what they were doing—was incredible.
There was only one problem. He hadn’t actually taken Nichole out at all.
If ever there was a woman who deserved a solid date from him it was this one. But so far he’d picked her up at a party, literally picked her up in the back of a coffee shop and backed her into her place with no intention of letting her out until he’d gotten her to … well, where he’d gotten her. Several times, he mentally amended, giving into a satisfied grin.
“What’s that look about?” Nichole asked, cuddling her coffee mug to her chest.
“I was just thinking about where I should take you for our first date.”
“YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS.” Nichole laughed, trying to keep up as Garrett half-towed her through a parking lot toward what appeared to be some kind of two-dimensional enchanted castle ahead.
“Why not? This is our first date—official first date. Because the weeknight dinners don’t count and I actually called you in advance to set this one up—so it seemed appropriate.”
God, she loved that he was so into giving them a first date. Even if they had spent five of the last six nights together, with Garrett proving to her time and time again what a stellar decision it had been going forward with a relationship.
Giving her hand a squeeze, he added, “And it’s on my bucket list.”
Nichole ground to a stop, thinking she’d never get used to the things that came out of this man’s mouth.
“Your bucket list?”
“Yeah.” He brushed a strand of flyaway hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “The stuff you want to do before you die.”
“I know what it is. I’m just surprised to learn miniature golf makes yours.” The idea of him trying to navigate that big body through a tiny maze of six-foot fairways was just too much.
“Why? Because it’s such good clean fun?” Leaning in, he let his voice take on a conspiratorial tone. “If helping me live out one of my adolescent fantasies is too wholesome for you we could always make it a little more interesting …”
Her heart skipped a beat as she met his hot gaze. “You want to wager?”
“Why not? We could come up with some creative terms.” Wrapping that powerful arm around her shoulders, he guided them toward the main entrance. “And I’ve never played before … so your chances of winning are about as good as they’re going to get.”
She’d been hearing Maeve talk about this guy for years. He was relentlessly competitive. And a natural at most everything he put his mind to trying. Which meant, regardless of his experience, there was a good chance she wasn’t going to win. “What kind of terms?”
The hot glint in Garrett’s eyes had her belly tightening and nervous excitement zinging across the surface of her skin.
Five minutes later Nichole was intimately acquainted with the business end of Garrett’s brawn. The side of him that had made him the perfect candidate to move out of heavy lifting and take over his mentor’s construction company. He was a guy who liked to negotiate, and he wasn’t above a little hardball when it came to getting his outrageous terms laid down in lead on the back of the scorecard. And she liked that side of him too.
Who was she kidding? She liked everything about him.
The way he took her by surprise and caught her off guard. His first dates. His soulful reflections. His naughty wish-lists. He was just so much more than she’d expected. More than she’d been prepared for.
So much more … that there were moments when quiet alarms began to sound in the back of her mind. But then she’d catch his eye and see all that steady confidence shining out at her, and she’d remember they knew what they were doing. That this was safe. And she’d just give in to all the incredible feel-good that was being with Garrett.
She trusted him.
Or at least she had.
One mini-golf slaughter later, Nichole was flopped over the wide slab of Garrett’s shoulder, one hand fisted around his belt, the other clinging to his back pocket, as the hard, cold truth washed over her.
She’d been hustled.
Outraged, incensed and entirely too charmed by his betrayal, she charged, “You told me you’d never played before!”
“I haven’t,” he answered, those long legs striding through the now mostly empty parking lot. “But I’ve got a knack for picking new things up. Especially when there’s an incentive on the line.”
Then, in typical Garrett fashion, with a hand behind her head to ensure she didn’t bump it, he set her into the car.
“And the backseat is on your bucket list too?”
He at least had the good sense to look chagrined. “No. But having to work my way into your panties is.”
“I think you know just exactly how willing I am. How willing we’ve all been.”
He hushed her with a warm breath at her ear. “Come on. I won. You’ve got to play hard-to-get.”
She backed further across the bench seat, heat pouring through her center as it did every other time Garrett looked at her the way he was looking at her right then.
He wanted to have to work for her, did he?
“I’m not sure I should let you anywhere near me after the stunt you just pulled.”
The satisfaction shining out of those half-lidded blues was almost enough for her to throw down any pretense at resistance and haul him into the seat beside her. Better yet, on top of her.
But he wanted to play. And playing was something she’d never had enough practice with. So here, in the far corner of a darkened parking lot, Nichole was ready to prioritize fun.
As Garrett wrapped one strong hand around the seatback beside her, hefting himself into a space too small to accommodate him, she offered the most skeptical, resistant look she could muster. “I’m not sure about this, Garrett.”
His answering deep-chested groan promised her feigned hard-to-get was hitting the right note. That and the hell-yes glint in his eyes.
“Oh, come on, Nichole,” he cajoled. “I promise. I just want to talk. That’s all.”
Yeah, her too. Right. “Maybe … just for a minute.”
Nichole had been prepared for the questions. She was out with Maeve, Bethany and Erin for their usual girls’ night dinner … and she’d been dating their brother in an official public capacity for three weeks now.
Sure, Maeve had been giving her a good grilling on and off since the very first night. But apparently she’d been
