Chapter 3
DAKOTA
Ihad been ready to figuratively kick myself for not pushing Charmaine to give me her client’s name before our date, even though she insisted that I go into this truly blind to anything except for his height.
I hadn’t thought about how I would find him until the host asked me who I was meeting.
Thank goodness he’d been standing right there, or else I might never have found him… and that would have been a shame.
Seeing her client in person, I made a mental note to ask Charmaine why she’d described him as being cute when it was a gross understatement.
My blind date was at least six-foot-five and huge, but in a muscular, athletic way.
His dark-blond hair brushed his broad shoulders, and his hazel eyes had ridiculously long lashes that women would kill for.
Plus, he was clean shaven with a strong jawline, and his lips looked biteable.
Put all those things together, and I’d apparently found my weakness when it came to men because my previously dormant libido roared to life as I took him in.
Dropping my head back to meet his gaze, I nodded. “Um, yes…you’re definitely tall enough for me.”
He flashed me a smile that was so panty-melting, I was tempted to check under my dress to make sure mine were still there.
“Your friend really didn’t tell you anything about your blind date other than to expect someone tall?”
My cheeks heated as I twisted an ankle to show off the heel of my shoe. “No, she told me that I didn’t need to know anything else since she had met my demand of finding a guy who I wouldn’t tower over if I wore these.”
His gaze drifted down the length of my body and back up again. Appreciation was clear in his eyes and sent a feminine thrill up my spine. “Good call. It’d be a damn shame if you hadn’t been able to wear those shoes when you look fantastic in them.”
I beamed a smile at him. “Then I guess it’s a good thing Charmaine set us up on this date or else I never would’ve bought them.”
“I’ll let you in on a little secret.” He leaned closer, his breath hot against my ear as he whispered, “You don’t need the heels to look hot as fuck.”
“Oh my.”
He turned toward the host, and I used the moment when he wasn’t looking to fan myself.
Hearing a deep chuckle behind me, I glanced over my shoulder and saw a couple staring at us with huge grins.
I flashed a quick smile back at them before following my date and the hostess to our table.
I noticed them speaking with another man as we were being seated, but when they were led to their table a minute later, it was just the two of them again.
My attention shifted to my date as he murmured, “Shit, sorry. It’s been so long since I’ve been out on a date that I didn’t even think to introduce myself. I’m Ames Yarrow.”
He stretched his arm across the table, and I slid my palm against his. “Dakota Sharpe.”
Before I could say anything else, the server appeared at our table to take our drink order. Since alcohol tended to loosen my tongue to the point where I said embarrassing stuff, I stuck with a glass of iced tea and was pleased when he asked for water without questioning my choice.
There wasn’t any awkwardness as we chatted about the menu and what to order, getting that out of the way before the server dropped off our drinks. Then it was just the two of us again, and he requested, “Tell me a little about yourself.”
“I just graduated from UPenn with a degree in finance, so I’m looking for my first real job.”
He let out a low whistle. “Nicely done. The Wharton School of Business is one of the best business schools in the country.”
“More like the best according to this year’s rankings.” I smirked at him. “I like to think that I contributed to that bump.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure you did.”
After I took a sip of my iced tea, I asked, “Charmaine mentioned that she thought you did something in investments?”
“I have a healthy investment portfolio.” He pressed his right hand flat against the table as he added, “But that mostly comes from the healthy salary I earn playing for the New York Nighthawks.”
I tapped the thick ring on his finger. “I’m guessing this is for your team?”
He twisted his wrist, and the light glinted off the stones. “Yes, it’s my first Super Bowl ring.”
“Nice.” I vaguely remembered my dad saying something about them winning a year or two ago. “What position do you play?”
“I’m an offensive lineman.”
“I’m not even sure why I asked that.” I laughed and shook my head. “No matter how much my dad wished otherwise, I don’t know much about football. Listening to the jargon is probably how it would be for you if I started talking about modified endowment contracts.”
“I might not be able to follow everything you had to say, but you’d sure as fuck have all of my attention.”
Having a man like Ames fully focused on me was a heady thing.
Although the food was delicious, I barely tasted my dinner as we got to know each other better.
Instead, I hung on his every word while we swapped stories from our childhoods through more recent years.
I loved hearing about his family and felt as though we connected on a deeper level because we both grew up in similar neighborhoods.
And it seemed both of our mothers were dying to be grandparents and had no problem driving us crazy over it.
Not that having Ames’s baby sounded unappealing…
which was wild to think since we’d literally just met.
We lingered over dessert, and when the server checked on us for the third time after all of the dishes had been cleared from our table, Ames paid the bill and left a generous enough tip that he murmured, “Please, stay as long as you’d like.”
We took him up on the offer, and our date lasted for hours longer than I expected. When the restaurant was getting ready to close, I was reluctant for the night to end as he led me outside.
“Did you walk?”
I shook my head. “No, I took a cab.”
“I’ll take you home.” He placed his palm on my lower back to guide me toward the cab stand.
When I had decided to move back in with my parents until I found a job and knew where I wanted to live, dating hadn’t been on my radar. So I hadn’t considered how awkward it would be to say, “That might be too far out of your way. I’m up in West Harlem. I’m…um…living with my parents for now.”
“Don’t be embarrassed.” His thumb stroked the small of my back. “That’s a smart call since you just finished your degree and are looking for a job.”
I appreciated that a man as successful as Ames didn’t judge me for being at a different place in my life. “Thanks.”
“C’mon, I’ll drop you off.” I was about to argue, but he shot me a look and added, “I insist.”
I couldn’t believe he was willing to take a cab ride all the way up to my parents’ place and then back to Midtown. But since I didn’t want the night to end, I was happy for the extra time it would give us.
“Okay, thank you.”
The attendant at the cab stand blew his whistle and a taxi pulled up at the curb in front of us.
Ames helped me inside, then slid in after me.
It was a roomy back seat, but he was practically plastered to my side, sending butterflies swirling in my stomach.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t as much traffic as usual, so the drive to my parents’ house didn’t take long.
Since I’d never really done the dating thing, I was full of nervous energy over what happened next. I wasn’t sure if I should straight out ask him if he wanted to go on another date…and I couldn’t help but wonder if he was going to kiss me.
My thoughts were whirling, and my fingers trembled as I unbuckled. Ames asked the driver to wait and exited the cab, then helped me out and onto the sidewalk. I stared up at my parents' brownstone, unsure what to do next. Ames wrapped his hand around my wrist, and I turned to look at him.
He pulled me around until I was facing him, then cupped my cheeks. Tilting my head back, he lowered his mouth to brush his lips against mine. “Thank you for having dinner with me.”
“And thank you for the best first date a girl could ask for,” I whispered, butterflies swirling in my belly.
“I bet I can do better on our second.” His thumb brushed over my cheekbone. “What’re you doing tomorrow?”
I smiled up at him. “Going on another date with you to see how much better you can do.”
“Good girl.”
His raspy praise sent a delicious shiver up my spine that only intensified when he captured my mouth, his tongue sliding between my lips when I gasped.
Then he kissed me until I was breathless, blowing away that first brush of his lips by a wide margin…
and leaving me certain that he’d do the same with our second date compared to tonight.