Free Microsoft Word - 49A4C18A-1A2A-28B97F.doc by Bad Thing She Did a Bad Page A

Atlanta?”
    He shrugged. “I assume you won’t be living in the building much longer, so I can’t see it
    being an issue.”
    She pursed her mouth. That was true. She could buy a big house in Buckhead…or on the
    coast for that matter…any coast. One thing was certain. She no longer had to live in a condo with thin walls.
    He extended his hand and grinned. “Come on, I’ll buy you dinner. I’m starving.
    We’ll talk about it and afterward, if you want me to take a hike, I will.”
    Jane looked at his hand. What was the harm? It was only dinner, and he was paying. He
    was right—he owed her that much for being a jerk.
    She lifted her hand tentatively, then put it in his. As his warm fingers wrapped around hers, a jolt of awareness shot up her arm. Her gaze locked with his and she thought she saw reflected in his dark eyes the same sensations she was experiencing—surprise and trepidation. A split-second later she decided she’d been mistaken as his eyes filled with…desire? Her chest billowed with nervous excitement.
    As they walked to the elevator, Jane felt stiff and self-conscious in the new clothes and
    shoes, but Perry put her at ease with small talk about what kind of food she liked to eat and pointing out attractions along the way. While they were being led to a table inside the restaurant he suggested, she noticed people looking their way and wondered if everyone thought they made an odd couple—after all, Perry was a strikingly handsome man.
    Suddenly he clasped her hand in his again. “Jane, you’d better get used to people looking
    at you.”
    Her cheeks warmed with shock. People were looking at her? She passed a mirrored panel
    and indeed, it took her a moment to realize she was seeing herself. When the woman at the salon had turned her around to face the mirror, she’d barely been able to believe the transformation.
    And even though she saw the appreciation reflected in Perry’s eyes, she was feeling a little like Cinderella…that if she made one wrong move, the spell would be broken and she’d go back to
    being plain Jane Kurtz.
    The restaurant was finely furnished, with dark woods and pale upholstery. Each table was
    lavished with fresh flowers and immaculate table cloths. The diners were well-dressed and
    attentive to a jazz quartet playing on a slightly elevated stage before a small dance floor.
    Fantastic aromas wafted all around them.
    When they reached their table, Perry released her hand and pulled out her chair.
    Jane hesitated, unable to remember when or if any man had ever held out a chair for her.
    She wasn’t even sure what to do. Gingerly, she lowered herself into the chair and sat immobile while Perry slid the chair—and her—forward until she was comfortably tucked underneath the
    table.
    The waiter nodded with approval as Perry took his own seat across from her, then he
    plucked her napkin from the table, opened it with a flourish, and handed it to her. She thanked him and smoothed the crisp linen cloth over her lap, wondering if being in Vegas had awakened her senses…or if she could attribute it to the man sitting across from her.
    As if he could read her mind, Perry winked at her.
    The waiter handed them menus, then asked for their drink order.
    “Red wine?” Perry asked her.
    She nodded. “You choose.”
    He ordered a bottle of Chilean wine in a varietal that she’d never heard of. She busied
    herself studying the menu, a little overwhelmed by the selection.
    “It all looks good,” he offered. “What are you in the mood for?”
    At the sensual note in his voice, she looked up, a thrill barbing through her to find his
    attention on her. And she had a feeling that he wasn’t referring solely to food.
    “I’m not sure,” she said honestly, then swallowed hard. “Anything.”
    “Anything?” he asked, one side of his mouth curving up. After a few seconds of pulsating
    silence, he cleared his throat. “How about if we experiment and order one of each of the