Chapter One
It was the worst date he’d ever been on.
Well, okay, maybe not the worst date. The time he’d gotten food poisoning and spent most of the night in the bathroom had been pretty bad.
Then there was the time his date took it upon herself to drop under the table to give him a blow job and hit her head, causing her to nearly pass out.
Still, this date was up there in the top five. Dylan had been looking forward to tonight for so long. He’d patiently bided his time, waiting for just the right moment to make his move.
The first four times he’d asked Tilly out, she’d said no. The fifth time had been the charm.
Sort of.
It was clear she was uncomfortable. She looked gorgeous, yet she kept fiddling with her hair and glancing around nervously. If she didn’t stop worrying at her lip with her teeth, she’d soon have no lipstick left.
And he quite liked that shade of red. In fact, he’d like to see her in nothing but that red lipstick.
Down boy.
Dylan attempted to calm his rising need, but it was nearly impossible. He’d wanted her for a long time.
Tilly glanced around the restaurant again.
“This is a really fancy place,” she said quietly.
Was it? Dylan looked around. He guessed this place could be classified as fancy with its white tablecloths, linen napkins, and snooty waiters.
Stupid mistake. Now she was going to think he liked all this posh crap when he was just as happy with a burger and a beer.
“Bit much, isn’t it?” he said with a grin.
Tilly’s eyes widened as she stared at him in surprise. “You don’t like it here?”
“No, not really,” he replied, deciding honesty was probably the best policy.
“Oh, then why come here?” she asked, clearly puzzled.
Good question. “I guess I was trying to impress you.”
“You don’t have to do anything to impress me. I already think you’re amazing.” She blushed and he smiled.
“You do?” He leaned forward and placed his hand over hers where it rested on the table. “What’s so amazing about me?”
“You fought for our country.”
“I did. Along with a lot of other men and women.”
“And they are all amazing people,” she said.
“They are. Is that the only thing you find amazing about me?” He ran his thumb over the smooth skin of her hand.
“No.” Tilly lowered her gaze to the table.
Screw the stupid table setting. Dylan stood, and pulled his chair around the table so he was sitting at a right angle to her. He drew a few curious looks from other diners and some frowns from the wait staff, but he didn’t care.
“Tilly,” he said, reaching out and tipping her chin up with his fingers. “What else do you find so amazing about me?”
Since the day he’d met her, Dylan had wanted her with a desperation that surprised him. However, he’d soon realized that coming on too strong would have pushed her away. He’d heard the rumors about her past—about how she’d been abused by her former Dom. He knew he had to go slow. But he had a lot of patience. The best things in life didn’t come easily.
Dylan reached out and gently pulled her poor, abused lip free from her teeth. Leaning in, he kissed her softly.
“There’s no need to be nervous,” he told her quietly. “I won’t tell anyone.”
No need to be nervous? Was he flipping kidding her? She’d been nervous about this date all week. Why the hell had she said yes?