father always said, nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
“I remember.”
She stood and headed for the door. “Wait until everyone leaves. There’s no need to put her on the spot twice in one day.” She turned back and gave him a smile. “But I’m sure she’ll say yes.”
Unable to sit still, he stood, shoved his hands into his pockets, and walked to the window. He hoped so. He really did.
Chapter Seven
It had been a long but exhilarating day. Alicia just wanted to go home, get something to eat, and crash. As soon as she finished straightening everything so it was ready for tomorrow, that was exactly what she planned to do.
Other than the employees who worked at the store, she was the last one there for the night. After she’d changed, Willa had taken the dress to the dry cleaners so it would be ready in the morning, leaving Alicia to finish straightening up. She heard footsteps approaching, and a quick glance told her it was Jonas and her pulse sped up without her permission.
He stopped a few feet away. “Hi.”
“Hi,” she said, a little breathlessly. She admitted to herself she was happy to see him, and that maybe she’d dawdled a bit, hoping he’d appear. She shot him a quick glance as the growing silence between them became awkward.
He cleared his throat. “So, I was wondering if I could talk you into going out to dinner with me tonight?”
Her throat tightened. “Dinner?”
“Yes. But first I want to apologize for my earlier behavior.”
Remembering how angry she’d been, she hunched a shoulder as she shuffled some photos into a pile and put them in an envelope. “For tearing apart my ideas this morning? Or for kissing me?”
“For tearing apart your ideas.”
She finally looked at him. “What about the kissing?”
He shrugged. “I’m not really sorry for that. But did you want an apology, anyway?”
Alicia’s mouth parted, but she couldn’t help it. She laughed. When he grinned down at her, she realized that, against her better judgment, she was really starting to like the guy. It probably didn’t hurt that he was gorgeous and that she felt addled and dazzled whenever he was around.
Maybe sitting across from him and having a normal conversation was just what she needed to keep the butterflies in her stomach under control. She wasn’t the kind of girl who bickered and quarreled with others. She usually didn’t like to fight, and it sort of worried her that she enjoyed fighting with Jonas so much. So, yes, maybe dinner, where they could practice acting like two civilized adults, was exactly what they needed.
She lifted one shoulder. ‘Sure, why not? Dinner sounds nice.” She set the envelopes in a neat pile on the makeshift desk. “Do you want me to follow you to the restaurant in my car?”
She raised her gaze to find his locked upon her mouth and realized she was having trouble getting enough air.
He sucked in a breath. “Let’s take my car. Then we can ride over together, and I’ll drop you back here after.”
She fumbled for her purse. “All right. Let’s go.”
* * *
Once outside, they walked slowly to the parking lot.
“This way.” Jonas led her to his BMW, unlocked it, and held the door.
“Wow.” She bent over and slid inside. “What a gentlemanly thing to do. I’m going to have to give you a point.”
“Oh, yeah?” Jonas chuckled. “I’m back on the point system? What happens when I get enough points?”
Alicia gave him a half-smile and glanced up at him through her lashes as she settled into the seat. “Something good, I’m sure.”
“Hmm.” He grinned down, one hand on top of the car, the other on the door, boxing her in. “You know, I think you’re onto something here. I actually work really well with a reward system in place.” One of his brows arched. “So if I’m really good tonight, do I get, say, a kiss when I drop you off at your car?”
Alicia’s skin prickled under his slow perusal, the sensation
“I remember.”
She stood and headed for the door. “Wait until everyone leaves. There’s no need to put her on the spot twice in one day.” She turned back and gave him a smile. “But I’m sure she’ll say yes.”
Unable to sit still, he stood, shoved his hands into his pockets, and walked to the window. He hoped so. He really did.
Chapter Seven
It had been a long but exhilarating day. Alicia just wanted to go home, get something to eat, and crash. As soon as she finished straightening everything so it was ready for tomorrow, that was exactly what she planned to do.
Other than the employees who worked at the store, she was the last one there for the night. After she’d changed, Willa had taken the dress to the dry cleaners so it would be ready in the morning, leaving Alicia to finish straightening up. She heard footsteps approaching, and a quick glance told her it was Jonas and her pulse sped up without her permission.
He stopped a few feet away. “Hi.”
“Hi,” she said, a little breathlessly. She admitted to herself she was happy to see him, and that maybe she’d dawdled a bit, hoping he’d appear. She shot him a quick glance as the growing silence between them became awkward.
He cleared his throat. “So, I was wondering if I could talk you into going out to dinner with me tonight?”
Her throat tightened. “Dinner?”
“Yes. But first I want to apologize for my earlier behavior.”
Remembering how angry she’d been, she hunched a shoulder as she shuffled some photos into a pile and put them in an envelope. “For tearing apart my ideas this morning? Or for kissing me?”
“For tearing apart your ideas.”
She finally looked at him. “What about the kissing?”
He shrugged. “I’m not really sorry for that. But did you want an apology, anyway?”
Alicia’s mouth parted, but she couldn’t help it. She laughed. When he grinned down at her, she realized that, against her better judgment, she was really starting to like the guy. It probably didn’t hurt that he was gorgeous and that she felt addled and dazzled whenever he was around.
Maybe sitting across from him and having a normal conversation was just what she needed to keep the butterflies in her stomach under control. She wasn’t the kind of girl who bickered and quarreled with others. She usually didn’t like to fight, and it sort of worried her that she enjoyed fighting with Jonas so much. So, yes, maybe dinner, where they could practice acting like two civilized adults, was exactly what they needed.
She lifted one shoulder. ‘Sure, why not? Dinner sounds nice.” She set the envelopes in a neat pile on the makeshift desk. “Do you want me to follow you to the restaurant in my car?”
She raised her gaze to find his locked upon her mouth and realized she was having trouble getting enough air.
He sucked in a breath. “Let’s take my car. Then we can ride over together, and I’ll drop you back here after.”
She fumbled for her purse. “All right. Let’s go.”
* * *
Once outside, they walked slowly to the parking lot.
“This way.” Jonas led her to his BMW, unlocked it, and held the door.
“Wow.” She bent over and slid inside. “What a gentlemanly thing to do. I’m going to have to give you a point.”
“Oh, yeah?” Jonas chuckled. “I’m back on the point system? What happens when I get enough points?”
Alicia gave him a half-smile and glanced up at him through her lashes as she settled into the seat. “Something good, I’m sure.”
“Hmm.” He grinned down, one hand on top of the car, the other on the door, boxing her in. “You know, I think you’re onto something here. I actually work really well with a reward system in place.” One of his brows arched. “So if I’m really good tonight, do I get, say, a kiss when I drop you off at your car?”
Alicia’s skin prickled under his slow perusal, the sensation
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