Operation Date Escape

turned and winked at him from the open passenger side window, kicking his heart rate up several notches. Was it possible she wasn’t kidding about having a whip collection? He had to admit that his curiosity was definitely peaked. There seemed to be only one way to find out for sure. He had to get to that second date.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

    “Mexican is my favorite,” Kelsie said with a smile as they pulled into the parking lot of a quaint little Mexican restaurant just on the outskirts of downtown Columbus.
    “I know ,” he said. “You mentioned that you enjoy spicy, southwestern food when I called to confirm our date. That’s why I decided on this place.”
    “I didn’t expect...”
    “Would you rather eat somewhere else?”
    “No. This place looks really nice.”
    He shut off the engine and turned to her. “Then what’s wrong?”
    “Nothing. I just can’t believe you did this for me.”
    “I wouldn’t have asked you what kinds of foods you like if I didn’t intend to use the information when making our dinner plans.”
    She studied him for a long moment. “You’re different than any of the men I’ve dated.”
    “Considering the last guy had you climbing out of a two story window, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
    She couldn’t help but laugh. “It was meant that way.”
    “Damn,” he said as he stepped out of the truck.
    She watched him walk around to her side. “Damn?” she asked as she opened the door to join him in the parking lot.
    “You’re killing my bad boy image. You know that, don’t you?”
    The harder he tried to pretend he wasn’t perfect, the more perfect he became in her eyes. She’d never been so attracted to a man before, not even Kyle. But she wasn’t about to tell Cole that. No sense leading him on. This date was a one-time thing.
    “Sorry,” she told him with a grin. “By all means don’t let m e interfere with your attempt to be a ‘bad boy’.”
    They walked up to the entrance where Mexican music played out from an overhead speaker. Cole opened the door and then paused, as if intending to hold it for her. Then something closely resembling mischief flickered in those dark eyes and he stepped inside, leaving her to manage the door on her own.
    She followed him inside, not the least bit phased by this bad boy game he was playing with her. “Nice try.” Truth be told, this was the most fun she’d had on a date in... Well, in her entire life.
    “There’s no trying to it,” he said with a wink. Then he reached for her hand and led her over to the hostess stand. “Before th is night’s over, you’re going to see that I’m really not the perfect guy you make me out to be.”
    “You’re going to have to try a little harder to make that happen.”
    “The date’s just beginning. There’s still time.”
    Just then, a young woman dressed in a long, brightly colored skirt and a white peasant-style blouse hurried over to greet them.
    “We have a reservation for dinner,” he told her.
    “The name on the reservation, please?” she asked with a welcoming smile.
    “It’s under Maxwell,” he told her. “Party of two.”
    She glanced down at the reservation book lying open on the wooden counter and then back up at Cole with a practiced smile. “Your table is ready, Mr. Maxwell. Please follow me.” Grabbing two menus and a basket of tortilla chips from behind the counter, she led them into the dimly lit dining room.
    Candlelight from the surrounding tables flickered off the terracotta walls while bold, Aztec-looking designs in shades of red, yellow, blue and orange fell in random patterns across the taupe carpet.
    Kelsie whispered as he helped her into her seat, “Are bad boys normally this polite?”
    “Only when they’re distracted by a beautiful woman,” he whispered back and then made his way around to the chair across from her.
    Smiling, t he hostess placed the basket of chips on the table and handed them each a menu. “Your server will be right with you. Enjoy your meal.”
    He leaned back in his seat, his gaze fixed on Kelsie as the woman walked away. “Oh, I fully intend to.”
    “Will you stop that?” she chided.
    “What?”
    “Flirting with me.”
    “Can’t help myself,” he said, that lone dimple begging her hand to run over it. “Have you ever been here before?”
    The question had her tearing her captivated gaze from his mouth and looking around the room, taking in the colorful hand-woven rugs that hung on the wall between