Heat & Desire (Surrender to Them 4)

“I already have it packed.” I leaned over and picked up the box. “I figured it would save you some time.”

“Is your phone number on the box?” He leaned over and looked at it.

“No.” I forced a smile and shook my head. “I’m afraid not.”

“Then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.” He shrugged and pulled out his wallet.

“I believe Jillian said your order is on the house.” I held up my hand.

“It was nice of her to offer, but I’m not just going to stop by here every day for free food.” He pulled out a twenty and dropped it on the counter.

I had no choice but to ring him up, so I did it as quickly as possible and gave him his change. I let out a sigh of relief once he was gone. I tried to bluff Brody to see what his reaction would be if I told him I was going to accept Micah’s invitation for a date. I was really just searching for something I could grasp onto—I would have grabbed any sliver of hope with both hands. No matter what he said, it seemed like he still saw me as the same teenage girl who crushed on him. My reaction didn’t help to change that impression, but it left a sting that I couldn’t easily overcome. I regretted being so cold to him, but it was a defense mechanism. If he didn’t want my heart, I had to protect it.

Later that day

I walked outside after my shift, and when I got to my car, I found a surprise waiting for me. There was a single red rose tucked behind my windshield wiper. When I pulled it free, I found a piece of paper wrapped around the step. I sighed and shook my head as I unrolled it—knowing that it had to have been left by Micah. When I held the paper up to the light, I saw Give me one chance written in blue ink. I grumbled under my breath and crushed the note in my hand, tossing it on the ground. I almost tossed the rose along with it, but it was a beautiful flower. It had been a long time since anyone had made a truly romantic gesture towards me. I decided that it would be criminal to throw such a beautiful flower on the ground, so I dropped it on the seat beside me when I got in my car.

He’s certainly not giving up…

One week later

I did my best to ignore Micah when he came in to get his daily order, but he never ignored me. Every day when I got off work, I found a rose on my windshield with the same message. I was well on my way to having a full bouquet of them on my kitchen counter, although I was pretty sure the first one would be dead before I filled the vase. Nobody had ever pursued me with that much persistence. He was weakening my defenses and making me question if I should just give him a chance. I hadn’t heard from Brody in a week, and he had made it really clear that he wasn’t interested. I decided that I was just going to do it. One date wouldn’t hurt anything. If it didn’t go well, then at least he would leave me alone.

“I got your order right this time.” I looked up and smiled when I pushed the box across the counter.

“You’re right.” He looked down and grinned when he saw my phone number written on top of the box. “How about tonight?”

“Tonight?” I raised my eyebrows inquisitively.

“Our date. Let’s go out tonight.” He handed me a twenty and picked up his box. “If you’re not busy.”

I’m definitely not doing anything, and I’m going to see my dad this weekend, so…

“Sure, why not.” I nodded and handed him his change.

“Fantastic. I’ll pick you up at seven.” He grinned again and took a couple of steps backwards towards the door. “You won’t regret this, I promise.”

We’ll see.

Micah picked me up at seven o’clock, just like he promised. I wasn’t sure where we were going, so I wore a simple black dress. He showed up in a suit, and I might have still had reservations about him, but he looked damn good in a suit. It looked tailor-made and fit his physique perfectly. He offered his arm, escorted me to his car, and opened the passenger side door. I had been on enough dates with college guys to know that kind of chivalry wasn’t as common as it should have been. I felt a little undressed when I found out he was taking me to the best restaurant in Canyon City, but it was too late to change at that point. He opened the door for me again when we got to the restaurant, and even pulled out my chair once we arrived at our table.

He’s trying—I guess I should return the favor and keep an open mind.

“Would you like me to order a bottle of wine? They have a really good selection.” Micah reached over and picked up the menu.

“I don’t really drink.” I wrinkled my nose and shook my head. “My dad is an alcoholic.”

“Say no more.” Micah nodded quickly. “They have a great selection of soda—or diet soda if you also don’t like sugar.”

“Let’s live dangerously.” I smiled and chuckled.

We ordered two sodas and Micah convinced me to try the stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer. He said they were delicious, and he wasn’t kidding. He ordered a steak, and I decided that it sounded so good I wanted one myself. Mostly, I was salivating over the loaded baked potato that came on the side, but it had been a really long time since I had a steak. He asked a few questions about my father after we finished the stuffed mushrooms and waited for the main course. I opened up to him about my past, the struggles I had growing up, and the incredible turnaround that led him to finally get the help he needed.

“Wow, you’ve certainly overcome a l

ot. You went through all of that while you were in high school, and still managed to do so well at school that you got a scholarship?” He reached for his soda. “That’s incredible.”

“I had support, even if my home life wasn’t that great.” I sighed and shook my head.