Read Online The Princess Problem by Diane Darcy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Diane Darcy
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mattress advertising campaign.”
“It’s growing on me.”
Her lips curled into a grin. “You just earned yourself a point.”
Jonas straightened in his chair. “It’s really, really growing on me.”
Alicia laughed and he smiled at her, looking pleased. He was so unbelievably good-looking it almost hurt to look at him. His eyes were a hypnotic blue, his features flawless. Dark stubble covered his wide jaw, and his thick dark hair was slightly tousled. Gorgeous. But it was the way he was looking at her that made her light-headed. Her gaze dropped to the flickering candle, but she could still feel his fixed stare, and it made her giddy. She took a breath. “Your mother tells me you’re thirty?”
“My mother tells me you’re twenty-six, and that you grew up in Spokane. Tell me more about yourself.”
She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I did. My family is still there. I went to Eastern Washington University right after high school and lived at home for a while. Then my mom wanted me to spread my wings a bit and I went to the University of California in San Diego. It was a fantastic experience. I still keep in touch with all my college roommates. After that I went to film school for two years. What about you? Have you always live here?”
He nodded. “I grew up here, but I went back east for college. Then to Berkley to get my MBA before coming back to take over the running of the mattress factory so my dad could retire. Not that he ever actually did, but that was the plan.”
“It must have been nice to always know what you were going to do when you grew up.”
“I have to say it was.”
“Any serious girlfriends along the way?” She felt her cheeks warm, because with that question, she gave up any pretense that this wasn’t a date and that she wasn’t interested in him.
“A few.”
“And? Why didn’t you marry one of them?”
He shrugged. “Let’s just say we didn’t suit.”
“Hmm. Your reticence speaks well of you. I’m giving you a point for gentlemanly behavior.”
He looked at her lips, and his own parted. “That’s two points?”
She flushed. “Actually, it’s three. One for helping me out of the car and opening the door to the restaurant.”
He grinned at her. “I’ll open all the doors on the way back, too.”
“Really?” She batted her lashes at him, tipping all the way over into flirt mode and not even caring. “Now you’re going above and beyond.”
They were smiling at each other when the waitress brought their food. After she left, Jonas said, “My turn. Any serious boyfriends?”
“Sure.” She picked up her fork. “I had a high school sweetheart, then dated a guy pretty seriously in college. They’re both married to others now.”
“Was that a good thing or a bad thing?”
She cut into a piece of lasagna, but didn’t eat it. “At the time I was devastated.”
“I have to say I’m glad you’re not married.”
Alicia glanced up, but didn’t know what to say. She was glad, too. She focused on her meal and, fortunately, Jonas turned the discussion to casual topics. As dinner progressed, she knew she was going to kiss him when he dropped her back off at her car and kept glancing at his full, kissable lips, remembering how they’d felt against her own.
He finally set his fork down. “Are you ready to go back to the store?”
She looked down at her half-eaten meal, then back at him. “Yes.”
He lifted a hand in the air. “Waitress?”
The waitress came over, agreed to get the check, and was back in a couple of minutes. She rang up, and boxed their meals, and Jonas tried to help Alicia with her jacket but the flimsy garment tangled and her arms got trapped. She laughed as they both struggled and her arms finally slid into place. She smiled up at him. “Point.”
“That’s four.” His voice rumbled in her ear.
She tilted her face toward his. “So it is.”
He hustled her out and, true to his word, opened the restaurant and car doors
“It’s growing on me.”
Her lips curled into a grin. “You just earned yourself a point.”
Jonas straightened in his chair. “It’s really, really growing on me.”
Alicia laughed and he smiled at her, looking pleased. He was so unbelievably good-looking it almost hurt to look at him. His eyes were a hypnotic blue, his features flawless. Dark stubble covered his wide jaw, and his thick dark hair was slightly tousled. Gorgeous. But it was the way he was looking at her that made her light-headed. Her gaze dropped to the flickering candle, but she could still feel his fixed stare, and it made her giddy. She took a breath. “Your mother tells me you’re thirty?”
“My mother tells me you’re twenty-six, and that you grew up in Spokane. Tell me more about yourself.”
She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I did. My family is still there. I went to Eastern Washington University right after high school and lived at home for a while. Then my mom wanted me to spread my wings a bit and I went to the University of California in San Diego. It was a fantastic experience. I still keep in touch with all my college roommates. After that I went to film school for two years. What about you? Have you always live here?”
He nodded. “I grew up here, but I went back east for college. Then to Berkley to get my MBA before coming back to take over the running of the mattress factory so my dad could retire. Not that he ever actually did, but that was the plan.”
“It must have been nice to always know what you were going to do when you grew up.”
“I have to say it was.”
“Any serious girlfriends along the way?” She felt her cheeks warm, because with that question, she gave up any pretense that this wasn’t a date and that she wasn’t interested in him.
“A few.”
“And? Why didn’t you marry one of them?”
He shrugged. “Let’s just say we didn’t suit.”
“Hmm. Your reticence speaks well of you. I’m giving you a point for gentlemanly behavior.”
He looked at her lips, and his own parted. “That’s two points?”
She flushed. “Actually, it’s three. One for helping me out of the car and opening the door to the restaurant.”
He grinned at her. “I’ll open all the doors on the way back, too.”
“Really?” She batted her lashes at him, tipping all the way over into flirt mode and not even caring. “Now you’re going above and beyond.”
They were smiling at each other when the waitress brought their food. After she left, Jonas said, “My turn. Any serious boyfriends?”
“Sure.” She picked up her fork. “I had a high school sweetheart, then dated a guy pretty seriously in college. They’re both married to others now.”
“Was that a good thing or a bad thing?”
She cut into a piece of lasagna, but didn’t eat it. “At the time I was devastated.”
“I have to say I’m glad you’re not married.”
Alicia glanced up, but didn’t know what to say. She was glad, too. She focused on her meal and, fortunately, Jonas turned the discussion to casual topics. As dinner progressed, she knew she was going to kiss him when he dropped her back off at her car and kept glancing at his full, kissable lips, remembering how they’d felt against her own.
He finally set his fork down. “Are you ready to go back to the store?”
She looked down at her half-eaten meal, then back at him. “Yes.”
He lifted a hand in the air. “Waitress?”
The waitress came over, agreed to get the check, and was back in a couple of minutes. She rang up, and boxed their meals, and Jonas tried to help Alicia with her jacket but the flimsy garment tangled and her arms got trapped. She laughed as they both struggled and her arms finally slid into place. She smiled up at him. “Point.”
“That’s four.” His voice rumbled in her ear.
She tilted her face toward his. “So it is.”
He hustled her out and, true to his word, opened the restaurant and car doors
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