Dane would be at her door any moment. Bayleigh looked down at her bare feet. She should
put her shoes on. If she did she wouldn’t be able to pace like she wanted to. Her shoes were black
heels so they would be easy to slide on when he rang the doorbell. And slide off just as easily once
she sat down at the table. She tried not to tug at her ivory silk, knee-length A-line dress. The dress
had a square neckline with a pleated empire bodice and band. Her confidence level rose several
notches. Tasha had given it to Bayleigh on her thirtieth birthday.
Bayleigh had followed Dane’s instructions. Now she just needed Dane to arrive before she
drove herself insane with anticipation. When the doorbell did ring, she jumped. Walking over to her
shoes, she slipped her feet into them. Her nerves skyrocketed. The doorbell rang again before she
could calm them.
“Coming,” she called out, before taking a deep breath. She walked toward the door on legs
more sturdy than she felt. When she opened the door, her heart skipped a beat, maybe two. Dane
wore a charcoal suit with a burgundy shirt and black tie. His hair was untamed as usual. Boy, he
looked good enough to eat. If she didn’t know any better she would say he was moonlighting as a
model for Esquire. Bayleigh managed to find her voice.
“Hi, Dane.”
He remained silent while his gaze roamed over her. “You look beautiful, Bayleigh.”
“Thank you. You look very nice yourself.”
Dane stepped forward and one arm encircled her waist, before he pulled her to him. His lips
came down on hers and she accepted his kiss hungrily. He lifted his head a few moments later, much
sooner than she would have liked.
“Wow,” she whispered when he released her. He revealed the arm he kept hidden until then.
Bayleigh smiled when she spotted the single white rose.
“Thank you.” She twirled the rose, then sniffed it. The flower smelled fresh, sweet. She took
it and placed it in a glass of water. When she turned to look at him, he smiled.
“You’re welcome. Are you ready?”
“Yes I am.”
Bayleigh reached for her purse before following him out of her apartment. Dane stood to
the side, waiting for her to lock up. When he took her hand, she relaxed.
He led her to his car, opening her door for her. When he drove toward Southlake Town
Square, she smiled. Her eyes widened after he pulled up to the valet stand at Regate. She had never
been to the gourmet restaurant, but from what she heard it was very expensive. Dane led her inside,
claimed their reservation, and had them seated before she could draw a good breath. The restaurant
was lovely. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings, white linens draped the tables. The wait staff
moved quietly but efficiently. Dane ordered a bottle of wine while she took everything in.
“Do you know what you want to eat?”
Bayleigh turned her attention back to him with a blank look. “What?”
“You haven’t looked at the menu, so I thought you already knew what you wanted.”
“No.” Shaking her head, Bayleigh smiled at him as she picked up her menu. “I haven’t been
here before. I was taking in the décor.”
Dane smiled. “Do you like it?”
Opening her menu, Bayleigh barely stifled her gasp at the prices listed. Lord have mercy the
place was steep. She bit her lip to keep from laughing. Most things were in this city, but she loved
Southlake. It was the reason she also tended to frequent more reasonably priced eating locations.
Even with her salary, the prices she looked at made her anxious.
Bayleigh tried to budget herself. Her mother always said just because a person has money
doesn’t mean he or she needs to spend it. Yet she appreciated Dane’s gesture. Erwin would have
never brought her to a place as lavish as this. In fact, he never had in the entire time they’d dated.
But tonight wasn’t the night to waste her thoughts on him.
Bayleigh made her decision and placed the menu aside. Dane was still looking at his. She
took the time to study him. He was so sexy. From the looks he received when they walked inside,
she wasn’t only one who thought so. Her eyes went to his hands. They were strong and smooth, but
luck that she also knew firsthand how gentle those hands could be.
It had been a week since he touched her at the nightclub, but she didn’t remember it any
less. Her attention was pulled back to the present when the waiter returned with their wine. He
poured her glass first, then Dane’s. He took their order, stepping away quickly after he did.
Bayleigh had to admit the service was good. The waiters were warm, but understood the
meaning of privacy. She assumed it was the reason he chose the restaurant. She looked up and
found Dane staring at her. His intense gaze made her shift in her chair. Something about his
gorgeous green eyes that almost did her in.
“Why do you look at me that way?”
“In what way?”
Bayleigh hesitated. “Like you want to devour me.”
His smiled widened. “Because I do.”
A shiver surged through her at the desire in his voice. Dane was dangerous. His words could
go to her head if she wasn’t careful. “It’s just the clothes.”
Dane’s eyebrows rose. “Trust me, Bayleigh. As beautiful as you are tonight, my attraction to
you has nothing to do with your clothes.” He leaned closer. “It has more to do with the fact that
you are intelligent, honest, sweet and caring.”
The heartfelt compliment made her melt. Dane picked up his wine glass, indicating for her
to pick up her own. “To a beautiful woman,” he toasted.
“And a wonderful dinner,” she added.
She drank to the toast.
Was this for real? A man like Dane didn’t happen to women like her. Wouldn’t it be
something if it was genuine? He was bright, confident, and extremely sensual and made her want to
be a part of something she couldn’t describe. But his interest in her confused her. It seemed like he
saw things in her that outsiders didn’t. Maybe they just didn’t want to see them. The people who
were closest to her did, her family, her girlfriends…Dane.
When she looked across the table at him, she wanted to let go and open herself up to him in
every way a woman should with a man. She hated that she couldn’t let go of her shaky past.
“What are you thinking about, Bayleigh?”
Her gaze met sexy, dark green eyes that held all of the answers to the questions she had.
“What did you ask me?”
Dane’s response was delayed when their food was delivered. Her salmon looked so perfect,
she didn’t want to eat it. Hunger took over so she had no choice. The first bite of tender flaky fish
had her closing her eyes in pleasure. She was barely able to hold back her moan of pleasure. Dane
made a sound causing her to open her eyes. The desire she read there made it hard to swallow. “Is
something wrong?”
Dane shook his head while he shifted in his seat. “No. I just remember where I’ve seen that
expression before.”
When she grasped the sensual meaning behind his statement, she lowered her gaze to his
shoulders, needing something else to focus on before she got herself in trouble. Even the way he sat
was graceful. He reached for his glass of wine, the simple action invoking memories of their night
together. In her mind, she pictured his well-muscled arms, sculptured chest, broad shoulders, a flat
stomach, trailing downward to slim hips. A tasteful amount of body hair covered his chest with a
thin line on the low part of his abdomen.
Dane cleared his throat, keeping her mind from wondering any further than it already had.
Bayleigh reached for her wine glass with a shaky hand. A quick glimpse in Dane’s direction told her
he had noticed her roaming eyes.
“I would ask you what has you so shaky, but your eyes tell me all I need to know.”
She swallowed the wine, thankful when she didn’t choke. Bayleigh cleared her throat. “What
makes you do sure?”
“Again sweetheart, your eyes.”
A jolt traveled through her at the endearment. The word rolled off his tongue with ease and
she liked it. Was she supposed to come up with one for him now? Honey? Babe? Sugar? Bayleigh
frowned. None of those worked. They didn’t fit him. For now, she would stick with Dane. Looking
up, she found him slicing into his steak.
“What is it about my eyes, Dane?”
He shrugged. “Yours are expressive. They tell me when you’re happy…sad…want to make
love to me.”
Bayleigh choked on the piece of salmon she just ate. She reached for her wine glass. Again
he managed to catch her off guard. Did her eyes really give all that away? If so, she was in trouble.
She looked over at him, spotting a small smile at one corner of his mouth. “You are wicked, Dane.”
He chuckled. “And you like it.”
Bayleigh smiled when she realized she did like that about him. It wasn’t the only thing she
liked either. Exhaling softly, she knew she was in deep trouble. The past several months she had
hoped Mr. Right would come along. To think he might have been in front of her the entire time
without her noticing was mind-boggling. She sighed. Why did she have to over analyze everything?
Bayleigh needed to stop or she would drive herself batty.
Picking up her fork, she tried to focus on her Salmon and conversation with Dane. In spite
of the close friendship she shared with him, she found out things about him she never knew. Like he
was allergic to oranges, he hated yellow vegetables, and he liked taking drives at night when he
couldn’t sleep.
When he paid for their dinner, she realized she wasn’t ready for the evening to end. Dane
took her hand in his as they walked to his car. When he pulled out of the parking lot, she sighed. He
looked over at her when he stopped at a red light.
“What’s wrong?”
The corners of her mouth curled upward. “I’m not ready for the night to be over.”
His gazed roamed over her face, but it was hard to read his thoughts. She didn’t have to wait
long to find out what they were.
“It doesn’t have to be. We can go to the square.”
Bayleigh felt brazen for what she was about to suggest, but she wanted more time with him
and she knew how she wanted to spend it.
“Actually, I hoped we could go back to your place. Maybe watch a movie or something.”
The light turned green and he slowly accelerated.
“Are you sure?”
Bayleigh smiled at his hesitance. “We have watched movies at your place before. Several
times I might add.”
He chuckled. “Yes, but now I can’t promise I’ll be able to keep my hands off of you while
we watch it.”
Bayleigh grinned. “Who says you have to?”
His eyes darkened with heat and she shivered in response. The decision had been made. The
rest of the drive to his house was in silence. It was a good thing because she would probably end up
in more trouble than she already was. Stepping inside of Dane’s home, she realized it was going to
get worse.
His home was spacious, decorated with elegance. His furniture luxurious, everything she
could want in a home. She smiled when she spotted the lamps she bought him for a housewarming
gift when he purchased his home a year ago. Dane asked her help during the entire process. Bayleigh
went on so many house walkthrough’s, it felt like she was buying the house too. Even Dane’s real
estate agent thought they were dating. Little had she known she would be standing here in that
capacity a year later.
“I’ll be right back.” Dane placed a kiss on her temple.” Make yourself comfortable.”
Bayleigh nodded, watching as he walked toward the back of the house. She went into the
living room, beckoned by the bay windows, overlooking his backyard. This was one her favorite
features of his home.
Her eyes went to his pool. Tonight was a good night for a swim. It might be exactly what
she needed to cool down her heated thoughts. She still felt achy, sensitive all over from earlier. Dane
didn’t have to touch her to turn her on, his words were enough.
Still, getting to know him on an intimate level scared her. Intimacy could generate the kind
of feelings she was looking for, but afraid of. A simple touch, a look, his presence could bring them
to the surface. At the sound of his footsteps behind her, she turned. Her eyes widened. Dane had
taken the small reprieve to get very comfortable. He stood before her in a pair of blue jersey shorts,
nothing else. Her gaze traveled over the vast amount of skin revealed to her. His body was tone in
all the places he needed to be. All of the areas she wanted him to be.
Dane smiled. “You were supposed to get comfortable.”
Bayleigh slipped out of her shoes and he chuckled in response. He looked over her shoulder.
“You enjoying the view?”
“Which one?”
His eyebrows rose gracefully. “You’re bad, Bayleigh.”
She gave a small shrug. “Just when you’re around.”
He stepped closer to her. “Strange. I never noticed that before now.”
Bayleigh shivered with sexual awareness. Dane was so potent that he frightened her, made
her want to take a couple of steps back.
“Are you having second thoughts?”
Looking up at him, she wondered how he read her so well. It was unnerving.
“I will respect you if you change your mind,” he whispered. “I have a guest room you can
sleep in.”
His words calmed her. However, they were unnecessary. She’d imagined this moment since
straddling him at Club Onyx a week ago. She wanted this night with him, bad case of nerves or not.
“I haven’t changed my mind.”
Reaching out, she touched his shoulders. Her hands slid down to his chest and his muscles
flexed at her touch. “Just promise me one thing.”
Heat simmered in his gaze. “Anything.”
Stepping closer to him, she titled her head to the side. “Try not to jam my zipper this time.”
His eyes filled with humor. “I will do my best,” he murmured.
His hands came up to rest on her shoulders. Bayleigh allowed him to turn her away from
him. Her heart beat rapidly when his hands began unzipping her dress. The tint on the glass in front
of them allowed them to see out without letting anyone outside see in.
It also provided the perfect reflective surface for her to watch everything he was doing.
His lips found the soft spot on her neck, causing her to gasp.
He slid the straps dow
n her shoulders trapping her arms to her sides.
She moaned when he cupped her breast in his hands. Even through the bra his touch singed
her. She sagged against him as his thumbs fondled her aching nipples.
“My dress,” she moaned.
“Is beautiful,” he teased in a raspy tone.
If her body could cooperate, she would have hit him. Dane hadn’t finished unzipping her
dress so she was trapped.
“It would be more beautiful completely off,” she growled.
“It will be,” he whispered against her ear.
Instead of doing as she suggested, his hands moved toward the hem and raised her dress
upward, exposing her thighs an inch at a time. Bayleigh quivered with the anticipation of his touch.
His hands slid inside her panties, causing her to inhale deeply, tensing when he began lowering
them.
“Step out of them,” he demanded, once they pooled around her ankles. A strong wave of