Heart-Shaped Hack (6 page)

“No. Not even close.”

“Don’t you trust me?”

Kate shook her head. “Not yet.” Strangely, despite the things Ian had done to her that he shouldn’t have, she did trust him a little. He’d made sure that Kate’s date with Kent didn’t happen, thus moving her permanently out of harm’s way. For that she was grateful.

“Someday you’ll sit beside me and know you can trust me no matter how fast we’re going. I mean that,” he said, and Kate thought it wasn’t only his driving he was referring to.

After they’d stuffed themselves full of prosciutto, duck and chicken liver pâté, serrano ham, and spicy chorizo, Ian paid the bill and led Kate to the parking lot where he tucked her into the passenger seat of his car. It was late afternoon by then, and the November sky had started to darken. Kate was conscious of Ian’s movements, especially when he shifted gears. The interior of the car was small, and she couldn’t stop thinking about how near his hand was to her thigh when he was holding the gearshift. She momentarily forgot she was supposed to be keeping him at arm’s length because all she wanted right then was for him to come a little closer.

He won’t even tell you his last name,
she reminded herself.

When he pulled up in front of her building, he turned off the car, walked around to Kate’s side, and opened her door. “Just so you know, I’m not willing to sit outside this time.”

“I’m not either. It’s too cold.”

When they reached Kate’s door, she noticed the Victoria’s Secret package lying on the floor in front of it.

“Sweaters!”

“And other things,” Ian reminded her.

“I’m scared of what I might find.”

“You shouldn’t be. I have impeccable taste.”

She turned toward Ian and smiled. “Thank you. This has been a really great first date.”

“Hasn’t it? We’ve gotten to know each other a little better. I let you drive the hell out of my car. I have not tried to talk you into a threesome, nor have I offered you any cocaine. Honestly, I’ve been a perfect gentleman. Admit it. You like me. You might not trust me yet, but you’re drawn to me like a moth to a flame. It’s my mind that turns you on.”

What he said was true. Ian was an enigma, a puzzle with a thousand pieces. She’d never met a man who fascinated her the way he did, not that she was ready to let him know it.

“I like really simple men,” she said. “In fact, the simpler they are, the more I like them. They’re very malleable.”

“Malleable.”

“Easily influenced. It means I can bend them to my will.”

“I know what the word means even when I’m not wearing my smart glasses. But there’s no way you could ever convince me you like simple men. I think Stuart was simple, and that’s why you’re not with him anymore.” He moved closer until Kate’s back was pressed up against her door. “Would you like to know what turns me on?”

“No.”
God, yes.

“Sure you would. I can see the wheels turning in that pretty little head of yours. You’re a risk taker, and nothing revs my engine like a smart, beautiful,
fearless
woman. Any woman who is fearless behind the wheel is going to be open to all kinds of experiences. You left Stuart and you quit your safe job because it wasn’t enough for you. You’ve only scratched the surface of what your life will become. It’s the
possibilities
in your future that excite you.”

It was unsettling to realize how quickly he’d figured her out. How could he have known that every word of that was true? She looked into his green eyes and said, “Maybe you’re right.”

Ian took off his glasses and slid them into the pocket of his jacket.

“I like those,” she said. “Put them back on.”

“They’ll only be in the way when I kiss you.”

“Who said we were going to kiss?”

“I did. Katie, you must pay closer attention. Besides, this is the end of our first official date. Why wouldn’t we kiss? Sharing a kiss is quite common at this stage.”

“I know how dating works.” Although truthfully, she was a bit rusty and hadn’t kissed anyone since Stuart.

“This hallway is awfully bright. I would prefer more romantic lighting, like the kind inside your apartment.”

“You don’t get to come in again until the second date.”

“The only thing I took away from that statement is that we’re going to have a second date.”

Kate smiled.

It really
was
incredibly bright in the hallway. Kate almost wished Ian hadn’t told her he was going to kiss her and that it was a bit darker, because she was suddenly hit with a bout of first-date-kiss nerves that made her fidget.

“I’ll just wait until you stop moving.”

She made herself stand still. He slid his hands underneath her jaw, and his fingers came to rest behind her ears while his thumbs grazed her cheek. His first kiss was soft and gentle and only lasted a few seconds. He pulled back a few inches and came in again, giving her another soft kiss. The third was firmer, more aggressive, and he dipped his tongue lightly into her mouth. The fourth was soft again, leaving Kate in a heady and intoxicating state of anticipation about what the next kiss would be like. Number five was almost her undoing because Ian pressed his body closer to hers and gave her a deep, openmouthed kiss while circling her tongue with his. When he finally pulled back, it took her a moment to regulate her breathing. She was holding on to his neck rather tightly because her legs felt like Jell-O.

“You seem a bit wobbly, Katie.”

“I’ve got to hand it to you. Your kissing skills almost make up for your shortcomings.”

“I have shortcomings? Really?”

“A couple, yes.”

“I’d promise to work on them, but we both know I’m not going to.”

He waited until she unlocked her door, and then he bent down and picked up the package from Victoria’s Secret. “Bet you’ll have this open before I get to my car.”

That showed how little he knew. She had it open before he reached the elevator.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Kate had arranged to meet the girls for brunch at Aster Café at eleven. Their last group e-mail had been circulating for over a month as the three of them tried to come up with a mutually agreeable time to get together. While Kate’s schedule was fairly flexible, theirs was not. Brunch had already been moved three times.

Kate arrived at eleven, Paige was ten minutes late, and Audrey didn’t join them until ten minutes after that.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Audrey said as she rushed up to the table, leaned down to hug them both, and plopped into her chair.

Kate and Paige assured her it was okay. That was the way brunch usually began.

Their waiter, who had been hovering in the background, approached. “Can I interest anyone in a mimosa?”

Paige groaned. “I would love
several
, but I’ve got to head into work to go over depositions as soon as we’re done.”

“Same here,” Audrey said.

This was hardly a surprise because when Kate was still practicing law, she used to work the same long hours they did. If she was going to enjoy the benefits of working less, she needed to find some girlfriends who didn’t work seventy hours a week.

“How about you?” the waiter asked Kate.

Even though a mimosa sounded wonderful, it would hardly be any fun drinking one by herself, so Kate said, “I’ll just have orange juice.”

“You look fantastic, Kate,” Paige said. “I love your outfit.”

“Thanks.” Kate was wearing a pair of black leggings tucked into high-heeled black boots that came up over the knee and laced up the sides with black ribbons. She’d paired them with one of the sweaters Ian had bought her. Made of the softest cashmere, it was tunic length and a beautiful dark plum color. The back had a low scoop neck, so Kate had worn her hair in a messy French twist she’d learned how to do when she’d watched the hair tutorials on YouTube.

When she’d opened the Victoria’s Secret package right there on the floor just inside her door, she’d been delighted. Ian didn’t know how much Kate had wanted those sweaters and that the reason there were items left in her shopping cart was because she’d given all her disposable income to the food pantry and could no longer afford them, at least not that month. In addition to the cashmere sweater and the two others that were already in the cart, Ian
had
added another sweater, a gorgeous white cable pullover. He’d also bought her a pair of pink flannel pajamas with white snowflakes. They were soft and warm, and she loved them. Of course, Ian being Ian, he’d also bought her a black satin and Chantilly lace babydoll nightie that tied in front and came with a matching thong. It was actually very pretty, and when Kate tried it on, she felt incredibly sexy.

Kate turned her attention to her friends’ outfits and offered her own compliments. Paige had dressed in a manner similar to Kate, but Audrey had gone one better and was wearing a ribbed sweater dress that left nothing to the imagination. Dressing for brunch was almost a competitive sport, and one they engaged in willingly. For Paige and Audrey—both attorneys at large, downtown firms—it was an opportunity to dress less formally, a bit funkier than they could during the week. For Kate, who wore jeans on a daily basis, it was the chance to dress up and add some glamour to her otherwise very casual wardrobe.

In an effort not to make Kate feel left out, her friends overcompensated, asking a multitude of questions about the food pantry. Thanks to Ian, she was able to report that things were going very well.

“And how are you getting along without Stuart?” Paige asked gently.

Paige had gotten married last year, and Audrey was engaged. Kate was genuinely happy for both of them. She’d long since worked her way through the various stages of her and Stuart’s breakup. At first she’d gone through the crying, self-doubt stage, wondering if she’d made a huge mistake. That was followed by quiet resignation and contemplation, accompanied by a considerable amount of wine. Then she’d completed the healing stage, which allowed her to arrive where she was now, which was the cautiously optimistic about the future stage.

“I’m doing fine, really. I’ve actually met someone new.”

Audrey leaned in. “Do tell.”

“He works with computers. Really, really handsome. It’s fairly new, but it’s going well.”

“What’s his name?” Paige asked.

“Ian.”

“Ian what?”

“Ian…”

Shit.

She was making it seem like Ian was make-believe. Stalling, she put her spoon in her mouth, and after she swallowed, she said, “Smith.”

Smith
?

Jesus.

“I don’t know anyone by that name,” Paige said.

“He’s new in town.” Kate hadn’t heard from Ian since they’d gone to lunch on Monday. On Thursday she’d admitted to herself that she was looking forward to seeing him again. By Saturday morning, she’d started listening—and hoping—for a knock on her apartment door.

The rest of the time passed in a blur of catching up on everything that had transpired since they’d last met for brunch. They lingered a while after paying the bill. Kate had the rest of the day to fill and was in no particular hurry to leave the restaurant. But all too soon her friends looked at their phones and groaned when they noticed the time.

“I have to go to work if I hope to get out of there before midnight,” Audrey said.

“Me too,” Paige said.

They told Kate good-bye, accompanied by a flurry of hugs and promises to get together soon. A few minutes later Kate put on her coat and walked out the door into the brilliant sunshine. She turned the corner onto her street, then stopped short when she saw a flash of blue. Ian’s car was parked at the curb, and he was leaning up against it, smiling.

Her Sunday had just gotten a whole lot more interesting.

She walked up to him. “Are you ever not smiling?”

“Why wouldn’t I be smiling? It’s awesome being me.”

“Been waiting long?”

“About an hour. I’d almost given up on you.”

“I was at brunch with the girls.”

He checked her out, not bothering to hide the way his gaze traveled slowly from her head to her feet. “You look amazing. I am fascinated by those boots.”

Kate unbelted her trench coat. “What about my sweater? A friend bought several of them for me.”

“It’s very nice, and that is an excellent color on you. What else did this friend buy you?”

“He bought me some pajamas. I love them.”

“He thought you might. Was there anything else?”

“There was a black babydoll nightie.”

“Did it fit?”

“It fit perfectly. I’m going to save it for a special evening should there be one in my future.”

“Oh there will be, Katie. He’ll make sure of it.” He opened the passenger door. “I was wondering if you have plans for the rest of the day.”

Kate got in, and after Ian closed the door, he walked around to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel.

“That depends,” she said. “What did you have in mind?”

He started the car. “You’ll see.”

What Ian had in mind was drinking champagne in the park under a canopy of trees before they lost the last of their fall leaves. It was a perfect day to be outside. The fifty-degree temperature was slightly above normal for that time of year, and their coats would keep them warm enough to enjoy one last hurrah before the sleet and snow arrived. Winter was coming, but on that day they could almost convince themselves otherwise.

Before he’d locked the car, Ian had reached into the small trunk and retrieved a shopping bag. Now he led Kate off the park’s walking path to a grassy area and took a blanket out of the bag. After he shook it out, he and Kate sat down. Then Ian pulled out a bottle of champagne and expertly popped the cork.

“You do realize that if you keep plying me with alcohol, I may develop an
actual
drinking problem?”

Ian sighed. “The health of your liver is definitely a concern of mine.”

“I’m sure it is.”

He reached in for two flutes, filled one, and handed it to Kate.

She leaned toward him. “What else do you have in that bag of tricks?”

“Chocolate-dipped strawberries.” He took out the container of strawberries and fed one to her, tossing the stem over his shoulder after she bit down.