“Just seeing where this goes?”
I nodded briskly. “Neither of us are fools, and we have an expiration date on this. But until then, I agree we ride this out, see where it all goes. Like tonight.”
She blanched, her eyes growing wide and her olive skin pale. “What?”
“Tonight. You and I will do dinner. What else did you think I had in mind?” I asked, winking at her.
Color returned to her cheeks. “I guess I thought that we were…”
“Oh, we’ll definitely do that, and I intend to do so much more with you than thrust my hand deep inside that tight little pussy of yours, luv.”
Her blush bloomed across her face and spread to the tips of her ears. “Wow.”
“But I’d also like to get inside that head of yours too. So, conversation, a bit of something to keep us from being peckish. You do eat French food, right?”
“My dad took us to this fancy place in D.C. once. I was twelve, and he insisted that we try the snails. I spit it out in a napkin, and he freaked out at me. So if snails are involved, count me out.”
“It’s a five-star experience with sensual and amazing private dining. They have steaks and seafood too.” I chuckled at her naiveté. Perhaps my old college friend hadn’t yet trained Iris to be the corporate shark and sophisticate she needed to be to run his company someday. That was fine. I was more than happy to help. “You can have whatever you like, and I promise no snail shall touch your lips.” Standing, I stepped around the desk and leaned down to rub her shoulders. “But other things just might.”
She chuckled, and her face was almost as bright as a fire hydrant. “I…wow.”
“You said that already, vixen,” I said, stroking her cheek with one hand. “Be ready at your place, and I’ll bring the limo around for you tonight at eight sharp. Then we can actually chat and get food. Whatever happens, happens, right? But no, luv, I’m not only interested in you for your amazing body.”
She frowned. “What else would matter?”
“That you’re caring. You were more worried about my carpet than your own bleeding body. That you’re ambitious. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t have hesitated to start up with me, wouldn’t have put your career first. And I watched you for a bit with your friend last night. You light up a room, even sitting at the bar. So yes, I want to get to know that girl very well too.”
“Thank you.” She stood, straightened her skirt, and put her hair up in a ponytail. “Which place?”
“The Pearl Brasserie, have you heard of it?”
“No, but I can’t exactly afford to go there on a student salary.” She chuckled then sobered. “Oh, what’s the dress code?”
“Whatever knocks my knickers off, lass. How about that?”
Chapter Six
Iris
I was freaking out.
Freaking. Out.
First, I’d spent the day doing things with my boss. No, scratch that…with one of my dad’s oldest friends that I could never tell anyone else about, not if I wanted to keep breathing and stay unembarrassed. Second, I’d agreed to start what? Some kind of relationship with him where we’d be going to dinner and dating too? Not that I was opposed to that. It was just with Callum O’Brien’s track record, I honestly figured that I’d get it out of my system, have one quick day or few days of an office tryst, and then he’d ignore me and pretend none of this had ever happened. The last thing I’d expected was to be driven by a limo to the best restaurant in Dublin. What was I going to wear?
My mom was good at fashion, and I had the funds on my credit card to get a decent dress, but I didn’t get off work till six p.m. and rushing through the stores to get something and have time to get made up didn’t seem possible. Besides, I had no innate fashion sense of my own. I just wore what was comfortable or caught my eye. It sometimes resulted in boho chic outfits that my dad scathingly mocked, at least back when I was in high school.
I was kind of hopeless.
That was why I was knocking furiously on Allison’s door. “Ally! I have a fashion emergency!”
My friend whipped her door open so fast that I almost fell through as I pounded on it. As it was, I stumbled forward and managed to catch myself against the door frame. “ZOMG, what’s up?”
I was breathing heavily and, okay, totally not looking Allison in the eye when I recounted the whole story to her about the dictation request, the amazing encounter, and now our rapidly approaching date. After all, the sun was already quickly setting.
Allison smirked back at me. “Girlie, I told you he wanted you, and frankly, I’m proud of ya for not playing it so safe.”
“But I have no clue what I’m going to wear!”