How to Resist Prince Charming(29)

But when she opened the door to tell him she’d changed her mind, she took one look into his anxious blue eyes, and her resolve slipped. He looked as uncertain, guilty, and totally excited as she felt.

Then his lips curved with reticent amusement. “Hello, my name is…” with a roll of his eyes, he muttered, “Tyler. Are you ready for our first date?”

Oh, boy, was she?

So, here they were. On their first official date, while her dad thought she was off with his brother.

“I hope you like Italian,” he asked as he pulled to a stop in front of one of the nicest restaurants in town.

Lenna’s eyes widened as she glanced out his Land Rover’s passenger side window. Dear Lord, he’d taken her to Georgina’s. Georgina’s put a place like Renneys to shame.

Still gaping, she was startled to realize a valet driver had come forward to open her door for her. She blinked at the man. Whoa, this place even had valet service. By the time she shook herself back to the present and exited the vehicle, Braxton had already come around to her side. He grinned at her and took her hand to escort her to the front door.

“Oh, Braxton,” she murmured, moving bashfully closer, afraid to let him know how intimidated she’d grown. Chunky heels, a jean skirt, and sleeveless Lycra top might've been a great outfit for some tucked-away pizza parlor, but it certainly wasn’t the outfit she would’ve chosen for a place like Georgina’s. “You shouldn’t have.”

His fingers tightened around hers. “I wanted to.”

She couldn't stop gawking. Inside the expansive foyer, a two-story waterfall trickled into a fountain with plants and vegetation blooming around the base.

Further into the restaurant, a violinist serenaded a table for two. The décor of Old Italy abounded with arches and stone molding at each turn. Lenna once again felt like a princess.

Glancing at her Prince Charming, she caught him watching her. She blushed and looked away, remembering their night together last weekend... which, in turn, reminded her of her pact she’d made with herself right before he’d picked her up: she would not to sleep with him tonight—no matter how amazing of a restaurant he brought her to.

A waiter came and took their drink orders, leaving them each with a menu. Hers didn’t have prices listed.

Oh, God. She would not to sleep with him tonight. She would not to sleep with him tonight. she would not to sleep with him.

Braxton glanced through his. “Do you know what you want?”

“I don’t want to sleep with you tonight,” she blurted out, unable to contain her firm stand on the issue a moment longer.

Braxton’s head came up. His surprised blue eyes landed on her, and he stared a moment before saying, “I don’t...I don’t think that was on the menu anyway.”

Lenna blushed. “I’m sorry. It’s just that—oh, God.” She lifted her hands and pressed them against her hot cheeks. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I’m doing. I just...I’ve never gone behind my dad’s back like this before, and it’s bothering me more than I thought it would.”

The concern on his face made her bite the inside of her lip. “Do you want me to take you home?”

“Hell no! I mean...” She wasn’t willing to go quite that far. She loved talking to Braxton, and being with him, and looking at him. But abstinence might help ease her guilty conscience to some degree. “I just don’t want to sleep with you.” She bit her lip and winced. “Okay?”

Braxton bobbed his head. “O-Okay. I mean—” He glanced around blindly for a second. “You know that’s not why I brought you here, right? I wasn’t trying to make you feel obligated. I don’t expect you to fall into bed with me every time—I mean, sex isn’t...sure, it’s important but...” He floundered for a second before meeting her gaze. “I’m not certain what I’m trying to say,” he finally confessed.

“Well...I hope you’re trying to say you’re willing to take this as slowly as I need us to.”

“Of course I am,” he agreed. He reached across the table for her hand. She willingly gave it to him. His warm fingers latched onto hers with the added bonus of swift reassurance.

“Lenna,” he started, “I don’t want to push you into anything. We can go at a turtle’s pace if that’s what you need. For now, I am more than satisfied just to be in your presence.”

Lenna’s chest filled with glee. “Thank you.” She blew out a relieved breath. “That’s exactly how I feel too.”

Ready to enjoy the rest of her evening, she pulled her hand away and focused on her menu. The relief that filled her was so tangible she could almost taste it...reminding her she was in the nicest restaurant in town.

“Ooo,” she chirped in delight. “The ravioli looks good.”

But when she grinned at Braxton, he looked like in was in pain.

“Not to be a guy or anything.” He cringed. “But, umm, this will eventually lead to—” He broke off, his face filling with embarrassed color. “Well, you’re not saying you never want sex in this relationship, or whatever this is that we’re doing. Are you?”

Actually, yeah, she had been trying to say that. Merely befriending her dad’s boss has to be less of a betrayal than starting a hot, torrid affair with him. But something strange happened whenever she was in this man’s presence. He must have a spell over her, because she was powerless against him. She couldn’t stop looking at him, smiling at him, or denying him anything.