Saxon's Savior (Protect and Serve #3) - Pandora Pine Page 0,35
and a polo shirt.
As I walked to the front door, I took in all the details of the house. The lawn was perfectly maintained, not a weed in sight. Hydrangea bushes lined the front of the house. They were past their bloom, but I could imagine what a vivid pop of color they’d be in the summer.
My finger shook when I rang the bell. It was only dinner. I needed to calm the hell down.
“Hey there!” Dallas was all smiles when he opened the door.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw he was dressed in a navy suit with a light blue tie. My relief over seeing how Dallas was dressed didn’t last long before lust took over. His green eyes glittered hungrily, and I was certain I wore a similar look. Christ, if we didn’t get a move on, we’d never make it to dinner. I was ready to throw him over my shoulder and carry him upstairs.
“Are you ready to head out?” A coy smile played on his lips.
“I am.” I gave my head a shake. I knew I’d been standing there staring at him with a dumbstruck look on my face.
As I led him down the front porch stairs, Dallas took my hand. I almost jerked away at the sudden connection between us. I opened the truck door for him, and he hesitated for the briefest second. I thought he was going to turn around and head back into the house. Instead, he pressed a kiss to my cheek.
“We’re going to have a great time tonight.” Dallas winked at me and hoisted himself into the truck.
I managed to nod. What I needed to do was put all my preconceived notions about this night out of my head and concentrate on Dallas.
He rambled non-stop about the Patriots’ defense, stopping to give me directions at the right times. I wasn’t the biggest football fan, aside from the way the players looked in their shoulder pads and tight pants.
Dallas directed me to a part of town I’d never been to before. We were on the complete opposite side of the harbor from Bait and the other downtown eateries. “Where the hell are we?”
“Far side of Rocky Neck.” Dallas grinned at me. “Before the 2008 recession, this was a thriving art colony. Many of the artists had to close shop and leave town, but there are still a few left. Portside has always catered more to a white-collar crowd.”
“Interesting you chose this place since we’re blue-collar guys.” The façade of the restaurant was done in white-washed bricks. There was a simple elegance in the lines of the building. My truck was the only one in the parking lot, unless you counted the BMW and Acura SUVs. I felt out of place just sitting there.
“I wanted to show you the best of what Gloucester has to offer. You didn’t have the best welcome…” Dallas sighed.
“Listen, what happened at the beginning of my time here is water under the bridge. Stop feeling guilty.” I leaned over and kissed my handsome date. “Let’s eat! I’m starving.” I bounded out of the truck and noticed Dallas sitting with a hand against the cheek I’d just kissed. He looked a little star struck when I opened the door for him.
“Reservation for Haynes,” Dallas said when we walked up to the hostess counter.
“Right this way.” A hostess named Carli grabbed leather-bound menus and seated us at a table near the windows. From where I was sitting, I could see across the harbor. All the shops and restaurants were lit up with the lights reflecting on the calm water.
“What do you think?” Dallas asked.
“It’s bright and beautiful.” I was impressed with the restaurant. The chairs were dark-stained and heavy. Several other couples were chatting and enjoying dinner around us. The atmosphere of the place didn’t feel as stuffy as I’d feared it would.
Opening the menu, I did a double take when I caught a look at the prices, even though I’d seen them online. It was a defense mechanism from my childhood. My parents would never have wasted good drug money on a restaurant like Portside. Whenever we did go out, we were under strict orders to get the cheapest thing on the menu, which was usually hot dogs or hamburgers. My heart caught in my throat for a split second when I didn’t see either on the menu.
“What looks good?” Dallas was smiling at me from the top of his menu.