My condo is an open loft, with exposed pipes and beams, brick and mortar. The finishings and decor are modern, suiting my style perfectly.

I love that I have an open space tucked into the city. There are few walls in my loft; only the bathrooms are private. Even my bedroom is open to the rest of the space, which is fine because it’s only me, and at some point, the occasional guest, here.

But my favorite part? The floor-to-ceiling windows and my view of the Pearl District and the green West Hills. I’ve only been living here for a few weeks, but I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this view. I still have a few boxes to unpack, but the new furniture I bought for the place has all been delivered, and it’s finally feeling like home.

I grab a bottle of water as I walk past my fridge and sip it as I stare out at Portland, thinking of a certain gorgeous redhead.

When she first saw me this afternoon, I could see that she was surprised. Her brown eyes widened and her mouth dropped for about a half second, then she pulled herself together and won over my group. She was funny and so damn smart in her conversation with them, making them feel welcome and at ease.

Even Lucy and Robert, the first-date couple, loosened up and enjoyed themselves.

Kat smiled at me, and I thought, for that brief time, that she was pleased to see me and I was home free. That she’d immediately agree to see me again.

But she keeps surprising me.

And maybe it’s as simple as that. It’s rare for anyone to surprise me, and she keeps doing it, over and over again. It’s alluring.

Damn, it’s addicting.

Chase isn’t wrong. If I’m going to have a shot at getting to know her better, I’m going to have to raise my game. I need to put some effort into it, and honestly, she deserves no less than that.

Romance just isn’t on my radar because it’s not something I do.

But I’m about to.

I stalk toward the bedroom, toss the empty bottle into the recycling, and pull on running clothes. Before I go back to Seduction later this evening, I need a long, hard run and then I need to make some calls to get this ball rolling.

I’m not a patient man. I want Kat.

Seduction is a riot of activity tonight. The restaurant is packed, and the wait time for a table is well over an hour. People are lined up outside, chatting happily while they wait patiently for a table. I walk in, prepared to put my name in and wait with the others, but the young hostess smiles as I approach.

“How many?”

“Just one.”

“Oh,” she says with a smile. “If you’d like, there are a couple of open seats at the bar. You’ll get in much faster that way, and we serve the full menu in there.”

“Perfect.”

“Oh, but we don’t allow drinks from outside,” she says, pointing to the bottle of wine in my hand. “You’ll have to take that back out to your car.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to open it. It’s a gift.”

“Good,” she says with a nod, and turns her attention to the next guests.

I smile and walk past her, soaking in the atmosphere. Kat was right: it’s damn sexy in here. There are tables, of course, but along the edges of the room are booths with heavy curtains draped around the ends, giving each one the illusion of privacy. The lighting is subtle, but not dark. The linens are rich, even opulent.

And I’m surprised to see that Jake Knox is onstage, with his guitar, singing.

I’ll be interested to hear how they managed to hire a rock star to play at their restaurant.

The bar is also packed, each table taken, and all but one of the seats at the bar occupied. Lucky for me, the empty seat is front and center.

I sidle up to the bar and watch Kat and her coworker bustle behind the bar. Kat has changed clothes since this afternoon. Rather than her casual denim dress from earlier, she’s in short red shorts and a black short-sleeved blouse, tied at the waist and unbuttoned to show off her red bra. Her tattoos are bright, flexing around her toned arms. Her red hair is twisted up and pinned on top of her head, with pieces hanging down around her gorgeous face.

Her lips are painted red, as always, and her brown eyes are done up to pop.

I’ve never been more captivated by a woman in my life.

“Grace, can you please take a bottle of the Barking Dog Pinot to the couple in the corner?” Kat points to the corner of the room. “It’s their favorite.”

“How do you know?” Grace asks as she uncorks the wine in question.

“Because I do,” Kat replies with a grin. “Trust me.”

“You’re the boss.” Grace walks away and Kat turns to me.

“What can I get you?” When she sees that it’s me, she stops short and sighs. But she bites her lip, and I know that means she’s not upset, she’s nervous.

I don’t ever want her to be nervous around me.

“I come bearing gifts,” I say with a grin, and pass the wine to her. She reads the label and smiles softly.

“I liked this one,” she says, then turns those big brown eyes to me.

“I know,” I reply. I like it too, but I just watch her, waiting to see what she does next. Finally, her shoulders relax and she sets the bottle behind the bar and turns back to me.

“Can I pour you a glass of something?” she asks.

“I’d like a glass of your favorite Cabernet,” I reply. “And a menu.”

“You’re eating?”

“I’m starving,” I reply.