thinking of sex—he would swear it.
“I don’t date much. I’m too busy working.”
“No boyfriend? No one you’re involved with?”
“No.” She didn’t ask about his love life, but she did glance down at his ring finger.
“Never been married,” he said. “No illegitimate kids that I know of. No girlfriend. Not that you’ve given me any indication you might be interested.”
The color beneath those charming freckles pinkened even more. “That’s because I’m not. I’m too busy with my career to have time for a relationship.”
“In my book, supper or an occasional movie don’t constitute a relationship. In most cases, not even a sleepover counts for that.”
She shoved some white rice around on her plate. “I suppose you’re right.”
“How’s your dinner?” he asked, letting her off the hook for the moment.
She looked up at him and smiled. “It’s great. I really like to eat here.”
“Everything’s fantastic.” He speared another piece of meat. “So where should we go next time?”
Her eyes widened. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
“Just for supper,” he said, “not the sleepover. That can wait.”
She swallowed, started shaking her head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
She stared at him, then set her fork down next to her plate. “You want the truth? It’s obvious you want to have sex. Sex has never appealed to me that much. I mean, it’s okay, but I can take it or leave it. Mostly, I’d rather just leave it. For you, my guess is, sex is like breathing.”
He chuckled, appreciating her honesty. Unfortunately, it only stirred his interest. “I won’t deny I enjoy it.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin, his eyes still on her face. “They must have been real losers.”
“Who?”
“The guys you’ve had sex with.”
Mattie straightened, her chin going up. “If it’s any of your business, which it isn’t, there was nothing wrong with them. It’s me, that’s all. I’m not a very sexual woman. I’m more interested in my career.”
“Seems to me like one isn’t mutually exclusive of the other.”
Mattie made no reply. It was time to drop the subject before she fell out of the seat she perched on so precariously.
“I have a feeling there’s more going on here than what you’re telling me, but as you said, it’s really none of my business.”
She took a sip of her wine, her hand a little unsteady. She kept her eyes on her plate, yet he could feel something hot and intense in the air between them. He didn’t believe she wasn’t a sexual woman. Only that she hadn’t met a man who could make her feel that way.
“Why don’t we talk about Enrique and how we’re going to get him noticed by the right people?”
Relief swept through her at the change of subject and he watched her shoulders relax. “You think we could do something like that?”
“I’m involved in a theater project in Deep Ellum. I’ve gotten to know a lot of people in the arts community. I think I can get a few of them down to the lot, get them to take a look at Enrique’s work.”
“That would be really terrific. If they like it, I can talk to him, see if he’s done anything smaller, some pieces we could show them.”
“That’s a good idea.” They talked amiably through the rest of the meal and he didn’t push for more.
Normally, he would drop his pursuit, but there was something about Mattie Baker that had captured his fancy. He was convinced she was more than just drab suits, no-nonsense hair and an aversion to sex.
Gabe was determined to find out what it was.
Six
Mattie let Gabe walk her to her car. He hadn’t pressed her for another date and she was torn between relief and an odd sense of regret.
She had told him the truth. She simply wasn’t a very sexual person. For her, sex had always been more to please her partner than herself. Mark had been a very gentle lover, allowing her to take charge, preferring to let her lead
“I don’t date much. I’m too busy working.”
“No boyfriend? No one you’re involved with?”
“No.” She didn’t ask about his love life, but she did glance down at his ring finger.
“Never been married,” he said. “No illegitimate kids that I know of. No girlfriend. Not that you’ve given me any indication you might be interested.”
The color beneath those charming freckles pinkened even more. “That’s because I’m not. I’m too busy with my career to have time for a relationship.”
“In my book, supper or an occasional movie don’t constitute a relationship. In most cases, not even a sleepover counts for that.”
She shoved some white rice around on her plate. “I suppose you’re right.”
“How’s your dinner?” he asked, letting her off the hook for the moment.
She looked up at him and smiled. “It’s great. I really like to eat here.”
“Everything’s fantastic.” He speared another piece of meat. “So where should we go next time?”
Her eyes widened. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
“Just for supper,” he said, “not the sleepover. That can wait.”
She swallowed, started shaking her head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
She stared at him, then set her fork down next to her plate. “You want the truth? It’s obvious you want to have sex. Sex has never appealed to me that much. I mean, it’s okay, but I can take it or leave it. Mostly, I’d rather just leave it. For you, my guess is, sex is like breathing.”
He chuckled, appreciating her honesty. Unfortunately, it only stirred his interest. “I won’t deny I enjoy it.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin, his eyes still on her face. “They must have been real losers.”
“Who?”
“The guys you’ve had sex with.”
Mattie straightened, her chin going up. “If it’s any of your business, which it isn’t, there was nothing wrong with them. It’s me, that’s all. I’m not a very sexual woman. I’m more interested in my career.”
“Seems to me like one isn’t mutually exclusive of the other.”
Mattie made no reply. It was time to drop the subject before she fell out of the seat she perched on so precariously.
“I have a feeling there’s more going on here than what you’re telling me, but as you said, it’s really none of my business.”
She took a sip of her wine, her hand a little unsteady. She kept her eyes on her plate, yet he could feel something hot and intense in the air between them. He didn’t believe she wasn’t a sexual woman. Only that she hadn’t met a man who could make her feel that way.
“Why don’t we talk about Enrique and how we’re going to get him noticed by the right people?”
Relief swept through her at the change of subject and he watched her shoulders relax. “You think we could do something like that?”
“I’m involved in a theater project in Deep Ellum. I’ve gotten to know a lot of people in the arts community. I think I can get a few of them down to the lot, get them to take a look at Enrique’s work.”
“That would be really terrific. If they like it, I can talk to him, see if he’s done anything smaller, some pieces we could show them.”
“That’s a good idea.” They talked amiably through the rest of the meal and he didn’t push for more.
Normally, he would drop his pursuit, but there was something about Mattie Baker that had captured his fancy. He was convinced she was more than just drab suits, no-nonsense hair and an aversion to sex.
Gabe was determined to find out what it was.
Six
Mattie let Gabe walk her to her car. He hadn’t pressed her for another date and she was torn between relief and an odd sense of regret.
She had told him the truth. She simply wasn’t a very sexual person. For her, sex had always been more to please her partner than herself. Mark had been a very gentle lover, allowing her to take charge, preferring to let her lead
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