Read Online Blackjack and Moonlight: A Contemporary Romance by Magdalen Braden - Free Book Online Page A

his finances are perhaps even sketchier than Ms. Riley’s. He thought cheesesteaks from South Philly, followed by a stroll around the fountain at Logan Circle. He’d read somewhere that it was a good place for a first kiss.”
    “Oh, God, please—you didn’t tell them we’d already—you know?” She was blushing, which charmed Jack immensely. Could this be the same woman who’d negotiated their “sex dates” down to specifying the contraception to be used?
    “Elise. Really. I didn’t bring up this topic at all. And you may be assured that I did my best to suppress their informality.”
    “Good luck with that,” she said. “I remember clerking, and my judge was lucky if I kept a straight face in court.”
    “I try to set a more dignified tone.” He grimaced.
    “Uh-huh? By falling for a stranger in your first week? Pull the other one, Jack.”
    He banished the image of tugging on one of her long, sleek legs. Legs that went from cherry toenails all the way up to… No. He wasn’t going to think about that . What had they been talking about? Oh, right. “It was my third week. The start of my third week.”
    “That still doesn’t answer my question. If the clerks didn’t tell you about this place, who did?”
    “I have my methods,” he began. Then he grinned. “I looked it up on the Internet. Fifteen best places for a first date.”
    “Why would you need to research this at all? You date all the time.”
    Jack frowned at her casual tone—just as though his romantic past had nothing to do with her. He shrugged. “It was pretty clear that my usual restaurants weren’t right for you.”
    She turned toward him, her smile wider and happier than it had been all night. She opened her mouth to say something just as they spotted someone leaving a pinball machine. They headed over. “Best two out of three?” she asked. “Loser to buy the next round?”
    Jack wanted to protest the idea of her paying at all. It was his date, so it should be his dime, but he just nodded. He did insist she go first.
    At the end of the evening, he’d beaten her at pinball, she’d beaten him at Skee-Ball, and they’d declared a draw at shuffleboard. Elise was a tough competitor—Jack hadn’t needed to think about letting her win.
    They wandered down the street to admire the lights of the Ben Franklin Bridge and Camden across the river. As Elise chatted about a case she’d been working on, Jack looked at her profile. The wind off the river flirted with her hair and she kept tucking it behind her ears. Under the streetlights, her skin—the wonderful pale line of her cheek—looked like the finest silk. Jack ached to curve his arm around her or even kiss that luscious mouth. Basic first date moves. The opportunity was there and it was private by the river, but he sensed he’d undo the goodwill he’d accrued. She was happier and more relaxed with him in this setting, sure, but despite a fun evening, she still felt miles away.
    What was it going to feel like sleeping with her? Oh, not just the physical pleasure. He had a pretty good idea about that, after seeing her virtually naked, and having taken a lot of cold showers in the past week.
    No, he wondered if she’d be more vulnerable in bed. Less guarded. She’d been an enthusiastic companion this evening, and he could well imagine she’d be as enthusiastic in bed. He just wasn’t any closer to her now than he had been in his chambers three weeks earlier. He knew her to be a clever adversary. His fear was that naked, even sexually sated, she still wouldn’t open up to him.
    He shook off his worry. He’d made progress tonight, he knew it. He had to be satisfied with that and not get ahead of himself. This was a marathon, not a sprint.
    She’d gone quiet, watching a boat on the silvered water. With a light touch on her arm, he said, “Shall we go back?”
    They drove to her house without talking. He wanted to see if she’d mention their next date. Was he supposed to say