Chapter 7 #2
“Yeah, sure, you’re smart. You don’t have to convince me of that. But the rest…” He snorted and narrowed his eyes at her. “I don’t believe you. You’re a troublemaker. You thrive on provocation.”
“Only when you’re around.”
“I don’t believe that either. Though of course I’m always happy to be special.
You’re not the only one who’s a good judge of character.
Let’s just say it’s an occupational hazard for both of us.
And you, Rachel James, don’t like rules or people who talk down to you.
You like to speak your mind. So don’t tell me you like harmony when you enjoy arguing with me so much. ”
Heat crept up her throat. He was right. She did enjoy it. But…well, around him, she didn’t feel even the slightest desire to be perfect. He didn’t like her anyway, so she didn’t have to try to convince him otherwise. But other people...
“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you’re a secret people-pleaser,” he said incredulously. “Is that why you still wanted to please your last date? What a waste of your skills.”
“What skills?”
“Expressing your opinion. Defending others. Bringing a little more individuality into this gray world.”
She blinked, puzzled. “Was that…a compliment?”
“If you knew how much all those traits annoy me, you wouldn’t ask.”
Again, she laughed. She didn’t mean to, but…he was funny. She was opening her mouth to tell him she hadn’t even started being annoying when a shadow fell over her.
“Hey. Are you Rachel?”
She glanced up, surprised. For a moment, she’d forgotten she was on a date. But the man was clearly the guy from the Match Me! profile. He was tall and sinewy. He was better looking than she liked, but his smile seemed genuine… Oh, that was fine.
“Hey,” she replied pleasantly, standing and offering him her hand. “Yes, I am. So nice to meet you! I…”
“Hi, Connor. Nice to see you again,” a soft female voice said, distracting her.
Connor rose, smiled broadly…and Rachel’s stomach briefly churned. Because she was hungry. Just because of that hunger. “Mel, I almost didn’t recognize you without a Boston Cream donut in your hand.”
The woman laughed, and Rachel couldn’t help but stare with her mouth gaping at Connor. In the bakery – he’d met her in the bakery. God, the man could score a date anywhere.
“You were saying…?” Rachel’s date persisted.
“I’m hungry,” she concluded much too late, focusing again on Phil. Her date. The potential dream man with a sixty-three percent chance on Match Me! “I hope you are too!”
The person opposite her laughed – a pleasant laugh – and sat. “Oh, yes. I love this place. They make the best crepes.”
Loves crepes? Check.
A promising man, even if Rachel found it difficult to concentrate one hundred percent on him because, as he told her about his job as a cameraman for the next few minutes, she also learned that Connor’s date, Mel, was nothing to sneeze at, either.
She was not only beautiful, but also a soldier.
Tough, funny, intelligent, and interesting.
Shit.
Shit, shit.
“Is it true that Elijah Stone, that great woodworker, was your father?” Mel’s enthusiastic voice wafted over. It was way too easy to overhear her! And…seriously?
Her gaze flicked to Connor, who was looking at the drink in his hand. “Yes. That's my father.”
“He was brilliant! So, Allison Stone is your sister? She’s just as brilliant.”
“More so,” he said, his voice strangely firm as if that fact was important to him. “Allie is more brilliant.”
Mel nodded. “And you decided against becoming an artist?”
“Oh, I write full-time. Although I do make a new paragraph of almost every line.”
Rachel lowered her chin and smirked under the shadow of her nose. Mel laughed. Connor smiled, his eyes skimming his date’s dress. And something bitter settled in Rachel’s throat.
He liked her, didn’t he? And she liked him. Their conversation flowed naturally while her date felt one-sided. She just kept asking Phil questions. The job of a cameraman was interesting…but it didn’t occur to him that he could ask questions back.
How was that possible! She believed in Match Me! Her questionnaire had worked for so many people. Why didn’t it give her dates with whom conversations were as carefree and easy as…well, as with Connor?!
No, no, that thought was too problematic for her.
“Oh man, my phone is too old to read the QR code for the menu,” Connor’s date said with a sigh…and Rachel knew this was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
“Use mine,” she said quickly, handing her phone to Mel.
“Oh, thank you so much.” Mel beamed at her, apparently surprised that a stranger would want to help her, and…Rachel almost felt guilty. She seemed friendly. What if she and Connor did have a chance at true love and she was ruining it now?
Damn, she was being mean. Nonetheless, it was a bet, after all, and in love and war, anything goes. She couldn’t let Maddie and Hailey down.
“Oops, you had another site open,” Mel said, surprised. “I’ll just switch…” She stopped abruptly.
Yep, she read it.
“?” she asked, shocked.
Rachel grew uncomfortably warm, and Connor’s eyebrows shot up. He abruptly turned to face her. “What?” he asked tensely.
“What is this?” Frowning, Mel scrolled down — and Rachel knew exactly what she was reading. “Connor Stone uses women like tissues?”
Yes, that had been her personal must-see too. The woman who had created the site had a way with words.
“If you’re on a date with Connor Stone, run. He’s a stud pony, and he’ll leave you stranded.”
“Hmm.” Connor frowned. “I forgot that line.”
“You know the site?” Mel asked incredulously. “And…is it true?”
Connor ran his hand thoughtfully through his hair. “I think it depends on the perspective.”
“Is the perspective that you’re a player and treat women so badly that they dedicate entire websites to you?
” Mel exclaimed incredulously, tossing her napkin from her lap and standing.
“Wow. Thanks so much for showing me this. Now I won’t be wasting my time.
” She nodded at Rachel, and the next moment, she was gone.
Connor made no sign of stopping her. He sat in his chair, leaning back slowly and clasping his hands behind his neck before his gaze slid to Rachel.
His biceps flexed, making his shirt crackle.
Or maybe it was the air between them. Rachel’s heartrate quickened, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and goosebumps raced down her spine.
Just because of his gaze. Because he wasn’t what she’d expected.
She’d expected Connor to glare at her, pierce her with his gaze, raise his voice, and accuse her of cheating. But he did nothing of the sort.
Instead, he chuckled softly. His voice was oddly husky, as if even he was surprised by it.
“Perfect Rachel, eh?” he whispered, his eyes flashing. Heat filled her head, and the corners of her mouth threatened a smile. Maybe she wasn't so perfect today.
“What the hell just happened?” Phil asked, watching Mel, who was just slamming the restaurant door shut.
Connor completely ignored him. Instead, he tilted his head almost imperceptibly and stated, almost surprised, “You play just as dirty as I do.”
She swallowed. “I’m merely adapting to my opponent.”
“You googled me. Thoroughly googled me, at that. This page only comes up as the ninetieth search result or so,” he whispered, and…did he sound impressed? “Besides…” He lowered his voice as if they were completely alone, “I like dirty, so don’t feel guilty.”
Her neck stiffened.
“I don’t like dirty.” She jutted out her chin. “I was just prepared.”
“Excuse me, do you two know each other?” Phil asked, confused, glancing frenetically between them.
“Barely,” Rachel said.
“Better than I thought,” Connor replied, his gaze still on her. He shouldn’t still be smiling, as if he knew more than she did. As if none of this came as a surprise to him. As if it amused him rather than annoyed him.
“What exactly does that mean?” Phil continued, visibly uncomfortable.
“Nothing at all.” Connor dropped his arms. “Please, carry on. Don’t pay any attention to me. I’m sure you have a lot in common. Hey, Phil, would you say you’re an adventurer?”
“What? No.” He looked genuinely shocked that anyone would accuse him of that. “No, no. I prefer spending evenings on the couch.”
“Wonderful,” Rachel said contentedly. That was exactly what she wanted.
“Wonderful, she says,” Connor murmured, shaking his head. He was chuckling softly again. But she wasn’t going to bite and ask what he meant. She had a date. Connor could leave, for all she cared.
Even though, of course, he wasn’t going to. He sipped his whiskey, seemingly preoccupied with solving the mysteries embedded in the table’s grain. Rachel knew he was listening to her and Phil’s every word.
She straightened her back. So let him listen. Then he could learn what compatibility looked like.
“I love quiet evenings on the couch too,” she said warmly, smiling at Phil. Now that Connor’s date was gone, she could focus entirely on him. On Phil, not Connor! God, she felt a little dizzy. It must be the alcohol the waiter had brought her.
She and Phil exchanged a few superficial things about siblings, favorite foods, favorite TV shows, all the things you talk about on a first date.
That didn’t include, for example, explaining to someone in great detail why the nickname Perfect Rachel didn’t fit at all.
Or telling someone you like it dirty. And if her date had stared at her as intensely as Connor had, she might have left immediately. Or pounced on him.
New heat filled her face as she shifted restlessly in her seat. She was distracted! Of course, Connor was hot. It pretty much defined his entire personality… But that wasn’t all.
God, he was doing it on purpose! The way he kept stretching, pulling his shirt taut across his shoulders; the way he yawned and then rubbed his stubbly chin, as if needing to draw extra attention to his chiseled jawline. He…
“Do you want to have kids?”