Ella could only imagine how different the evening would have been if she had been with Declan instead of Hugh. Her body flushed just thinking about him. At almost thirty, she was still a virgin and she had a feeling that he suspected that, and it was the reason he was avoiding her like the plague. Who knew that not sleeping around could actually be a bad thing?

They could spend an hour talking and it was easy and effortless, but he shied away from anything beyond that. She had invited him over for dinner a few months ago and after that he hadn’t been around for weeks. She caught him looking at her sometimes though, with what looked like more than friendship in his beautiful eyes—and Beth, Suzy and Claire all said that he had feelings for her. Well, why wouldn’t he ask her out?

Lost in her thoughts, Ella almost ran over the man jogging across the driveway of her duplex. Her tires squealed as she missed him by just inches. Her heart was pounding and her hands were shaking as the man that she had almost hit walked to her window. Oh my God, no, it couldn’t be! As Ella rapidly blinked her eyes trying to clear her vision, a knock sounded on her window. As she lowered the glass, her gaze locked on Declan’s. “Wh . . . what are you doing here?” she stammered.

“Trying to stay out from under your car. Shit, Ella where did you learn to drive?” As she was opening her mouth to reply, he added, “Pull your car out of the road, baby, before someone hits you. And try not to kill me in the process.”

With her mouth still hanging open, she pulled slowly forward into her parking space. Baby? Declan Stone just called me baby? Okay, so it was a bit sarcastic, but it still counted, right? When her door opened, Ella’s mouth fell the rest of the way to the floor. Declan stood before her in figure-hugging shorts and a tank top. His huge biceps glistened with sweat and a light coating of dark hair shown against his muscular legs.

Despite having very little experience with the opposite sex, Ella was certain that she could have an orgasm just by rubbing against his hard body.

“Ella . . . Ella . . . ELLA!”

Ella jerked as he shouted her name. Geez, he sure was bossy. “What?”

“I asked why you were driving home like a bat out of hell?”

“I . . . I wasn’t and come to think of it, what are you doing in my driveway?”

“Well, obviously, I was jogging before your bumper attempted to crawl up my leg,” Declan smirked.

“Do you live near here?”

“Yeah, just a few miles down the road. I run this route a lot.”

Oh great. I’ll never rest again knowing he is this close to me. Maybe I can take up jogging and start running by his place.

“It’s a little late to be coming home from work isn’t it?” he asked.

Ella was thrilled that he had asked. Here was her chance to tell him about her date without just volunteering the information. Her plan to make him see her as someone with experience would never work if he didn’t even know she was going out on dates. “Oh, I had a date.”

Declan looked around and asked, “Oh yeah? So where is he?”

Ella felt herself start to fidget under his stare and when she was nervous, she started talking . . . a lot. “I met him at the office so we drove separately. Beth thought it was a good idea not to let any of them know where I live at least until I am sure they aren’t stalkers or something.”

Declan looked puzzled as he continued to stare at her. “I’m lost here, babe. Why would you be afraid for someone to know where you live, if you know them well enough to go out on a date?”

Ella knew she had said too much, but she couldn’t seem to stop. She had never been very good at keeping things from people especially if they asked her a direct question. “I don’t really know them. Beth helped sign me up with a dating service, and these are the guys I’ve met through it. I’m sure they check them out and all, but Beth still doesn’t want me to get into a car with any of them until I get to know them better. Don’t you think that’s a good idea?” Her words trailed off as she took a good look at him. His jaw was clenched tight and his hands were now resting on his hips as he glared at her.

“Beth signed you up with a dating service?” At her small nod, he blew. “Is she out of her damn mind? She actually thought it was a good idea to put you out there for every freak in the world to try to get their hands on you? Hell, why not just sell tickets?”

Ella took a step back, unused to Declan raising his voice to her. “I . . . I asked her to. It’s not her fault.”

He took a step toward her and put his hands gently on her shoulders. “Babe, why would you want to do that? You’re a sweet, innocent girl. Those types of men will just try to take advantage of that. You need to cancel or whatever the hell you do to stop it.”

Startled, Ella put her hand on his chest and looked up into his handsome face. “No, Declan, I can’t. I’ll be careful, but I have to keep dating.”

“I said stop,” Declan snapped. “If you’re that desperate for a date, just let nature take its course. You don’t need a dating agency. I mean it Ella, cancel—or whatever you need to do—now.”

Ella shook her head, looking down at her hand on his chest. “I can’t stop.”

Visibly frustrated, Declan shook her lightly and asked, “Why? I don’t get this.”

Still unable to avoid answering a direct question, Ella admitted, “I can’t stop because if I do, I will never have you.” She felt him stiffen under her hand as if he had stopped breathing.

“What do you mean?” he asked hoarsely.

Ella raised her eyes to his and said softly, “It’s the only way to get you to see me as a woman. So I have to keep doing it.”

Declan felt his gut clench as he looked down at the gorgeous woman in front of him. He still couldn’t process what she had just said. She had joined a dating service because of him? What could she possibly have been thinking? And the better question was what could Beth have been thinking? How could she have gone along with this whole thing? Did she have no idea what could happen to someone like Ella if she went out with the wrong man?

“Baby, I don’t get this whole thing. I know you’re a woman. Trust me, I know it too well. You don’t have to prove anything to me.”

“I like you Declan . . . as more than a friend. And I know I’m not the kind of woman you probably go for, but I can change.”

A harsh laugh escaped his throat as he looked down at her. Here was the woman he had been trying to stay away from because he wasn’t the kind of man that a woman like her needed and she was trying to change to be the kind of woman that she thought he needed. Man, the universe was truly fucked-up sometimes. He knew he wasn’t going to give her what she wanted in life, but if he could have just one taste of her before he pulled back, maybe it would last him a lifetime. Hell, or it might scare her so bad that she would give up her crazy plan and go back to her safe life.

Declan ran a thumb over the plump curve of her lower lip and inhaled sharply as she trustingly parted her lips for him. “Oh, Ella, girl, what am I going to do with you.” Then before he could talk himself out of it, he lowered his head and took her mouth in a kiss that was surprisingly soft and gentle. He could feel her heart thudding against his chest as he pulled her closer to his body. What she lacked in experience, she more than made up for in eagerness. Her arms wrapped the rest of the way around his waist bringing their bodies into close contact.

Soon, Declan was powerless to control the stir of his erection. His body reacted to her presence like gas on a fire. When she innocently rubbed herself against him, he was in serious danger of losing all control in that moment. He wanted to pick her up and have her wrap her legs around his waist so he could rest his cock in her softness.