geneticist was a fucking doctor and not just a brilliant scientist, which was probably true, too.
No wonder Kat was always looking down her nose at him. Danny was a police academy squeak-by and she was a goddamned doctor. With a huge, loving, supportive family, killer good looks, and a date with some jerkoff at work.
Danny suddenly felt like a huge asshole – well, an even bigger asshole – for ever having the balls to think of her “that way.”
“Smartest girl you’ll ever meet,” Pops said and Danny didn’t doubt it for a second.
“ Oh, my God, ” Kat exhaled under her breath. She stared down at her plate, head shaking. “Pops, stop .”
Pops nodded, oblivious or uncaring that he was causing an adorable flush to spread across Kat’s cheeks. “Yep. She was a doctor at twenty-five years old. Graduated early. Valedictorian.” Pops shoved a mouthful of salad in, still nodding. “Beautiful and smart, eh, Danny?”
Kat cast Stella an imploring look across the table.
Stella cleared her throat. “Um, so, Kat, tell us about this guy at work who asked you out.”
Kat’s imploring look took a quick turn into downright hostile. If looks could have killed, Stella would have incinerated.
And Danny was very irritated to realize he was only slightly less pissed about the topic.
Nathan shot Stella a dirty look and then – God bless his awkward soul ‒ made matters even worse. “Uh, Kat, Stella said whatever new medication they have you on is working out, huh?”
When Kat’s eyes narrowed, Nathan immediately dropped his gaze and focused on the chicken he was cutting into tiny pieces for Gia with an intensity mostly seen during neurosurgery.
Lovely.
So far, Kat had been embarrassingly bragged-on, her weirdo date plans had been revealed, and now her medicinal regime was up for review.
At this rate, they’d be talking about how she’d tripped in front of hundreds of people as she’d accepted her high school diploma in no time.
Normally, Kat wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but, in front of him ?
Ugh.
Carla was wonderful enough to quickly switch topics and soon everyone was discussing some inane television show about spoiled housewives that apparently everyone but Kat watched.
A few minutes later, Kat snuck a quick look at Danny and found him involved in a sports-related conversation with Marco.
He really was a gorgeous man and incredibly sexy sitting there, leaned back in his chair, huge, muscled arms crossed over his chest. Danny smiled at something Marco said and a dimple appeared in his left cheek.
He would have a dimple, wouldn’t he? Being the perfect physical specimen of manhood, and all. And it goes so well with that subtle little cleft in his chin.
Kat pushed her food around her plate with the fork before glancing over again.
Those eyes…
They were blue-ish, green-ish and hypnotic. Women were always going on and on about men’s eyes in those stupid magazines her sisters read and, for the first time, Kat sort of knew what they were talking about.
Danny’s eyes pulled you in…made you feel seen . And they were the perfect compliment to the rest of his hotness.
Dear God…I sound like teenage fangirl.
Kat wished she had the capability of scoffing in her own face.
She spent the rest of dinner and dessert listening to a lively debate between Nina, Nathan, and Danny about which local firing range was superior (and watching Gigi sign the cross over her chest about a thousand times in between trying to cover Carlo’s ears as Carlo swatted her hands away).
“I’ve asked Nina a million times to teach me to shoot, but she’s always too busy,” Kat said, casting said sister a glance. “Do you think you can take me some time, Nathan?”
Nathan nodded. “Absolutely. I think you’ll really enjoy it, too.” He jerked a thumb toward Stella. “I’ve tried to get this one to go with me, but she’s too chicken.”
“Ha!” Stella finished chewing her cannoli before playfully
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