Free Surrender to Love by J. C. Valentine

amber-colored sconces mounted on the walls and colorful modern artwork sprinkled in between. At the rear of the room, she could watch the chefs put together the food, but she found the view of the man across the table from her far more appealing.
    Selecting a coconut crusted shrimp skewer from his plate, Jon dipped it in a small bowl of sweet orange sauce and raised his eyebrow to her as he brought it to his lips. “It’s one of my favorite places to come,” he said, “but tonight the company is far more interesting and infinitely more attractive.”
    Taking a moment to mull over his words, Patti took her time twisting the pasta around her fork. “Are you saying you bring your dates here often?”
    “I guess that depends on what you consider a date,” he said cryptically.
    Stuffing a huge mound of noodles into her mouth, Patti used her food as an excuse not to answer. Frankly, it concerned her that she might have read him wrong. Maybe her first impression of him wasn’t as accurate as she’d assumed.
    “Oh boy,” Jon laughed, shaking his head as he went in for another skewer. “I know that look.” Patti lifted a questioning brow. “My mother and sister always have that look when my dad or I say something to piss them off,” he explained. “Maybe I should clarify.”
    He didn’t rush to clarify anything, much to Patti’s consternation, but she waited, certain he would present her with some lame excuse that would hold about as much water as a bucket full of holes. She ate slowly, watching Jon as he tucked into his dinner with casual indifference.
    “I only come here for business,” he began. “ Sometimes I meet with new clients, or with some of the members on the board to discuss finances. It’s never for leisure.” His eyes flicked up to meet hers. “Until tonight. This is the first time I’ve enjoyed a meal with someone who wasn’t sporting a pot belly and a penis between their legs.”
    Patti’s quick intake of breath caused her to choke on a partially chewed noodle. Doubling over, she coughed into her napkin so hard her eyes began to tear up.
    “Are you okay?” Jon asked, suddenly standing by her side. He pounded on her back, but his efforts only succeeded in making her feel as though her spine were about to snap in two.
    “I’m fine,” she croaked, coughing a couple more times. Picking up her glass of water, she gulped half of it before she felt recovered enough to speak clearly.
    Jon took his seat again, eying her cautiously.
    “Just to be clear. Did you just tell me you’ve never been on a date with a woman before?” She found that notion impossible to believe. Jon was gorgeous. With his dark hair, blue eyes, and strong build, he was every woman’s Adonis. Just walking into the place she’d caught several women, most already seated with their own man, sneaking covert glances at him.
    Jon chuckled. The deep sound of it made tendrils of warmth curl in Patti’s belly and settle between her legs. “Not at all. I’m saying that I don’t date often. I’m very selective,” he said, staring at her now.
    Patti shifted under his scrutiny. Somehow, he managed to make her feel shy and bold with a single look. On one hand, she wanted to hide her face with her hands, and on the other, she wanted to climb over the table and suck on his lips.
    Instead, Patti chose to direct the topic toward something a little safer. “So you said you normally do business here. What kind of work do you do, Jon?”
    Dropping his fork on the plate, Jon picked up his glass of dark beer and sat back in his chair. “What do I do?” he pondered, and took a drink. “I own my own business, so I guess you could say that I’m an entrepreneur.”
    “Impressive,” Patti praised him. “And what kind of business do you own?”
    “A publishing company,” he said. “Ever heard of Bookish Temptations?”
    Had she ever! Her friend, Piper, and Piper’s husband, Tate, both worked for the company and if she wasn’t