Dream Date With the Millionaire by Melissa McClone Page A

because of the cold, but because she wanted to feel closer to him. This might be her only chance. She wasn’t going to miss out. “Thanks.”
    “You’re welcome.”
    “I can’t believe you were at the restaurant.” Dani breathed in his soap and water scent on the jacket. Funny, but for some reason she thought he would wear cologne. “What a coincidence.”
    Bryce stared at a yellow cab driving by. “Yeah, I ordered takeout, but decided to eat here instead of going home alone.”
    Hope fluttered. He wasn’t on a date. She shouldn’t care. She didn’t care. Okay, maybe a little.
    “But you had it covered,” Bryce continued. “You didn’t need my help with that guy.”
    “It was nice to have backup.”
    He bowed. “Big brother at your service.”
    She gave a quick curtsy. “We made a good team.”
    “We did.” Bryce glanced back at the restaurant. “But what went on in there should have never happened.”
    She waited for the familiar litany to begin. That she was the one to blame when guys got carried away. That it was her fault. That she had been asking for it.
    “The guy was a total jerk. You deserve to be treated so much better than that. He should be kicked off Blinddatebrides.com for his actions.”
    Dani felt a familiar melting of her heart, the same way she’d felt when he’d stuck up for her a few minutes ago. His anger seemed so sincere, so real. And though he had bad things, valid criticisms, to say about Gregg, Bryce wasn’t using her experience to talk himself up. She respected that.
    Him.
    She wanted to hug Bryce. To thank him. To hold him.
    He was different, a gentleman.
    Someone who looked beyond the surface to see the person underneath.
    Someone who wasn’t afraid to step forward.
    Someone who cared.
    About her.
    Her pulse raced as if she’d just completed a competition round in the ring. “I’m going to file a complaint with the site.”
    “Do,” he encouraged. “His account can be suspended.”
    “Unfortunately, he’ll go to another dating site and do the same thing with other women,” she said. “What we’ve experienced is the dark side of online dating. Some people, and not just men, only want sex and are willing to do or say anything to get it.”
    “Blinddatebrides.com is for those people wanting a serious relationship.” Bryce sounded frustrated, annoyed.
    “Players and liars are everywhere. Even on Blinddatebrides.com.”
    “It shouldn’t be like that.” Bryce sounded so idealistic. “Those people should sign up for one of the casual sex sites like Hookamate.com instead.”
    Dani winced. His words were like a slap to the face. Hearing Bryce say the truth embarrassed her. Worse, she agreed with him. But nothing could change about that until she found a new job. She only wondered whether he would want to see her again if he knew the truth about where she worked and what she did.
    “Not everyone reads the terms of use,” Dani said. “Or cares.”
    “They should care.” His eyes practically caressed her, and she sucked in a breath. “I care.”
    Uh-oh. Her mouth went dry. Her heart beat faster.
    Bryce was someone she could maybe care about. Maybe have something real with, but not this way.
    She swallowed around the lump of emotion lodged in her throat.
    Not under these circumstances.
    She had to get away from him. Now. Before she messed up having any chance with him in the future. “I should be going home so you can get back to your dinner.”
    “I finished eating.”
    His gaze locked with hers. Hypnotic.
    A connection seemed to draw him to her.
    They stood there, silent, staring at each other as if entranced. The noise of the city disappeared, consumed by the night. It was only her and Bryce.
    And that felt…right.
    No, not right.
    Dani fought hard to break his spell. She didn’t know enough about him. And he didn’t know the truth about her, which made it nowhere close to being right.
    She looked away.
    “It didn’t look as if you ate dinner in