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“Can you believe I’ve lived there my entire life and never rode on one? That’s almost unheard of. I guess my Mum’s fear of trams was passed down to me.”

“Understandable,” I admit, although I’m still trying to fathom how her Grandmother was killed over something as insignificant as chicken innards. “So who took care of your mother after …”

“She was placed into the system. None of the family wanted to take her in. She was a spitting image of her father, looks only; she has the sweetest persona. But I guess they were worried they’d somehow find themselves on the wrong side of a tram. You know, just in case those murderous tendencies were genetic.”

“That’s … unfortunate.”

“It is. My Mum wouldn’t hurt a fly, and she hates giblets.”

“I can’t blame her. They don’t sound appealing.”

“She was eventually adopted by a nice couple, so it all worked out well in the end. Well, for everyone except my Grandmother.”

I pull up outside the apartment building where Rose lives. It’s in a nice enough area, but considering she’s a PA for a CEO, I imagine she’s on a decent wage. I know how much I pay Janet, and she’s never met an instruction she didn’t want to challenge. Somebody should be paying me to deal with that woman day in and day out.

I couldn’t imagine Rose being a difficult employee. Especially when she has every reason to complain about her boss and hasn’t. Janet would probably have HR on speed dial if I glanced at her a second too long.

Violet, my sister, is Head of Human Resources. Even though I own the company, she wouldn’t hesitate to junk-punch me if I so much as looked at one of my employees the wrong way. Not that I ever would.

“Well, thank you for dinner,” Rose says, removing her seatbelt. “And the ride home.”

“Let me walk you to the door,” I offer, unfastening my own. I’m not ready for my time with her to be over. I can’t remember the last time I was this interested in a woman. I have no problem making conversation, but I’ve never been on a date where I found myself hanging on every word.

The restaurant staff ended up kicking us out because they were closing. We spent four hours just talking, yet somehow it felt like a fraction of that time.

“It’s a secure building. It’s safe. You need a code to get in.”

“I’m walking you to the door, Rose, even if it’s just to the entrance.”

She glances over at me and smiles, and I need to get a handle on that. No woman should have that much power over a man she’s only just met. “Who said chivalry is dead?”

I exit the vehicle and jog around the front of the car, so I can open her door before she has the chance. I may have spent the last twenty-one years without a positive male influence, but my mother made up for that and taught me how to be a gentleman.

“For a Zumba instructor, I can’t believe you own a Bugatti,” she says as I help her out.

“And I can’t believe you know what a Bugatti is.”

“My Dad’s car mad. He’d lose his mind if he knew I’d travelled in one.”

“If he’s ever in town, I’d be happy to take him for a spin.”

“He’d love that.”

Thankfully, she did most of the talking tonight, so I wasn’t forced to lie to her. As the evening wore on, I found myself wanting to tell her the truth—to admit I wasn’t Brendan and that he’d left hours earlier, looking completely dejected—but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Not that I have a problem with the truth. Quite the opposite. I was worried my confession would ruin the night. Or worse, that she wouldn’t want to see me again. The fact that it bothers me at all is irritating. I want to see this woman again, far more than I care to admit.

I learned during the evening that her parents are currently cruising around the world on a six-month trip of a lifetime. It seems their absence pushed Rose to step outside her comfort zone and stand on her own two feet. Hence the big move interstate.

She explained that her Mum and Dad are great and supportive, but since she’s an only child, they’re also protective.

We reach the glass door that leads into her building and stop. “Can you do me a favour?” I ask.

“Sure,” she replies. “As long as you’re not going to ask me if you can come upstairs for a nightcap. I don’t do that on the first date.”

I arch a brow. “You don’t have nightcaps on your first date? Is there a reason for that?”

I know exactly what she’s getting at, and I appreciate that about her. Someone looking for a quick good time wouldn’t bother setting boundaries, but Rose is different. She obviously knows her worth, and she isn’t afraid to make that clear.