Free Erica Lucke Dean - To Katie with Love by Erica Lucke Dean Page A

Cooper?” I felt like a complete idiot. Again. How often would he witness my graphic attempts to humiliate myself? “Yeah, hi… it’s Katie James? From the bank?”
    Silvia threw up her hands and shook her head.
    “I don’t know if the offer is still good, but I would very much like to have dinner with you tonight. That is… um… if you’d still like to… you know, have dinner with me.” There. I did it. I managed to get all of the words out without dying of embarrassment. Of course, it could be a slow death.
    “I’m glad you changed your mind.”
    “Me too.” And amazingly I was glad. More than glad, I was relieved. I really hated that I’d upset him so badly. I wouldn’t tell Silvia how happy I was. She would be impossible to live with if she knew how ecstatic her little matchmaking project had made me. “Can you pick me up at five? At the bank?” 
    So I’d swallowed my pride and pushed back my fears, and for the first time in I didn’t even know how long, I had a real date. I wasn’t counting the fact that I’d already slept in his bed, or that I had already tasted his lips and his peppermint breath… to the point I would always remember it with a stomach flip worthy of a rollercoaster.

    Three hours stood between me and five o’clock. I managed to stay busy, which usually made the day go faster, but the time still dragged. By ten minutes to five, I was thankful for two things. One, I was wearing the cashmere dress. And two, everyone else had gone home early. Phil and I were the only ones left by five before five. And even though Phil was “just one step away from being an asshole”—or a half-step away if I were to believe Silvia—he was a welcome break from the watchful eyes of the others.
    “Where is this joker?” Phil teased, but I knew he liked Cooper, and in a more rational way than the females in the office, myself included.
    I looked at my watch: one minute past five. “Oh!” He was late. “I don’t know. Should I call him?”
    Phil rolled his eyes. “Even I don’t count one minute as late. Wait until he’s at least five minutes late to call.”
    I know Phil would hate it if I told him so, but I often thought of him as just one of the girls. He had his moments, but most of the time, he fit right in with the other women in the office.
    “Ah… see?” He nodded toward the parking lot. “Here comes your knight in shining BMW as we speak.”
    I bolted for the door, elated and terrified at the same time. Cooper was already climbing out of the car as I reached the sidewalk.
    He walked around to open the passenger door but then stopped. “You look nervous. Are you sure about changing your mind?”
    You have no idea. “Of course I’m sure,” I squeaked, a frisson of fear sinking in again.
    He nodded then opened the car door. He stood there while I got in, then closed the door for me. After sliding into his seat, he pulled his seat-belt across his chest and clicked it into place.
    A strange expression crossed his face, and I angled myself toward him so I could look into his eyes. “Is something wrong?”
    He pursed his lips and pushed his hand into his hair. “Are you intentionally trying to keep me from knowing where you live?”
    My mouth fell open. “Why would you think that?”
    “You wanted me to pick you up from the bank. I’ve only ever picked you up from here, and when I drove you back on Saturday, you would only let me drive you back to the bar to get your car. I’ve never been to your house.”
    I caught my lip between my teeth. “My house is nothing special.”
    “Anywhere you sleep is some place special,” he murmured.
    The man was making a habit out of melting my insides. I leaned over and kissed him. I couldn’t help myself. He was clearly caught by surprise, but he didn’t stop me—more than that, he kissed me back. His seatbelt held him trapped in his seat, and it was all I could do to keep from climbing into his lap.
    I ran my tongue over his lips and