A Profiler's Case for Seduction - By Carla Cassidy Page 0,20

for her, but that didn’t stop the wistful bittersweet pang that sometimes clutched at her when she thought about it.

That’s why she’d spoken to Mark about his daughter and the importance of him being a part of her life. Children should be considered gifts to take care of, not inconveniences to beat and abuse.

She sat up straighter in her seat as she saw a dark car pull into a parking space near the front of the restaurant. The car looked official and her heart danced as Mark stepped out of the driver side.

He was dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and a black-and-gray tie at his neck. She was grateful that she’d opted to put on panty hose and a dress instead of the less casual slacks and blouse. It was obvious Mark had made an extra effort by wearing a tie for the night.

Her dress was rust-colored, cinched at the waist and with a slightly flirty skirt. Although she was taller than most women to begin with, she wore black heels, knowing that Mark would be taller than her even with her high shoes. And there was nothing better for a woman’s confidence than a pair of heels that showcased the length and shapeliness of her legs.

Still, the last thing Dora felt was confidence. The flutter of nerves inside her stomach turned into a full orchestra of drumbeats and a discordant brass section. She could always just drive away, stand him up. That would be the smart thing to do, but surely a simple dinner couldn’t be a stupid thing.

Decision made, she got out of her car and headed for the entrance. Even outside the restaurant the evening air smelled of rich tomato sauce, of fresh garlic and spices, and her stomach rumbled shamefully because she’d been too nervous to eat anything all day.

The minute she stepped inside and saw Mark standing in the waiting area, a pleased smile curving his lips at the sight of her, her nerves magically vanished.

His smile was so sexy, so warm, and the light in his eyes as he swept her with his gaze from head to toe whispered of intense approval, of male interest.

“I was beginning to wonder if maybe you were going to stand me up,” he said.

“And why would I do that?” she countered lightly, shoving all her previous doubts about the night aside.

“It seemed to be some sort of a rite of passage for girls when I was in high school.” Before he could say anything more the hostess motioned to them to follow her. She led them to an intimate table in the back of the busy restaurant. She handed them menus along with a bright smile and told them their waitress would be with them shortly.

“Now, what’s this about high school and girls standing you up?” she asked as she shoved the menu aside and instead focused on his beautiful eyes shimmering in the light from the candle in the center of the table. “I thought you went to private schools.”

“I did. Until I was a junior in high school and then I begged my parents to send me to public school. They finally relented and I began my junior year at Washington High School in Dallas.”

He paused as the waitress arrived with a basket of freshly baked mini garlic loaf. He ordered lasagna and meatballs, she ordered chicken Alfredo. He asked for a glass of wine while she went for a diet cola. When the waitress departed he continued.

“I was nerdier than the worst nerd. To be honest I was too smart for the classes, too stupid to try to fit in. So, I became the class joke without really understanding it.” He smiled at her ruefully. “Chemistry I did well, people I flunked. I made a total of five dates and was stood up all five times.”

“That’s awful, they must have been the mean girls in the class.” Dora couldn’t imagine a hunk like him being stood up by anyone.

He shrugged and reached for a piece of the garlic bread. “The good thing is after a semester of that I was ready to go back to my private school where the other students were more like me.” He cocked his head slightly, his gaze a bit more intense. “What about you? What were your high school days like?”

“Definitely unmemorable.” The lie slid easily from her lips. It wasn’t really a big lie. She’d spent a lot of time trying to forget that time in