one. “Because your plane looked like a toy Kevin used to play with next to the UPS one when we were pulling in,” I say with brutal honesty.
Jennings tosses his head back and laughs. His eyes are sparkling when they meet mine. “No one else has ever made me laugh quite the way you do.”
And since today has been about honesty, I smile back and admit, “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy today.”
“Good,” he murmurs. Unhitching his seat belt with ease, he leans across the console separating us. His face is getting closer. My heart is pounding.
But then again, so is something else.
I slam my hand against his chest and stop the kiss that I now want as much as Jennings because there’s something much more pressing at hand. “Bathroom before your lips get anywhere near mine. I swear to God, Jennings, if you don’t find me a restroom, I’m going to pee all over this seat. Having your child made it so I have little to no bladder control.” He wants honesty, let him deal with that.
His head drops to my shoulder, and his body shakes with laughter. But his large hand moves perilously closer to where aches of a different sort have peaked throughout the day to push the release button to my harness. “I’ll be right around to help you out, Owl.”
“Thanks, Ace.” My voice is a bit breathless. But I scramble to grab my purse so I’m ready when he reaches up to catch me as I scramble out of the cockpit of this plane, and he points me to the nearest restroom.
Because I want to see where the rest of this date heads.
Kara
“This is so good,” I moan around a bite of champagne-and-truffle fondue. “Where did you find this place? Maris has never mentioned it.”
“If I told you I looked it up on the Food Network website, would you believe me?” Jennings tells me before he shoves his own crouton dripping with luscious cheese sauce into his mouth.
We’re getting low on things to dip into the cheesy goodness, and I frown trying to come up with a solution. Jennings picks up on my displeasure immediately. “What’s wrong?” he demands.
“The croutons are almost gone. Give me a moment; I’m thinking.” Tapping my skewer against the side of the fondue pot, I drop it and reach for the bread basket. Tearing what’s left into little bites, I give my dinner date a smug smile before declaring triumphantly, “There. Problem solved.”
“We probably could have asked them for more, Kara,” Jennings says logically, but I note he immediately stabs a bite of bread onto his skewer and dunks it in before I can pick mine back up.
“We can do that too. But this way we don’t have to wait.”
“Always so smart,” he says admiringly, at least I think it is. But still my skewer clatters to the table as I’m reminded of something said by too many dates.
Must you know everything?
Picking up my glass of wine, I take a long drink, trying to shove the thought back into the box it came out of. I’m not with them, I remind myself. I’m with Jennings.
But after Jennings has shoved his third forkful of fondue into his mouth and I haven’t reached for another bite, he frowns. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I say automatically.
“Bullshit. One minute we were fighting over the fondue like it was our last meal, and the next…” His eyes drift to the bread, to his own fork, and finally up to my face. “Something I said took you away from me,” he growls. “What was it?”
“Nothing, Jennings. Really. It’s fine.” I put the wine down and pick up my fork. But before I can spear a piece of bread, Jennings grabs my wrist.
“And that’s the first lie you’ve told me since the day began.” His voice is frustrated. “I promised you no lies, and you said the same. Whatever it is isn’t ‘fine,’ Kara. Tell me what I said.”
I open my mouth and close it. “You said I was smart,” I blurt out.
He looks confused. “And you are. You’re one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met—man or woman. That’s not a compliment?”
“It hasn’t always been,” I confess. I tug a bit, and Jennings lets go of my wrist. Placing my fork down, I quickly apologize. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth because I didn’t want to bring other people here. Today was as close to a perfect date as I’ve had in