Slow No Wake - By Dakota Madison Page 0,7

I could certainly get used to seeing his face on a daily basis, I thought, preferably in my bedroom.

What the hell? Where did that thought come from? So much for my fresh start in Florida man-free. And what about my no wake zone? Daniel was definitely someone I would like to make waves with… Shit. Why was it so difficult to keep my mind off of men?

Daniel finally let go of my hand and gave an uncomfortable little cough. “So,” he said. “You seem a little young to be a Master’s level therapist.”

I got that a lot. I didn’t look my age, but I had worked hard to earn my graduate degree right out of college in order to establish a career.

“I’m twenty-five,” I said.

“I admire your determination and tenacity,” he said. “I’m twenty-seven and I’m still working on my Master’s degree. I had to take classes at night and online, when I could. Now I’m trying to accumulate internship hours in the evening, in addition to my fulltime job. It’s not easy.”

“Grad school is never easy,” I said.

He nodded. “I’d better get back to work. I just wanted to introduce myself.”

“Can I ask you a question?” I said before he made his way out the door.

“Sure,” he said as he turned back to face me. “What’s up?”

“What do employees usually do for lunch?”

He gave me another glowing smile. “I think I’d rather show you.”

Daniel took me to a lovely cafeteria that was already crowded when we arrived. “Most of the employees eat here,” he said. “Clients in our residential programs work here and prepare most of the food, so the meals are inexpensive, and they’re pretty good.”

It smelled good. The aroma of garlic and pasta sauce filled the air. It made me miss home. My mother cooked pasta every Sunday night for our family.

“Would you like to join me for lunch?” Daniel asked. I could see a bit of apprehension in his eyes.

When I said, “I’d love to,” the uneasiness lifted from his features.

We both got big bowls of angel hair pasta with spicy marinara sauce and lemonades and Daniel led us to a small table in a far corner of the cafeteria that was a bit secluded.

“So, what brings you to Florida, if you don’t mind my asking?” Daniel said.

“How did you guess that I’m not from Florida?” I asked.

“You don’t have a tan,” he said and grinned. He had the most gorgeous smile and his ocean blue eyes seemed to dance whenever he looked at me.

As I looked at him more closely, I noticed his bronzed skin. He must get out in the sun quite a bit, I thought. That would also explain why his dark blond hair looked like it had highlights.

“I didn’t get outside much when I lived in the Midwest,” I said looking down at my pale arms.

“That’s definitely going to change. Floridians live outdoors.”

“I’m looking forward to a change,” I said. In more ways than I was willing to admit to Daniel.

He put his fork in his pasta and stirred the sauce around a bit. “I moved to Florida because I needed a change,” he said. “Hard to believe that was almost five years ago. I’m originally from Pennsylvania.”

“Illinois,” I said. “My whole family still lives there. I’m guess that makes me a bit of a maverick.”

“You moved here by yourself?” He seemed a little surprised by the prospect.

I nodded. “Just me.”

He gave me another one of his bright smiles. This time I could feel my heart tremble a bit, which surprised me. He wasn’t in any way the type of guy I would normally be attracted to. I usually went for the dark haired pretty boys not rugged light haired guys.

“I’m very impressed,” he said. “I would never have had the courage to move across the country by myself.”

I could feel my face fall a bit. I wondered if that meant he had moved here with a significant other. I suddenly had no idea why I had assumed he was single.

As if he could read my thoughts, he said, “I moved here with my roommate from college. We share a place.”

Good. Single. I breathed a small sigh of relief.

“You’d better eat your pasta before it gets cold,” he said. “I didn’t mean to talk your ear off.”

“I don’t mind,” I said.

He took a bite of his pasta and I tried mine. “This is good,” I said. “Thanks for the recommendation.”

When we met each other’s gaze again, my breath caught. I could stare