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candidate.”

      He actually flinched at that. “Rock, Paper …” He cleared his throat. “So you won.”

      She allowed herself to smile. “Oh, no, Todd. I lost.”

      Two

      The waiter arrived to take their order. Julie placed hers, then waited while Todd did the same. He barely glanced at the menu, instead keeping his gaze fixed on her.

      “You lost?” he asked, his voice slightly strangled. “As in, you didn’t win?”

      She allowed herself a small smile. “Uh-huh. You know how it goes. The loser has to do the icky thing. That would be this date with you. Total ick.”

      “You lost?”

      He seemed unable to comprehend the fact that the three of them hadn’t been dying to be his lady for the night. Ah, the foolishness of men.

      “If it makes you feel any better,” she said before taking a sip of her drink. “I’m glad I lost.”

      “I can’t tell you how that confession moves me.”

      “You shouldn’t take it so hard. Look at the situation from our perspective. Your own great-aunt, who has known you all your life, is willing to pay a woman to marry you. We figured at the very least you had a hump on your back and maybe some odd disease that left you twisted and bumpy. Like the Elephant Man.”

      He nearly choked on his drink. “You thought I was the Elephant Man?”

      “It was a consideration. And yet I showed up anyway.”

      “You lost and I’m a mercy date. Great. I can’t believe Ruth offered you a million dollars.”

      She thought that was odd, too, but hey, everyone had strange relatives. “Not for the date. Remember? The date is free. I have a really simple solution to the problem—don’t propose.”

      He grinned. “Oh, sure. Easy for you to say, but now I don’t have any entertainment for the dessert course.”

      As she laughed, she admitted to herself that he was nothing like she’d imagined. Anyone with a number after his name had to be stuffy and he wasn’t. She liked him—a lot.

      “You should have gotten something for the date,” he told her. “Fifty thousand, at least.”

      “You know, I didn’t even think of that. But if Grandmother Ruth mentions it again, I get a check.”

      He gazed into her eyes. “I’m glad you lost, too.”

      “Thank you. Although my losing wasn’t hard to predict. I’m kind of a sucker for scissor and my sisters know. So someone is always playing the rock.”

      “Interesting way to determine your destiny.”

      She raised her eyebrows. “Destiny? Are you implying you’re mine?”

      She expected him to squirm, but he shrugged. “Neither of us thought things would go this well. Maybe fate had a hand in tonight.”

      She groaned. “No talk of fate or the universe, I beg you. My sister Willow is constantly explaining how each of us has a destiny we can’t escape. She’s very sweet and I love her to death, but sometimes I want to choke her. Plus, if you could see the things she eats … sprouts and tofu and slimy drinks.” Julie shuddered.

      He nodded sympathetically. “Vegetarian?”

      “Most of the time. Although she has an entire list of foods that don’t count as meat. Like hamburgers at a picnic or hot dogs at a Dodger game.”

      “Interesting.”

      “She’s great. Marina is, too. She’s the baby of the family. Just think, you could have been out with either of them.”

      “I’m happy with the sister I have.”

      “But you don’t have me.” Although he certainly could, she thought wistfully, remembering how she’d felt his in arms.

      “Give me time.”

      Julie glanced in her rearview mirror for the hundredth time in the past seven minutes. Dinner had been fabulous. She couldn’t remember a thing about the food, although she was confident that had been great. It was the conversation she remembered. The sexy banter, the laughter—the connection.

      She couldn’t remember the last time a man had pulled her in so completely. One minute she’d been dreading the evening and the next she’d wanted to stop time so it would never end.

      Todd was amazing. Funny and smart and he got her humor, which didn’t always happen. And the physical chemistry … he could make her melt just by looking at her.

      All of which was really nice, but was she prepared to take things where they were obviously headed? His offer to follow her home to make sure she arrived safely was a very thin disguise for what he was really offering—naked Todd in her bed.

      The question wasn’t if she wanted that—she did with a desperation that left her hungry and restless. It wasn’t about wanting, it was about being sensible. She hadn’t had a man in her life since Garrett. Not that she was going to think about that lying bastard right now. The point was, she hadn’t been playing the dating game for a long time. She was out of practice. Sure, tonight had gone well, but did that mean she should celebrate by inviting Todd in and having her way with him?

      She still hadn’t decided when they arrived at her place. She pulled in front of the single-car garage and climbed out of her car. The night was still and clear, not too cold because even though it was fall, it was still Los Angeles where real weather need not apply.

      Nerves tingled and danced throughout her body. Every cell from her ears down begged her to take the very handsome and capable man up on his yet-to-be-made offer. Her skin ached to be touched and her feminine bits could use with a good ravishing. But her brain warned her to be careful. Sure, Todd was all things charming, but what did she really know about him? Besides, sex on the first date was so tacky.

      He parked on the street and climbed out, then glanced around.

      “Not what I expected,” he said quietly as he approached. “I thought you’d live in something new and shiny.”

      The neighborhood was older, with a lot of houses having been converted into duplexes. Julie liked the settled atmosphere of the neighborhood and craftsman details inside and out.

      “I’m close to work and I get to have a bit of grass,” she said. “I’m not really a condo person.”

      He smiled down at her, then brushed her cheek with his thumb. “Good thing we didn’t go to my place.”

      “Let me guess. It’s all glass and steel.”

      “That, too, but mostly because it’s farther.”

      With that, he kissed her.

      His mouth was warm and firm, yet gentle. He moved slowly, as if he had all the time in the world, and she liked that. She liked how he put his hands on her waist and didn’t grab for anything significant.

      She stepped in a little closer and rested her fingers on his shoulders. Thank goodness her purse had a long strap, so she didn’t have to waste time holding it. She wanted to have the freedom to explore his arms and back.

      He was all hard muscles through the well-tailored fabric of his suit. He was also warm and alive and just tall enough that even in her heels she had to stretch a little to keep their mouths connected.

      She definitely wanted the kiss to continue. Even without him deepening it, she felt tingles in all the right places and a few that surprised her. Her chest was tight, her legs kind of trembly and she had the sudden thought she was never going to be able to catch her breath again.

      He drifted slightly, kissed her cheek, then along her jaw. Little brushing touches of lips on sensitized skin. He nipped her

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