He didn’t let go of her, though.

Instead, he smoothed her hair off her face and gave her a tender smile that, if she didn’t know better, she’d swear was real. Pressing his cheek to her temple, he whispered, “You said to keep it chaste, right?”

“Huh?” She blinked, trying to get her thoughts back in order. Needing a break from his intense stare, she glanced around—and found every set of eyes on them. Craaaaap. How had she forgotten about their audience? At least he’d kept his knee firmly in check this time. She smoothed his jacket, even though it wasn’t messed up at all, and stepped back. He let go of her. “Uh, right. That was perfect.”

In more ways than one.

Stupid, sexy, irresistible man.

He buttoned her jacket for her and leaned down, pressing his mouth against her ear. “Just for the record, I can do that again later, when we don’t have anyone watching us. I could have you naked, writhing, and screaming in my bed the second you gave me the green light. And you wouldn’t regret a damn second of it.”

Oh, I bet I would. She pressed her thighs together, but it did nothing to assuage the ache his words created inside her. “Benjamin, that’s a horrible idea.”

“It might be.” He dropped one last kiss on her temple. “But I swear I’ll make it worth your time…more than once.” He skimmed his hand down her hip, barely touching her butt, since people were watching, and stepped back. After a quick glance at his crotch area, he tugged his jacket down to cover his erection. “And that’s a fucking promise.”

She bit her tongue to stop herself from moaning again, because she really, really wanted to collect on that. And she also wanted to lift that jacket up to get a better look.

Like…really.

Chapter Seven

Benjamin followed her down the sidewalk toward his waiting town car, adjusting his tight pants again. As she walked, her soft brown hair blew gently in the breeze, looking way too touchable to resist for long. And with her, he didn’t want to resist at all. There was something about her that made him want to ignore years of self-restraint and controlled emotions. That made him want to be different. He wasn’t sure if that was a bad thing or not, but he didn’t give a damn.

He was going to roll with it. See where Maggie Donovan took him.

When she passed his town car, he stopped and cleared his throat. She glanced over her shoulder at him, her brow wrinkled. His heart rate increased just because she was so damn pretty, standing in the last afternoon sun on a busy New York street, wearing a black wool coat and a purple knit hat, staring at him. It did things to him.

Things he didn’t fully understand.

The urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her, right there in front of all the people pushing past them, hit him like a fist to the gut. He didn’t, though. Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. After all, there was no one around to fool, so he wasn’t supposed to kiss her. “You walking to our date, or what?”

“Oh, right.” She shoved an errant piece of hair out of her face and shivered. Her cheeks were rosy red, just like the tip of her nose. “I zoned out for a second there.”

He waved his driver off so he could open the door for her himself. “No worries.”

She slid inside and peeked out at him. “I’m here now.”

“Good.” He followed her in and closed the door. Something smelled tantalizing and his stomach growled, but he couldn’t quite place it. After he settled in, he teased her. “I’d be pretty damn bored if I was going on this date by myself.”

Shaking her head, she glanced out the window and muttered, “But I’d be safer.”

“Maggie.” Even though she’d spoken, he had the feeling it hadn’t been to him. “You’re doing it again.”

She startled, only further proving his point. “Doing what?”

“Talking to yourself.”

“Yeah.” She adjusted her skirt and shrugged. “I do that sometimes.”

He smiled. He couldn’t help it. “So you said.”

“Oh.” She blushed even more. “Right.”

He turned her way. His thigh brushed hers, and she shivered before shifting closer to her side of the car. For the first time in he didn’t know how long, he was excited. This date was going to tell him more about Maggie. What she liked. How she thought. What kind of woman she was. And he couldn’t fucking wait to find out so he could blow her mind when it was his turn to pick the date again.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” The car pulled away from the curb, and she smiled, seeming to shake off some of her nerves. “First? Close your eyes.”

“Are you going to strip naked for me? If so, I’m not closing my damn eyes.”

She rolled hers. “Not a chance.”

Sighing dramatically, he leaned back against the seat and did as she requested. His heart sped up, because even doing something as juvenile as closing his eyes so she could surprise him was exciting. Fresh. Fun. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had fun, before she’d crashed into his life. “Fine. My eyes are closed.”

She waved her hand in front of his face. He felt it. When he didn’t react, she pulled something out that crinkled. After setting it on his lap, she dusted off her hands. “Okay. Open them.”

He did, and glanced down at his lap. A Wendy’s bag sat in his lap, hot and greasy and artery clogging—but so fucking good. “Is that…?”

“A spicy chicken sandwich and cheese fries?” She grinned, looking way too damn proud of herself. “You bet your last cow it is.”

His last cow? The things that came out of her mouth…

His stomach groaned in anticipation, and he stared at the bag. This was his favorite bad meal, his vice. He’d lived off this shit in college, but he hadn’t had it in…God, at least six years. “How did you find out?”

“Oh, I’m just that good,” she said again. Leaning back, she grinned and pulled out her own bag. “Eat up. I won’t judge you…much.”

And the thing was, it was true. She wouldn’t judge him for…well, anything. And that was so refreshing and amazing that he wasn’t sure what to do with it. Or her. He opened the bag, his mouth watering. “I’m going to have to do double time at the gym tonight after this, but it’s worth it.”

“Is that when you work out?” she asked, dropping a fry into her mouth. He couldn’t look away from her lips. “At night?”

“Yeah.” Clearing his throat, he pulled his own meal out. “I do it before bed.”

She swallowed. “Where do you go?”

“My place.” He opened the lid of his cheese fries. “I have a gym there.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course you do. I should’ve guessed.”

They fell into companionable silence as they ate. By the time they finished, he felt a hundred pounds heavier, but more satisfied than a college kid after a night in a strip club. If someone had told him he’d eat Wendy’s on a date with his fiancée, he’d have laughed till he fell over.

Yet, here he was.

“Thanks for the dinner,” he said, wiping his hands off with a napkin.

She did the same, grinning. “You’re welcome.”

So. First tip? She liked Wendy’s. Not expensive restaurants. “Now that we’ve stuffed ourselves…” Looking outside, he tried to figure out where they were. They were approaching Penn Station, heading down Eighth Avenue. “What’s next?”

“This.” She handed him a beer. His mother had always said it was a poor man’s drink, and he was never to be seen with one in his hand. He didn’t agree, but he also refused to give her yet another thing to bitch about. “Drink up.”

He tightened his hold, remembering how much he’d enjoyed beer, once upon a time. “Where did you find out about this?”

“That you drink the best wines and whiskeys in public, but truly prefer a twenty-bucks-a-case bottle of beer?” She lifted hers to her lips. “Oh, I have my ways, Benjamin.”