He pulled off his t-shirt and threw it to the floor.

“Well,” he said as he undid his belt and stepped out of his shoes. “I guess we will just have to get it out of your system tonight then, won’t we. Just so you won’t be tempted.”

He slipped off his jeans and crawled up the bed, pulling me under him and giving me a deep, breathtaking kiss. I felt better. It wasn’t a declaration by any means, but now there was at least hope.

***

I was watching the clock the entire next day at work. I couldn’t focus on anything but our date that night, which made the day drag. When the clock finally hit five, I darted from the office and practically sprinted home.

I showered, did my hair and makeup in record time, and then stood in my closet, trying to figure out what I could wear. Drew had seen me in everything. I settled on a tight green halter dress. It was a little sexy and showed off all of my curves. It had a 1950s pinup feel to it. I paired it with a pair of sky high nude pumps and kept my jewelry to a minimum, only putting on the diamond studs Drew gave me.

I was just transferring my stuff into my clutch when there was a knock on the door. I opened it to see Drew in slim dark gray slacks and a sleek black button-up shirt stretched tight across his broad shoulders. No tie. He left the top button of his shirt undone. He had one hand in his pocket and the other held my favorite, a rusty pink rose.

The man was beautiful. There was no other way to describe him. I could practically feel his eyes run the entire length of my body as he looked me over.

“You look incredible,” he said, leaning in to kiss my cheek. He offered me the rose and I took it, heading to the kitchen for a vase.

“Nice place you got here.”

I laughed. “Are you going to do that all night?”

He just smiled. “You ready?”

“Yep.” I followed him out the door and to his car, which was parked out front. He held my door open for me and waited for me to get in. He always was a gentleman, but this time it felt special. He got in and pulled away from the curb.

“So, where are we going?” I asked

“I can’t reveal all of my secrets. It’s only our first date,” he said with a grin.

We pulled up outside a posh hotel downtown. The valet opened my door and helped me out. Drew tossed the guy his keys and offered me his arm.

We went straight through the lobby, which was done in a light marble with modern sculptures and glass blown chandeliers. It was beautiful. I craned my neck, making note of the clever placement of the water.

Drew just shook his head as he led me through the lobby to the bank of elevators straight ahead. He knew how I got in places like this. Unless you dragged me out, I would be there for hours, or until security escorted me out for rearranging the furniture.

We stepped into the elevator and Drew hit the button for the eleventh floor. He slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me in close. He placed a small kiss behind my ear and whispered, “You are beautiful.”

I felt a smile split my face in half.

The elevator doors opened onto a gorgeous rooftop restaurant. The entire space was covered in dark wood paneling and glass. It was stunning. Drew gave the hostess his name and she took us through the huge glass doors and into the main dining room.

The restaurant was open air. Glass panels were all that separated us from plummeting to the sidewalk below. The view was worth dying for, though. We had a complete breathtaking view of the entire city and the harbor winking as it reflected the silvery light of the moon. Up here, the air was fresh and cool. It felt wonderful.

I was so mesmerized by the setting, I didn’t even notice that we had reached our table until I bumped into Drew’s back. He chuckled as he pulled my chair out for me. I was thankful the table was close enough to the edge to enjoy the view but far enough away that I wouldn’t be gripping it to keep from going over. I’m not afraid of heights, but I’m not so happy about the thought of a piece of glass being the only thing standing between me and falling eleven stories to my death.

“What do you think?” Drew asked.

“It’s unbelievable. How did you get reservations?”

He winked at me. “I have connections.”

I smiled. He did well. This place was amazing.

The waiter came over with the prefix menu and the suggested wine list to complement the food. I’m an amateur wine drinker. I know red and white and that’s about it. I like it sweet and a little fruity, kind of like me. I had no idea what went with what. Thankfully, Drew bypassed the suggested list and ordered a bottle of my favorite Moscato. The waiter looked at him like we told him to bring us the blood of a virgin, but nodded. When he walked away, Drew and I burst into laughter.

The conversation was easy. He told me about David trying and failing miserably to put the baby crib together. “Only he could manage to put it together not only backwards, but upside down,” he said as I laughed, holding my napkin to my lips to keep from spraying water in his face.

I talked about some of the new projects Madeline had me working on and he listened with genuine interest, asking questions and giving me his opinion.

“You know, I was really into you back then,” he said as he twirled the stem of his wine glass between his fingers.

I laughed and took a drink. “Yeah, sure you were.”

“I’m serious. You were funny, smart, not to mention gorgeous. How could I not be in to you?”

“Were?” I said, raising an eyebrow.

Drew just laughed and leaned back in his chair. “You aren’t going to make this easy on me, are you?”

“It’s hard to believe that playboy Drew Collins was into any one girl back then.” I shrugged.

He looked at me across the table for a moment. “Did it ever occur to you that maybe I played with those other girls because the one that I wanted didn’t want me?”

I set my wine glass down and narrowed my eyes. Was he serious? I kept waiting for him to show me something, for him to give me some indication of what he wanted from me. Now here he was confessing to liking me back in college.

“Why didn’t you ever make a move?” I asked, calling his bluff.

“Because you needed me,” he said, his voice low as he took a sip from his wine glass.

“What?”

“You remember the day in the park near your hometown?” he asked, leaning across the table.

I nodded. I could never forget the day we scattered my parents’ ashes. I was a wreck and he was there. I knew, that day, that I could always count on him. Maybe I even loved him then, but I needed a friend more.

“I told you that day that you weren’t alone anymore, that I would be your family. That is what you needed, so…” He let the words hang in the air.

I was stunned. What can you say to that? I stared at him as tears welled in my eyes. The feminist in me wanted to say that I could take care of myself, but that was total bullshit. What Drew did for me that day saved me. I don’t know where I would have been if he hadn’t brought me back to life.

“For the record,” he took my hand, “you are still funny, smart, and even more beautiful than the first time you poured beer over my head.” He brought my hand to his lips and smiled.

I laughed as the tears spilled down my cheeks. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

This was, by far, the best first date I had been on in years. The food was amazing. We ate happily and offered forks full of food to each other when we found something particularly delicious.

When it was time for dessert, Drew pre-ordered a chocolate soufflé that was so decadent I moaned with every bite. I ate the whole thing. He was lucky to get the crumbs.

“You have some…” he said, leaning in close. “Here, let me.” He kissed the corner of my mouth, licking the chocolate from my lips. It was the sexiest thing anyone had ever done to me. Well, in public.