if you'd like."
"You don't have to play tonight?"
"No. The other guy and I switch off. That way we both aren't tied up durin' the whole weekend. I'll be playin' on Wednesday night this week."
"Ah. Pete's is fine."
"Good. I can dance with you again," he said with a smile.
She smiled in return, giving him a sideways glance. They continued to the restaurant in silence. Once he had parked the truck, he walked around, and opened her door, taking her hand in his as she slid out, tucking her fingers into the crook of his elbow.
Once inside, a waiter met them. "Hey, Tanner. How's it going?"
"Good, Matt. How have you been?"
"Not bad, working a lot. Who's the pretty lady with you?"
"This is Amy Russell. She's a friend of Chris Robins from Dallas." Tanner smiled at her, the dimple peeking out of his cheek and appreciation clear in his eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Amy. Let me see if I can find you two a special table." Matt moved toward the podium with the restaurant seating sketched out. "This way. I have the perfect one." Matt grabbed two menus and pointed the way for Tanner and Amy to follow.
Acutely aware of the man next to her, all six feet of him as they walked side-by-side, she proudly lifted her chin, noticing the many stares of the other women in the restaurant. The scent of musk and man reached her sensitive nose, making her feel all liquid inside, as her heart thumped to its own excited tempo.
Matt led them to a little area sitting in the back secluded corner of the room. A small candle burned, illuminating the quaint space and Amy noticed a single white rose lying across the placemat. The table was obviously reserved. She did not quite understanding why Matt seated them there until Tanner pulled out the chair where the flower rested.
Raising her surprised gaze to his, she said, "What's this?"
"Call me a romantic. I thought you'd like it." He shrugged.
"It's beautiful," she whispered, her eyes getting a little misty. None of the men she had ever gone out with before thought to do such a small thing and the tender gesture quickly raised Tanner to the top of her list. "Thank you."
"You are welcome, but it wasn't anythin'." Tanner blushed as he took the seat across from her.
You have no idea how much this means.
"Order whatever you like. The rib-eye is good."
Picking up the menu and setting the rose to her left, she tried to focus on the selection of food. She kept peeking over the top of the laminated pictures to look at the man before her, unable to decide if he was real. If she didn't know better, she might think he had just walked out of one of her romance novels.
Once their selections were made, Matt took their order and disappeared toward the kitchen.
Tanner sipped the water sitting in front of him. "Pete's is usually pretty busy on the weekends. Are you sure you want to go there?"
"Whatever is fine. I'm here to enjoy your company, nothing more." She traced the water droplets on her glass, peeking at Tanner through her lashes.
The corners of his lips turned up and she had the insane urge to suck his bottom lip into her mouth and nibble. Lost in her steamy thoughts, she almost missed what he said.
"That's fine with me."
Matt arrived at the table with their salads and drinks. Amy picked up her fork and stabbed at a piece of lettuce. The tang of the Italian dressing danced on her taste buds as she chewed, the aroma of seared meat wafting in the air, making her mouth water.
Gazing across the table, she wondered what he was thinking as his eyes twinkled in the dim light, almost like he knew the images racing across her mind. Her sight moved down his freshly shaven chin, down his throat as she contemplated running her tongue along the column, licking and sucking on the soft skin into her mouth. His shirt opened at the collar and the curling hairs of his chest peeked out, daring her to run her fingers through them.
"Does your family visit you in Dallas at all?" His question brought her thoughts back to their
"You don't have to play tonight?"
"No. The other guy and I switch off. That way we both aren't tied up durin' the whole weekend. I'll be playin' on Wednesday night this week."
"Ah. Pete's is fine."
"Good. I can dance with you again," he said with a smile.
She smiled in return, giving him a sideways glance. They continued to the restaurant in silence. Once he had parked the truck, he walked around, and opened her door, taking her hand in his as she slid out, tucking her fingers into the crook of his elbow.
Once inside, a waiter met them. "Hey, Tanner. How's it going?"
"Good, Matt. How have you been?"
"Not bad, working a lot. Who's the pretty lady with you?"
"This is Amy Russell. She's a friend of Chris Robins from Dallas." Tanner smiled at her, the dimple peeking out of his cheek and appreciation clear in his eyes.
"Nice to meet you, Amy. Let me see if I can find you two a special table." Matt moved toward the podium with the restaurant seating sketched out. "This way. I have the perfect one." Matt grabbed two menus and pointed the way for Tanner and Amy to follow.
Acutely aware of the man next to her, all six feet of him as they walked side-by-side, she proudly lifted her chin, noticing the many stares of the other women in the restaurant. The scent of musk and man reached her sensitive nose, making her feel all liquid inside, as her heart thumped to its own excited tempo.
Matt led them to a little area sitting in the back secluded corner of the room. A small candle burned, illuminating the quaint space and Amy noticed a single white rose lying across the placemat. The table was obviously reserved. She did not quite understanding why Matt seated them there until Tanner pulled out the chair where the flower rested.
Raising her surprised gaze to his, she said, "What's this?"
"Call me a romantic. I thought you'd like it." He shrugged.
"It's beautiful," she whispered, her eyes getting a little misty. None of the men she had ever gone out with before thought to do such a small thing and the tender gesture quickly raised Tanner to the top of her list. "Thank you."
"You are welcome, but it wasn't anythin'." Tanner blushed as he took the seat across from her.
You have no idea how much this means.
"Order whatever you like. The rib-eye is good."
Picking up the menu and setting the rose to her left, she tried to focus on the selection of food. She kept peeking over the top of the laminated pictures to look at the man before her, unable to decide if he was real. If she didn't know better, she might think he had just walked out of one of her romance novels.
Once their selections were made, Matt took their order and disappeared toward the kitchen.
Tanner sipped the water sitting in front of him. "Pete's is usually pretty busy on the weekends. Are you sure you want to go there?"
"Whatever is fine. I'm here to enjoy your company, nothing more." She traced the water droplets on her glass, peeking at Tanner through her lashes.
The corners of his lips turned up and she had the insane urge to suck his bottom lip into her mouth and nibble. Lost in her steamy thoughts, she almost missed what he said.
"That's fine with me."
Matt arrived at the table with their salads and drinks. Amy picked up her fork and stabbed at a piece of lettuce. The tang of the Italian dressing danced on her taste buds as she chewed, the aroma of seared meat wafting in the air, making her mouth water.
Gazing across the table, she wondered what he was thinking as his eyes twinkled in the dim light, almost like he knew the images racing across her mind. Her sight moved down his freshly shaven chin, down his throat as she contemplated running her tongue along the column, licking and sucking on the soft skin into her mouth. His shirt opened at the collar and the curling hairs of his chest peeked out, daring her to run her fingers through them.
"Does your family visit you in Dallas at all?" His question brought her thoughts back to their
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