Page 27 of Dream Date With the Millionaire
Dani winked.
“Very funny. And smart.” Bryce laughed. “I don’t mind at all.”
He’d be willing to give a soufflé or a crème brûlée a try if it meant spending more time with Dani. He hadn’t enjoyed being with a woman this much in years. Yes, he dated, but only casually. He didn’t have time for anything more. Besides, finding a woman intriguing enough to put his work second probably wasn’t going to happen.
“So where do you live?” she asked.
“Not too far away.”
Bryce saw the expectant look in her eyes, but he preferred keeping his personal life private and didn’t open up to just anyone. Except…he realized he hadn’t been as guarded with Dani for some reason. Still, he wasn’t ready to tell her his house in one of the more “exclusive” neighborhoods in San Francisco had been a gift. Each Delaney received a house when they graduated college. A family tradition.
He’d thought about donating the house to charity, but practicality had overcome his objections. So he’d taken the house and rented it, donating the profits to a local charity, until he’d tired of apartment living this spring and decided to move in himself. “I used to live in Cow Hollow, but recently moved to Presidio Heights.”
If the neighborhood surprised her, Dani didn’t show it, but she glanced at the row of elegant, pristine houses on the opposite side of the street. Mentally comparing the Marina to Presidio Heights, he wondered.
“That’s a lovely neighborhood,” she said. “There’s a great consignment shop on Sacramento and I love that old theater, too. Not that I get to too many movies these days.”
“What about you? Where do you live?”
“Inner Sunset,” she said. “Not as trendy as around here, but there are some great places to eat and it’s easy to get where I need to go taking public transportation.”
“Except when you run into a band of menacing mimes.”
Her smile lit up her face. “Except then.”
She had a pretty smile. Pretty face. Pretty everything.
“Before I forget.” She reached into her large bag and pulled out his jacket, neatly rolled. “Thanks for letting me borrow your coat the other night and saving me from a cold walk home from the bus stop.”
“Anytime.” Bryce glanced at the sun, sinking toward the horizon. Soon it would be dark and the temperature cooler. Almost time to say goodbye. Or maybe not.
“It’s not that late. How does seeing a movie tonight sound?” he asked. “I can use my BlackBerry to see what’s playing.”
Her brows drew together, making it appear as if she were considering the offer. Good. That was better than a straight-out no.
“Okay.” She placed the remaining candies into a yellow insulated lunch box. “We can sneak what’s left of the bonbons into the theater and finish them off during the movie.”
“Bringing outside food in is usually against theater rules.”
“Do you always follow the rules?” she asked.
“I don’t suppose you do,” he countered.
“Not always.”
He appreciated honesty, but her answer only brought the suspicions he’d pushed to the back of his mind front and center. Instead of trying to flush out the truth, he’d spent the evening flirting and having fun.
What was going on?
Bryce never lost sight of where he was going, what he was supposed to be doing. He had never allowed his personal life to interfere with work.
Until now.
The line between investigating her and dating her was blurring to the point of being unrecognizable. He’d never met a woman who made him want to forget everything except her.
Bryce had no idea if Dani was being honest with him or not. Yet he hadn’t cared. Being around her made him feel good. He liked feeling that way. Still, he couldn’t forget he didn’t have time for a girlfriend. He didn’t want to lead Dani on. Though she might be the one leading him on.
Face it. Something out of the ordinary was going on. Here she was, dressed nicely and showing off her real looks like tonight was a real date. Not one where she’d dressed down, acting suspicious, like on their first meeting. Why the difference? Maybe it was time to say goodbye.
“If you’re tired or would rather not go…” he offered.
“I want to go, but on one condition.”
A condition would give him an out. A way to get some much-needed distance from her. He interacted daily with women at work, but not with this kind of relaxed interaction and flirting going on.
The switch in her from the other day bugged him. He didn’t get it. Was the change because of what had happened with Gymguy and she now knew she could trust Bryce? Or the elusive something else?
