Sweet Seduction (Sweet #3)(28)

He could see the question she wanted to ask but was too polite.

"I send Ma money so Tracy can get her degree."

"That's awfully sweet of you," she said in a quiet voice.

He shifted uncomfortably, heat creeping up his neck. "She's a smart kid. I consider it an investment. She'll probably own the world in a few years and then she can support her big brother."

Julie smiled and put down her fork. "I just love a guy who blushes. It's incredibly sweet."

Fuck if his face didn't light on fire, and the heifer knew it. And why the hell was she talking to him like he was her big brother or something? Her mouth around his dick had certainly removed any possibility that they were going to be just friends.

Sweet? He frowned in disgust. Yeah, it was just one beat off her telling all her friends that he was just adorable. Next thing he knew, he'd be the guy all her friends considered their big brother. The one they all went to when they had guy trouble. Always the confidant and never the main event.

He had the sudden urge to beat his head on the table. Maybe he should be talking about dodging bullets or rescuing hostages from some hellhole in South America. Women went for that kind of shit, didn't they? Anything but sweet. Have mercy.

"You look like you just swallowed a bug," she said as she peered at him.

"You called me sweet," he said in disgust.

Her eyebrows went up. "You'd rather me call you an ass**le?"

"At least ass**le wouldn't make me sound like a pu**y," he grumbled.

She looked incredulously at him. Swept over him with her gaze, up and down then back up again.

"You're the last man I'd ever worry about coming off as a pu**y," she said, her eyes gleaming.

"Oh?" Now it sounded like he was fishing for compliments, but this woman's head was harder to get into than Fort Knox. How the f**k was he supposed to know what she was thinking at any given time? She was as erratic and helter-skelter as a drunk butterfly. Who knew what the hell she'd ever do or say next?

"Strong. Rugged. Sexy, even. A bit dense, but otherwise, very nice," she purred.

Now even his ears were red, he was sure. "I've been told I'm a man and it's my lot in life to be dense."

"Well, you have me there," she said out of the side of her mouth.

"So what about you?" he asked as he sat back to study her. "What's your story?"

She looked mildly discomfited by the question, and for the first time looked at a disadvantage. And to think he couldn't imagine this woman ever not on top of things. She exuded confidence. She was sure of her place in the world, and that, to him, was about the sexiest quality a woman could possess.

She raised her wineglass to her lips and took a long sip. Her perfectly manicured nails tapped a moment on the crystal as she seemed to collect her thoughts.

Then she grinned and set it back down again. "I would love to lie to you and tell you that I've traveled the world collecting men for my harem, or that I've rubbed elbows with the rich and famous, but the simple truth is, I'm a small-town girl who's never been out of the great state of Texas. Sad, isn't it?"

His brows drew together. "You could have fooled me. You seem so ... I dunno, knowledgeable, and I don't mean book learning as much as you just seem to have lived a lot of life."

"Well thank you, I think. That almost sounds like a compliment."

"It was intended to be one. You seem to have your head on straight. You're confident and beautiful. I imagine you could go anywhere you wanted and fit in."

She looked completely caught off guard by his assessment. For a long moment she just stared at him as if trying to figure out his angle. This was a cynical woman, and he could see the wheels turning in her head. She thought he was plotting his way into her pants. Flattery, pretty words, all the usual stuff.

The problem was, he sucked when it came to wooing a woman. And while he'd love nothing more than to go home and strip every piece of clothing off her with his teeth, he could wait. If she expected a full-on assault, then he was going to give her just the opposite if it killed him.

"You make me feel like a fraud," she finally said with a rueful smile.

"That wasn't my intention."

She shook her head. "Oh, I know. I'm beginning to think you're actually a sincere guy."

"You say that as if it surprises you."

Her eyes glinted with amusement. "It does."

"Okay, so tell me more. You've never been out of the state of Texas. Any plans to change that?"

She leaned back with a thoughtful look. "You know, I hadn't really given it any thought. I'm so busy with my salon. Don't get me wrong, I spend plenty of time dreaming, but I never really thought about making it a reality."

"What do you dream about?"

She blushed. Actually blushed. He had to snap his jaws shut to keep from gaping, because anything that made this woman blush had to be good.

"My dreams aren't up for discussion until at least the fourth date," she said with a cheeky grin.

He smiled and reached for his glass. "I'll keep that in mind."

He sipped at the wine and tried not to grimace. Anything more refined than beer was wasted on him. This entire restaurant gave him hives, but he figured this was a place that Julie would slide right into.