CHAPTER 11
Ian
Ian eased his blue Bentley GTC into the Five Guys parking lot, his gaze roaming over the red metal picnic tables in the front, shaded by large umbrellas.
A few patrons occupied some, but he didn’t spot Claire. Granted, it was early. He put the car in park and pushed the button to cut the engine.
After the way she’d responded to him on the balcony at Capa, he’d been convinced she’d call. But two weeks had passed, and he’d still been limited to the endless replay of the memories in his head.
So, he’d sent the flowers. Unlike any woman he’d ever had, she occupied his thoughts with tantalizing memories that had turned into fantasies.
But none of the ways he imagined her at night, in the morning, in the shower, fuck, even at the gym (where he had beat his squat PR, so maybe sexual frustration was good for something) could satisfy his craving for the real thing.
He’d only had a taste of her and needed to have more. And he would pursue her until he got what he wanted.
He couldn’t wait to see her again.
Would he see her today?
He adjusted his Ray-Bans and reached for the switch to raise the soft top, but out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a white Chevy Malibu swing into the lot. His gaze sought the driver. There was no mistaking that copper-colored hair.
He took his hand off the switch and quickly exited the car, choosing to lean against his front fender and wait for her to park, something happening in his chest as he regarded her.
She was here.
Part of him wanted to jog over and yank open the door, throw her over his shoulder, and run off with her, caveman style, to the nearest hotel. He smiled at the thought and at what her reaction might be.
And that is how she caught him, smiling like an idiot, unable to hide his pleasure at the sight of her angel face and sexy body as she exited that Chevy, as elegantly as if she were climbing out of a chauffeured Rolls.
He felt the moment her eyes landed on him. That look. Whatever she’d said about not wanting to date him, that look betrayed her. No woman had ever looked at him that way.
He watched the gorgeous color rise on her cheeks as she approached with that ballerina gait of hers, and he felt completely inappropriate stirrings start.
It only got worse as he scanned her curves, perfectly highlighted by a simple cream-colored dress.
Usually, people looked better in forgiving, lower lighting.
This woman was just the opposite: in the high noon Florida sunshine, she positively glowed.
He took off his sunglasses, slipping them into his shirt pocket.
“Hello, Penny.”
“Hi.” She licked her lips, drawing his gaze to them.
He forced himself to look into her eyes again. He’d never seen them in the bright sunshine. They were greener than he remembered, and he couldn’t wait to see them up close, to see the detail and the other flecks of color. More for him to visualize when she wasn’t around.
“Nice car,” she said, her gaze sweeping over the Bentley. Her gaze swept over him too, head to toe.
He flashed a grin. “Thank you.”
“What happened to the Porsche?”
“That was my sister’s. This is all mine.” He ran a hand over the large round headlight. “I sent for her. She just arrived the other day by transporter. I figured since I’d be here a while, I may as well have my own car to drive.”
“That’s an incredible blue.” Her admiring gaze roamed over the iridescent dark blue hood. He’d agonized over the choice of color, settling for this one because it wasn’t navy and wasn’t royal blue but somewhere in between.
He gave her a half-smile. “It’s called Peacock.”
Her eyes flicked to his. “It suits you.”
It was all he could do to keep his arms at his sides.
“What made you come?” he asked.
My mouth. My fingers. My …
Oh, she didn’t miss his innuendo. He saw it in the subtle flick of her tongue over her pretty little lower lip and the quickening rise of her ample chest.
She shrugged one creamy shoulder. “You owed me a burger.”
Ian couldn’t help it: he laughed. And damned if her face didn’t light up when he did.
“And some fries,” she continued. “If I recall correctly, there was even a Coke on that disaster tray.”
“You seem to forget you owe me a very nice button-down.”
She smirked, her eyes taking in his short-sleeved white linen shirt and dark jeans. The woman was unashamedly undressing him with her eyes, and it was apparent she still liked what she was seeing.
As for him, he liked how this was going.
“This is Florida. If you’re that worried, we’ll eat outside, and you can take off your shirt. No one would care.”
He held her gaze. “Would you?”
Her lips parted. He stopped mere inches from her but somehow resisted the overwhelming urge to pull her into his arms.
He didn’t want to overpower her again. He’d vowed to take it slow. He meant to get to know her, discover what made her tick, and win her over.
He gave her his best smile. “I’m happy to see you again, Penny. Let’s go get some burgers.”
·
Claire
“Bacon, as a milkshake mix-in. Who knew that was a thing?”
Claire stared at the whiteboard behind the cashier, grateful that Ian had parked himself to the side so they could study the menu. The line was long, and she appreciated him not holding up other patrons while they figured out what they wanted.
He grinned. “Bacon makes everything better.”
“Yeah, but in a shake … not sure about that.”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
“Seriously?”
“You know what they say. Either you like bacon, or you’re wrong. It’s on the menu, so people must be buying it. Why don’t we order one to try? Maybe we’ll be surprised.”
“That’s a given. But keep in mind, there are good and bad surprises.”
“Ah, Penny. Where’s your sense of adventure?”
Claire wanted to snark and tell him she’d left it in Vegas but decided to play it safe and say nothing. His presence at her side was magnetic, and she wanted to inch closer.
She didn’t. But she wanted to.
He perused the menu, eyes narrowing. “They’ve added a veggie sandwich,” he muttered. “A sacrilege.”
“Freshly grilled onions, mushrooms, and green peppers layered with lettuce,” Claire read out loud. “Oh, and tomatoes. You have to make sure you order extra.”
One corner of his mouth turned down. “I’ll pass. I’d only be a vegetarian if bacon grew on trees.” He turned the full force of that gaze on her. “Ladies first. What would you like?”
You, naked.
She shoved the thought away.
“Meat,” she said.
His lips twitched.
Not everything was innuendo, but it certainly seemed like it when she was with him. “A little cheeseburger,” she clarified.
“Little?”
“One patty is enough for me. But I’m going to need lots of fries.”
“Cajun style or regular?”
“Regular.”
“Have you decided on the shake?”
She read the choices. Banana, Oreo, peanut butter … nah. Those would just ruin a good thing.
“I’m going to go with just plain ol’ boring vanilla.”
His smile was slow. “Nothing at all boring about vanilla, Penny.”
Her stomach did the flip-flop thing. How could he even turn a milkshake choice sexy?
“Anything else?” He took out a tan leather billfold and noticed Claire fishing her own wallet out of her bag. “I thought you said I owed you a burger.”
Claire raised her chin. “I can pay for my food.”
He hesitated just a second, then nodded. “As you wish.” He stepped into the line. “You order first. I’m still deciding on the shake.”
Wow. Just like that, with zero arguments. She had to smile.
She ordered, paid, and decided to go outside and occupy a table, while he waited by the counter for the worker to call their order number.
Ian emerged, holding four white paper bags and a carton carrier tray with three large paper cups.
She took the shakes from him. “What’s in the fourth bag?”
“A lot of ketchup. And some mayonnaise.”
“You got mayonnaise?”
“For you. I have to admit, I’ve never tried mayo on a burger.”
“Would you like to?”
“Sure. I’ll try anything once.”
“Ah, yes. I forgot. You’re trisexual.”
He looked at her. Blinked.
And then, he laughed. A deep, full, rumbling laugh that she swore she felt entering her body and riling things up in there. He really should laugh more often, she thought.
She moved to place the shakes on the table.
“I have an idea,” he said.
“What?”
“Lake Maitland is ten minutes away. I know a nice spot. How do you feel about taking our lunch there?”
Lunch by the lake sounded soothing, and she certainly could use some relaxation. As much as could be had with Ian by her side, of course. And it would probably be a better place to have the serious discussion she needed to have with him.
She nodded. “I like that idea. Want me to follow you there?”
“If you like. Although I’d rather we rode together. I can bring you back here to your car after.”
She hesitated.
“It’ll give us more time to talk.” He unwrapped a red straw, poked it into the top of a shake, and held it out. “Vanilla.”
She took the cup and sipped, stifling a groan at the first taste of the cold, sweet, creamy drink. “These are as good as I remembered.”
Sometimes, she and her friends would visit the Five Guys in Alexandria, one of the first locations in Virginia.
Ian picked up his own cup and took a long pull of his shake, his pose relaxed as he patiently waited for her to decide what she wanted to do.
He wasn’t pushing; he wasn’t overbearing; he was … she sought a word to describe the vibe she was getting from Ian. Nice was much too mild of a word. Because the virile force surrounding him was always, always there.
Did she want to get in a car with him?
She slanted a glance at the beautiful blue Bentley convertible, gleaming in the sun.
She was familiar with Bentleys. A few of her colleagues at the firm owned them, but she had never ridden in one.
She loved cars. Since she was a little girl, while her classmates played with Barbies, she collected Hot Wheels and raced them with the boys.
“OK,” she said. “But only because your car is a heck of a lot nicer.”
He brightened. “OK, then. Let’s get all this in the back and get going.”