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“Would.”
“And you think mimicking my order allows us to bond?”
Damn, this girl had a chip on her shoulder.
I twisted my drink as I formulated a response. “No, not at all. I thought I’d go with sweeter tonight to match the company.”
A flush rose in her cheeks. “That’s nice, but you didn’t have to feel obligated to do this.”
I lifted my cup and took a sip while I enjoyed the color in her cheeks. It was a nice look. “Obligated?”
Her mouth quirked up. “You know, following through on your commitment… This…” She circled her finger around the room. “Not-dinner date. Wasting compliments on me and all.”
That attitude hadn’t diminished one bit. It was time to nip this in the bud. “A commitment is not really why I’m here. Well, it is and it isn’t. I invited you to dinner because I wanted to have dinner with you, starting in Barbados and since then. That hasn’t changed. I find you unique and…”
Her finger circled the rim of her cup as she waited for me to pick the right word.
“Intriguing,” I added.
“I bet you find a lot of women intriguing,” she said.
The color that rose in her cheeks betrayed her. She was fighting her interest.
“You’d be surprised how few,” I assured her—without the sigh that would have given away how long it had been. “I think you’re the exception.”
She looked down at the table. “Even when I accused you of wanting to steal our company?”
“Especially then. I can’t have you going around thinking I’m an ogre, before you even get to know me.”
“It’s just—”
“There you go again, Stanford, using the weasel words.”
Her mouth formed a thin line. “Stop calling me that. You make me sound conceited.”
“Well, I certainly don’t mean any disrespect.”
She smiled, and her brow ticked up as she found her retort. “Really? After lecturing me on how Stanford grads are all too theoretical?”
I nodded. “I did, didn’t I?” I searched for a better nickname for her, but it had to be one not everybody else used.
“It’s not quite ogre-level.” She sipped her coffee. “But less than nice.”
I found the name. “I’ll endeavor to be more nice and less ogre, Nickels.”
She laughed. “Nickels? Really?”
The laugh looked good on her. A grin overtook my face. “Unique, like you—with a hint of fun.”
She looked down at her drink. “What makes you think I’m fun?”
I tilted my head. “A guess, and…” I watched her squirm as I dragged out my answer. I’d hit a nerve. “I think you miss it.”
Her phone chose that moment to buzz. She pulled it from her purse. “Lara.”
“I’ll wait.”
She answered it. “Slow down, Lara… He what?… Just lock the door. I’ll be right there.”
