The wine was smooth and delicious. “It’s very good,” she said.

“I thought you might like it. I know you have a refined palate for wine.”

Her lips curved. “I do enjoy a good wine.”

“So do I … on occasion.”

“Like tonight?”

“Like tonight. With great food you have to have a special wine.”

There were layers to Bash she hadn’t yet uncovered. That made her like him even more. Especially since there were no burgers on this menu.

He ordered oysters for his appetizer, and she had the lobster bisque, which was fantastic. For dinner, Bash had the trout, and she had the scallops.

“Can I taste the trout?” she asked.

He scooped up a forkful and passed it over to her. When she would have taken the fork from him, he held on to it. He wanted to feed her.

Of course. That was so Bash. She took the bite from his fork.

“Mmm,” she said after she swallowed. “Good.”

He’d been watching her mouth, and she caught that look in his eyes, the one that was becoming all too familiar to her.

Desire.

It made her clench in a way that was also becoming familiar when she was around him. She filed that away for later.

“Would you like a bite of my scallops?” she asked.

“I would.”

She sliced off a section and put it on her fork, and like he’d done for her, she fed it to him. There was something so sensual about having someone eat from your fork. Such a simple thing, and yet she found herself watching his lips curve around her fork, saw the flick of his tongue as he captured the scallop and took it into his mouth.

Then again, how could any woman not be fascinated by Bash’s mouth? It was a dangerous thing. She could still feel every kiss he’d ever laid on her, and all the other delicious places his mouth had been.

Her nipples puckering in this fancy restaurant was so not appropriate. Nor was her focusing on his mouth.

And the way he smiled at her told her he knew exactly what she was thinking.

She picked up her wineglass and emptied it. Bash refilled it, that enigmatic look on his face ever present.

She was in serious trouble with this man. So instead, she focused on her dinner, which she finished. Along with way too much of their fantastic bread. She was going to regret that during her next workout.

When the waiter brought the dessert menu by, it was all she could do not to groan.

“Dessert?” Bash asked.

She shook her head. “I’m so full I feel like I could burst.”

“How about coffee?”

Again, she said no. “I need to get up and move around before I curl up and fall asleep in this booth.”

He laughed. “We can’t have that.” Bash signaled the waiter, then asked for the check.

“Thank you for dinner,” she said. “I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to eat here again. The food was incredible.”

He handed the waiter his credit card. “Yeah, it’s really good. I don’t come here very often, either. Then again, I don’t often have the opportunity to bring an amazing woman out to dinner.”

He was saying all the right things. If this were their first date—which, she supposed, it technically was—she’d think he was perfect. Suit and tie, great manners, excellent selection in wine, and the choice of restaurant was spot-on.

But she also knew that Bash didn’t tick off a lot of the items on her list.

Did that matter?

Not tonight, it didn’t.

He signed the credit card slip the waiter brought by, then stood and came over to her side of the booth, holding her hand while she slid out. They walked to the front door and realized it was raining outside. And not just a little rain, either. It was pouring.

“Stay here,” he said. “I’ll bring the car to the door.”

“Okay.”

She walked outside, staying underneath the overhang to watch Bash dash through the parking lot. The rain was coming harder now, the wind slashing like sheets so hard her feet and legs were getting wet. She’d long ago lost sight of Bash, but she finally saw headlights as he pulled up in front of the restaurant. She was about to make a run for the car when he got out and she saw he had an open umbrella. He hurried toward her.

He was so wet, the poor guy, but he gathered her against him.

And he was smiling down at her. “Ready?”

She pulled off her shoes and held them in her hand, then nodded. “Yes.”

They ran toward the car. Bash handed her the umbrella and opened her door. She got inside and he shut the door, then hurried around to the other side, got in, and slammed the door shut.

His hair was plastered to his head, and water ran in rivulets down his face.

“Well, that was wet,” he said.

Even though he’d parked the car at the curb, she was soaked, and her dress stuck to her skin. She couldn’t even imagine how drenched Bash must be.

“I had no idea it was going to rain tonight.”

He shrugged. “Spring in Oklahoma, ya know.” He put the car in gear, turned the heater on to full blast, and headed out.

The rain continued the entire way back to Hope, with a little lightning and thunder thrown in for good measure. Bash drove slowly on the freeway because visibility wasn’t good. They finally exited the freeway and headed several miles into Hope, and to his house. The rain hadn’t let up, either, which meant when he let Lou out of her crate he was going to have to take her outside in the rain.