’t need to know this existed.”

“Why?”

“Because I’ll order just this for takeout way too often.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought of doing that. Genius idea. And dangerous.”

We gobble up the delicious dessert, and once Carter has settled the bill, we walk out of the restaurant and he hails a cab to take us back to my place.

“This is it,” he says to the cabdriver. “Do you mind waiting for me while I walk the lady to her door?”

“I’ll wait,” he replies, and I shake my head.

“You don’t have to—”

“I’m walking you up,” he insists and follows me out of the car and inside, then up the elevator.

Once at my door, he pins me against the wall, one hand braced above my head and the other cupping my cheek.

Holy hell, he’s potent. Tall and firm. He smells amazing, and his eyes are hot on mine.

“I had a good time,” I say with a thick voice.

“I’m glad,” he murmurs. “I had the best evening I’ve had in quite some time.”

He’s leaning in closer, and the next thing I know, his lips are on mine. Soft, tender. His thumb is making circles on my cheek.

I could lose myself in this man. Every female gene is screaming for me to invite him inside so we can see where this incredible kiss can go.

But it’s not real.

He pulls back slowly and licks his lips.

“Good night, Nora.”

“Night.”

He waits while I unlock my door and step inside, and then I hear his footsteps down the hall to the elevator, and I lean against the door in relief.

That was the best date of my life.

It’s a pity that it wasn’t real.

I made some decisions last night, while I tossed and turned in bed, not able to get that kiss out of my sex-deprived head.

It was pathetic, really.

Carter is totally ready to date. His skills are on point, and if he just does things the way he did last night, he’ll have women lined up around the block to get a chance to go out with him.

Do I love the thought? Admittedly no. But it needs to happen. Carter needs to date so I can get the ridiculous notion that I’m attracted to him out of my head.

I will be mature and an adult about the matter. I will only be a little jealous of the tramp that snags him for the long haul.

I mean nice woman. Not tramp.

See? I’m mature.

So I made a list of some of the people I know who might be good fits for Carter, just to get him started.

Okay, the list has three names on it because I don’t know that many people, but it’s something.

As I’m walking into the office, I’m surprised to see through the open door that Carter is already in his office, with Finn and Quinn sitting with him.

Now’s as good of a time as any.

I walk into the room, and all conversation stops.

“Good morning,” I say brightly.

“Good morning, Nora,” Carter says with a smile.