Ellie Gold had him completely rattled. Just when Derrick thought he’d figured her out, she said something unexpected. He’d cleaned her shirt—a random, simple thing—and she’d cradled it in her hands as if it were an expensive diamond.
And that kiss.
Before that first one in her apartment about a week ago, he’d planned to keep things on a friendly, nonkissing level. But then his lips had met hers and his brain misfired. He hadn’t been able to speak or to think. All he’d wanted to do was to hold on and keep going. He told himself it was because Noah had stolen from him and he had to fix this, not because he cared, but even he was having trouble buying that.
He didn’t do overwhelmed. He didn’t believe in rainbows or stars or whatever people claimed to see when they experienced a great kiss. He certainly didn’t get all breathless and confused when a woman’s lips touched his. Not usually, anyway. But with Ellie his body and brain went into free fall.
And it wasn’t a onetime thing. The second kiss today nearly scrambled every bit of common sense he possessed. He had been two seconds away from pinning her to the wall and tunneling his hand up that slim skirt when he forced his body to pull back.
She messed him up. Took his balance and his control and ground them into nothing.
Now he watched her study the dinner menu. She even managed to make that look sexy. Her fingers slid along the edge. She lifted her chin as she scanned the page.
He was beginning to think he was losing it.
They sat at a small table near the window of a wildly popular French bistro near Logan Circle. It hadn’t been hard to get a last-minute reservation because Derrick had a financial interest in the place. A chance he took on a chef he knew with some of the money he’d stockpiled over the years and it worked out. It also meant there was always room for him. He had to assume the position of the table, out in the open, was the overeager manager’s way of capitalizing on his presence there tonight.
People noticed. Quite a few businessmen turned around when he entered the restaurant with Ellie on his arm. Some came over and said hello. One let his gaze linger a bit too long on Ellie’s chest for Derrick’s liking.
Bottom line—he didn’t like being on display. “I feel exposed.”
Ellie hummed as she continued to scan the food options. “You picked the game.”
“What does that mean?”
“I’m assuming you chose this place, one of the hardest restaurants to get a reservation at right now, to be seen.” She peeked at him over the top of the menu. “I’m not even going to ask how you got us in on such short notice. I’ll assume this is a case of you being ready at all times for a photo op.”
He reached over and lowered her menu so he could meet her eyes without anything getting in the way. “This is dinner, not a photo op.”
“That’s a first.”
“And I’m part owner of this place. The behind-the-scenes money guy.”
Her mouth opened a few times before she actually spat out any words. “Well, of course you are.”
“Sarcasm?”
“More like is there any part of this town you don’t own awe.” She folded her menu and set it on the space in front of her. “You seem to have an interest in everything.”
She was joking but he decided to give her a real answer. “For the record, I am a minority owner in the family business. My father has the largest stake, and likes to hold that over me. I’ve tried to branch out with some other investments so I’m prepared.”
She frowned. “For what?”
“His whims.”
And that’s exactly how Derrick saw it. His father played games. He liked to make his sons prove themselves over and over.
Derrick refused to be pushed aside or run off because he viewed the family business as his legacy. He’d worked there during college summers and all throughout business school. After that, he’d come on board full-time and worked his way up. Spent months in every department.
His father demanded perfection and when he didn’t get it he’d resort to public humiliation. So, Derrick learned quickly not to make any mistakes. Four years ago his father offered more responsibility and Derrick grabbed at the chance. He’d expanded the family’s commercial real estate and construction business and personal holdings.
Ellie watched him for a second then rested her hand on the table. “He’s difficult.”
“Understatement.” Derrick noticed she didn’t ask it as a question, so she must have heard at least some of the rumors about his notoriously demanding father. “He put me in charge of expansion, sure I’d fail. He questioned every decision, every strategy. Made it nearly impossible to move forward then yelled because we weren’t moving forward.”