Chapter 2
Aspen Mesmer paced nervously around her apartment as she waited for Kane to pick her up. How she’d gotten through the day, she had no idea. She was both excited and nervous as hell about her date tonight.
After the debacle with Derek, she’d considered not dating any more military guys.
She’d gone to the bar last night to have a drink because she didn’t want to go home and be by herself.
The day had been stressful and she’d been hoping for a nice relaxing drink before heading home.
She’d just had the misfortune of Derek being at the same bar she chose.
Why he was acting so attached after just two dates—a month ago—was a mystery to her. They just didn’t have any chemistry.
Not like the chemistry she and Kane had.
She’d noticed him the second he’d walked in the door.
He was a bit scruffy-looking, but it was his eyes that had caught her attention first. His gaze had roamed the room, taking in everyone and everything.
She should’ve known then that he was some kind of special forces soldier, but Derek had started whining about her not giving them a fair shot, and she’d started toward Kane without thought.
Asking a complete stranger to kiss her wasn’t on top of the list of smart things she’d done in her life, but Kane hadn’t let her down.
At first it had been awkward, but then he’d taken control.
Aspen wasn’t a trusting person in general, but in his arms, she hadn’t felt the least bit of fear that he’d drop her.
And the way he kissed? As if he’d been away for months and had just returned home? Damn. Her toes had curled in her Converse sneakers.
She’d also somewhat expected him to be as dumb as a box of rocks—it seemed all the most good-looking men were—but of course, she’d been wrong about that too. Way wrong.
Brain.
Apparently he was some sort of genius.
Smart. Hot. Muscular. Delta. And respectful and apparently a good friend and teammate to boot.
It had been a long time since she’d had an instant attraction to a guy, but who could blame her in this case?
Kane Temple was everything any woman should want.
He seemed a bit…innocent and old fashioned, which was a pleasant surprise.
It had been Aspen’s experience that a lot of special forces men were jaded and had a habit of sleeping with as many women as possible.
Lord knew, most of the single Rangers she worked with were that way.
But Kane had refused to even kiss her at the end of the night. She hadn’t been all that comfortable with his insistence on her not paying for anything, but after he’d explained why, she’d relented.
It all could’ve been a ruse she’d fallen for hook, line, and sinker. She really hoped not.
Time would tell.
She looked at her watch. He was supposed to be at her apartment in five minutes.
They were going to dinner, then he’d bring her home.
As far as first dates went, it was pretty tame, but Aspen was thankful.
The last thing she wanted to do was hang with him all night if it turned out last night was a fluke, and he really was a douche.
But she hoped he wasn’t. Hoped that the attraction she’d felt toward him at the bar carried over into tonight.
Aspen startled badly when a knock sounded on her door. She’d been watching out the window, but had apparently been so lost in her own head that he’d gotten past her. After verifying it was Kane, Aspen opened her door.
“Hey,” she said somewhat shyly as she met his gaze.
For a second, they simply stared at each other in silence. Then Kane shook his head and smiled at her. “Hi.”
Suddenly, Aspen felt like she was fifteen again and her very first boyfriend had come to pick her up.
She didn’t know what to say or do. All she could do was stare at Kane.
He was wearing a dark olive-green button-up shirt and a pair of jeans.
He’d trimmed his beard since the night before but his hair was still messy, as if he’d just run his fingers through it.
She didn’t know much about his dating history, but she’d gotten the impression the night before that he hadn’t had many long-term girlfriends. Which was crazy, because the man standing in front of her was fucking beautiful.
Aspen hadn’t been sure what to wear, but had finally decided on a pair of jeans and a black tank top.
It was still warm in the evenings and she wanted to be comfortable.
She wasn’t a dress-and-heels kind of girl.
If Kane didn’t like her the way she was, it was better to find that out now rather than later down the line.
And any worry Aspen might’ve felt about the chemistry they had being a one-time thing was already blown out of the water. As they stood in her doorway staring at each other, she could tell that Kane was just as tongue-tied as she was.
“You look amazing,” Kane said when the awkward silence got a little too long.
Aspen huffed out a self-deprecating breath. “I’m wearing a tank top and jeans, Kane. Not anything fancy.”
He took a step forward, crossing her threshold, and Aspen took one step back before straightening her spine. She wasn’t scared of Kane, but he made her feel off-center, which was unusual.
“You’re supposed to say ‘thank you,’” he told her. “You aren’t very good at accepting compliments, are you?” he asked, almost mimicking her question from last night.
Aspen shrugged. “I don’t get them very often, so…no.”
“That’s a fuckin’ shame,” Kane said. He hadn’t taken his gaze from hers, and it felt good.
He saw her, not a pair of boobs with a head, as it felt other men saw—like Derek.
“You’re the kind of woman who can wear a little black dress and heels and outshine the most beautiful cover model, but more importantly, change into a battle dress uniform and boots and still be the prettiest woman in the room. ”
Aspen had no idea what to say to that. She swallowed hard.
Kane was standing close, but he wasn’t touching her.
Their eyes were almost level and his gaze was so intense, she had to drop her own.
She could see his heartbeat in the hollow of his throat and could smell his clean scent.
As if he’d just jumped out of the shower right before coming over.
He wore no cologne, no artificial scents, and it made her want to pull him into her apartment and into her bedroom right that second.
It had been a long time since she’d wanted a man as badly as she wanted Kane.
“I see I’m going to have to compliment you more often,” he said with a small smile. “To make it easier for you to simply say thank you. You ready to go?”
“Yeah, I just need to grab my purse. You want to come in?” Aspen asked.
Kane shook his head. “I’ll just wait here.”
Wondering why he didn’t want to come inside, Aspen merely shrugged and turned her back on him to go get her purse.
She returned in under a minute and saw that Kane was now standing just outside her apartment, in the hallway.
She exited and locked the door and, as they walked down the hall, she asked, “You didn’t want to see my apartment? ”
He glanced at her with a look she couldn’t interpret.
Then he blew her mind.
“I do want to see your apartment. I want to know everything about you. I want to know if you’re the kind of woman who likes lots of pillows and blankets on her couch, or if you’re more of a neatnik.
I want to know if you have one of those single-cup coffeemakers, or if you’re a pot-at-a-time kind of drinker.
I want to flip through your movies and books and see what interests you.
“But, this is our first date. You don’t know me, and the last thing I want is to make you uncomfortable in any way.
And invading your personal space could not only be discomforting, but it’s dangerous.
You shouldn’t invite anyone into your home before you really know them.
What would’ve prevented me from closing and locking the door behind me and attacking you?
I’ll always keep you safe, even if you don’t need me to.
Because that’s what a man does for the woman he’s dating.
He keeps her safe, doesn’t let anyone else take advantage or disrespect her, and he tries to make her feel comfortable in his presence. ”
Aspen stopped in her tracks, right in the middle of the hallway of her apartment complex, and stared at Kane incredulously.
“Aspen?” he asked, his brows furrowed in obvious confusion.
“Are you for real? Or is this all a game?”
Kane looked even more confused. “A game?”
“Yeah. You’re saying all these amazing things that are pretty much what every woman wants to hear. Are you hoping to butter me up so you can get in my pants later tonight when you bring me home?”
The second the words were out of her mouth, Aspen wished she could take them back. Kane’s expression went from concern to resignation. He took a step away from her, and she felt cold all of a sudden.
“I’m not playing a game,” he said in a low, even tone.
“I am who I am. I spent a lot of time watching the adults around me when I was growing up. My dad’s a nice guy, but he’s not the most perceptive.
He’s never held a door open for my mom and often walked in front of us when we’d go from the car to a building.
I was young when I started college, but I still saw how shitty a lot of men treated the women they were supposed to like.
Then I joined the Army, and I’ve witnessed countless examples of women being treated like second-class citizens in countries all over the world.
I’ve never wanted to be ‘that guy.’ I want to make sure any woman who goes out with me knows I respect her, and that she’s important.
” He sighed. “I’m sorry if you think I was handing you a line.
Maybe you were right; maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. ”