Page 44 of The October Arrangement

“Well, what?”

“Do I pass whatever inspection you’re conducting?” She grinned.

My eyes looked her up and down again. “More than pass. You look beautiful, Bella.”

“Thank you, Simon.” She smiled. “You clean up pretty well yourself.”

“I always look like this.” My brows furrowed.

“And there it is.” She shook her head. “For one second, you were almost charming.”

“I don’t do charming, Bella.”

“Can’t blame a girl for trying.” She walked past me, and I caught a whiff of her perfume.

I closed my eyes for a second. It was only dinner. Nothing else. As hard as I tried to convince myself of that, I knew I was full of shit.

Chapter Eighteen

Bella

I felt beautiful. Not just dressed up or put together, actually beautiful. I’d taken more time getting ready than I wanted to admit, which was ridiculous considering Simon only asked me to have dinner with him. I called it a date. He insisted it was only dinner. But saying I was shocked when he asked me was an understatement. After everything that happened between us since he came home, I hadn’t expected it. We argued more times than I could count. He judged my life choices, and I called him an asshole. But somewhere in the middle of all that, things started to change.

I was incredibly attracted to him, bad attitude and all. But I knew somewhere deep inside him, a gentle, loving man was hiding. I’d felt the shift between us today when I was in his office. It was a subtle shift, but noticeable. I hadn’t felt anything for anyone since Grady, until now.

We climbed into the back of his car. I sat in the soft leather seat and crossed my legs while Simon sat beside me, his masculine cologne heightening my senses. I glanced over at him as he was looking at his phone.

“You’re not going to work all the way to dinner, are you?” I asked.

“I’m not working.” He glanced at me.

“You’re staring at your phone.”

“I was checking an email.”

“A work email?” My brow arched.

“Yes.”

“Then you’re working,” I said.

He locked the screen and slipped his phone inside the pocket of his jacket.

“Happy now?” A smirk crossed his lips.

“Very.” I smiled.

“You’re a demanding woman, Bella Castle.”

I laughed. “You have a ten-rule list hanging in your kitchen, and I’m demanding?”

“Fair enough.” He smiled.

“So, tell me about this restaurant you’re taking me to.”

“No.”

“What? Why?” My brows furrowed.