Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Chance
“ I t would help if you didn’t look at me like you wanted to stab me with your fork,” Dakota says in a sing-song voice as she scans her menu.
Forcing myself to relax, I pick up my own, but I don’t see the words in front of me. I know we’re surrounded by people and they’re all stealing glances. All keeping their eyes on us, even if they wouldn’t dare meet my own.
I clear my throat, sitting straighter in my chair. I need to work harder at looking like I am unaffected by the woman across the table from me. While I do resent her for putting us in this position, I also recognize it’s not entirely her fault.
The black dress she is wearing, however, is .
I try to ignore her delicious curves, but I can’t. The dress molds to her body like a second skin, pushing up her lush breasts, hinting at what lay underneath. When she turned and climbed up into my truck, I couldn’t help but stare at her ass. I had to put my hands in the pockets of my jeans to stop from reaching out and grabbing her, like I would have with any of the other women I’ve been with.
But this is Dakota. She’s not mine. She’ll never be mine.
“Do you know what you’re getting?” she asks, placing her menu on the table while avoiding my gaze. “I haven’t actually been here before.”
Her tone is casual, but I don’t miss the way she holds on to the stem of her water glass tightly, or how she hasn’t looked at me directly since leaving her house. The ride was short, but tense. She didn’t speak a word, but neither did I. As far as I was concerned, everything that needed to be said was done outside of the truck.
I’m also not in the business of making friends with her. I don’t even need to like her. I just need to have her on my arm until the end of the fucking rodeo and I can be done with her and move on with my life.
Although I wouldn’t mind just one fuck. To get her out of my system. Her body is too much to ignore. Plus, if we have to spend this much time together, we might as well work up all the building tension between us.
“Steak,” I grumble, looking around for the server. I need a drink, and I need it immediately.
“Hmm,” she muses. “What about the blackened chicken? That sounds good.”
“Dunno; I’ve only had the steak.”
“Oh, the pistachio covered salmon sounds amazing,” she continues, completely ignoring what I’m saying.
I grunt, on alert for anyone that might bring me a Scotch or beer. I’d even take a wine at this point. Anything to get through her nattering of meal choices.
“What do you think?”
She finally meets my eyes, and once again, I’m struck by her beauty. My annoyance is nearly forgotten—nearly—when she looks at me.
“Get the steak,” I grind out, remembering what we were talking about.
“Is that all you eat?” She raises an eyebrow at me.
“I’m a cattle rancher. What do you think?”
“I think there’s more to life than eating the same thing over and over.”
“There’s more than one way to cook a steak.”
“Good evening. My name is Hayley, and I’ll be your server today.” The pretty blonde gives us a bright smile. She looks familiar, but I can’t place her. Maybe from when I’d come here for business meals? “Chance, it’s nice to see you again.”
“Uh, yeah, you too, Hayley,” I reply dismissively. “I’ll take a Scotch. Double. Whatever you have is fine.”
The server’s shoulders sag and a sad expression crosses her face. I have no idea why. There’s nothing I said in my order that could have upset her.
“I think what my boyfriend means,” Dakota shoots me a glare that would turn a lesser man to ice, “‘is good evening, and thank you.’ When you have a moment, he would like a double Scotch, please, and I would love a red wine.”
“Boyfriend?” Hayley asks, her blue eyes welling up with tears.
What the fuck is wrong with her?
“Yes, it’s very new.” Dakota’s expression is the perfect mimic of adoration. I know better, especially with how quickly her mood changed.
“I see.” With one last glance my way, Hayley turns her back to me and solely focuses on Dakota. Her voice taking on a firm, but kind tone. “Can I get you anything else? Maybe an appetizer?”
“Oh, the appetizers do look great. I can’t decide between the Mushrooms Neptune and the baked brie. What would you recommend?”
“The Mushrooms Neptune is a popular dish and one of my favourites.”
“We’ll get that, then. Thank you so much for your help, Hayley.” Dakota’s voice is kind. A tone she’s yet to take with me.
I don’t know why that bothers me so much, but it does. I want to hear her turn that voice on me. To talk to me like she feels anything other than frustration and loathing toward me. Why? Fuck if I know. I’ve never particularly cared what a woman’s attitude toward me was. If a woman didn’t want to spend time with me? That’s fine; there were plenty of other women that did.
So why do I care so much about Dakota?
“You’re welcome. I’m sorry, I don’t know your name. I’ve seen you around town, but I don’t think we’ve ever met.”
“I’m Dakota. It’s really nice to meet you, Hayley.” She smiles genuinely, acting as if I’m not sitting here with her. I’m past bothered. I’m annoyed and straight on my way to being pissed off.
“If you’re done with your girl talk, I would really like that drink,” I grumble. It comes out harsher than I had intended, but the result is still the same.
Hayley jumps, giving me a doe in the headlights look. “Right, sorry, Chance. Mr. Declan. I’ll get right on that.”
She scurries off without another glance, leaving me with a fuming Dakota. She crosses her arms over her chest, pushing her breasts even farther up her neckline. I can’t help my gaze from traveling south, taking in the sight, even if it makes her fresh with a new round of anger.
“Eyes up here, Declan,” she hisses quietly, being sure not to draw any attention to us. My eyes snap to hers. Her cheeks are red, breath short and quick. “What the fuck was that?”
“What was what?” I respond, leaning back in my chair. “She’s our server. I ordered a drink. We don’t have to become friends with those that serve us.”
“Those who serve…” She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before continuing. “Did you fuck her?”
I don’t answer because honestly, I don’t know the answer to that. I might have.
“You don’t know, do you?”
“I don’t keep a little black book, if that’s what you’re asking, sweetheart.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to, darling,” she snaps.
“Here are your drinks,” Hayley says, going out of her way not to meet my gaze.
Have I slept with her? I’d remember that, wouldn’t I?
“Your appetizer will be out in a minute. Can I take your dinner order?”
“I think I’ll try your blackened chicken, and I think Chance was going to have the steak, weren’t you, babe?” Her fake smile is back, which I’m beginning to hate. Why? I don’t know. It’s not like anything about our relationship is real.
Relationship? I need to stop thinking about it like this. We don’t have a relationship. Like she said, it’s a mutually beneficial agreement. That’s it.
“Rib steak. Rare.” Dakota shoots me a glare that makes me smile up at Hayley. “Please.”
“You’ve got it.” She collects our menus. “I’ll be right back with your starter.”
“Would it kill you to be nice to people?” She still dons that fake smile of hers as she takes a sip of wine.
“Depends on the people.” I pick up my Scotch and take a healthy sip, letting the sweet burn warm me as I swallow. It’s not as good as the bottle I have at home, but it’ll help me get through the next couple of hours.
“If you want to make this believable, you’re going to have to pretend you at least like me. Do you think you can do that, boyfriend ?”
I study her for a long moment. She’s not only the woman I find breathtakingly beautiful. Not just the hard ass lawyer I’m sure she is, based on my interactions with her. I notice a woman who is kind to those around her. Who can be gentle, but firm. She’s not afraid to be genuine and careful with Hayley while standing up to me and putting me in my place.
I’ve never had a woman do that before. Other women had always gone along with whatever I wanted, hoping they’d be the one to change me. Hoping they’d be the one to stay.
They never were.
“I’ve got your starter here.” Hayley placed a bubbling tray in front of me. The earthy scent of mushrooms and melted cheese makes my stomach grumble. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until now. I’m happy Dakota ordered it, even if I’d never tell her that.
“Thank you, Hayley. This looks great.” I look up at her with a forced smile. It probably looks more like a snarl, but I can’t help it.
Hayley’s mouth bobs open and shut a few times before pasting on a smile of her own.
“Of course. I’ll, uh, leave you to it.”
“What was that?” Dakota asks with a gasp once we are alone.
“What was what?” I ask after unravelling my cutlery from the starched white fabric napkin. I place it over my lap and pick up my fork, stabbing a mushroom cap, careful not to spill the bubbling cheese over the top.
“That.” She waves at me with her hands. “What was that with Hayley?”
“You wanted me to be nice. I was being nice.” I pop the mushroom into my mouth, letting all the flavours wash over me. The saltiness of the cheese and the bite of garlic mixed with the hearty mushroom. “This is good. Good choice.”
She narrows her eyes at me as if assessing me.
“What? You wanted nice.”
“And that’s the best you could do? You looked liked you were going to snap at her.”
I sigh, placing my fork on my side plate. “Are you going to eat any of this? It’s really good. You should try it.”
“I will. I’m just trying to figure you out.”
“There’s nothing to figure out.” I bring the corner of my napkin to my mouth, wiping my bottom lip and laying it flat over my lap again.
“It’s my job to figure people out. But you…” I shake my head. “I can’t figure you out.”
“Again, there’s nothing to figure out.”
“There’s always something to figure out.” Dakota shakes her head before picking up her fork and digging into a mushroom.
I know it’s not the end of this. No matter what I do, I know she still sees me as a puzzle to be solved. But she doesn’t know me. No one does.
People know me as their boss. Their business partner. The ranch owner.
The one that can rock their world in the bedroom and send them packing.
But getting to know me ? That’s a whole other ball game.
While part of me wants her to, it mostly scares the shit out of me. I don’t get spooked easily, but the realization that someone might get to really see me for more than my public persona does.
There isn’t one person in town that really sees me. Not even Wyatt. They only see what I let them, and that’s the way I like it. Especially when that person is Dakota Meyers.