Small-Town Cinderella (The Pirelli Brothers) by Stacy Connelly

Author:Stacy Connelly [Connelly, Stacy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-08-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Drew had never claimed to be an over-the-top romantic. If he had, he was sure his former girlfriends would have quickly disabused him of that notion. In all honesty, he’d never put himself totally on the line when it came to women. Oh, sure, he’d asked out plenty, but he’d always been relatively assured of a positive response. Pursuing an uninterested woman had always struck him as a waste of time and, well, somewhat unnecessary when far more receptive members of the opposite sex could be found.

Not that Debbie was uninterested. He had no doubts about the chemistry between them. But he wanted more than a physical relationship. He wanted Debbie to want more than a physical relationship. More than the secret “fling” she’d proposed. Sure, he’d agreed. What red-blooded man in his right mind wouldn’t? And he’d admit he wasn’t ready to put his feelings on display for all of Clearville to see, especially when he knew Debbie didn’t feel the same way. At least, not yet.

He’d always been one to keep his emotions close to the vest, to play things safe. But safe wouldn’t do in the relationship he wanted with Debbie. He wanted the scary, reckless, no-holds-barred kind of love he used to think was out of his grasp. She’d pushed him out of his comfort zone, made him question everything he thought he knew when it came to the line between friendship and love.

After his breakup with Angie, he’d realized their relationship lacked that intrinsic connection he sensed bound his parents together. A connection Nick had found with Darcy, Jake with Sophia and Sam with Kara. He’d been ready to believe his ex was right, and he simply didn’t have the necessary depth of emotion inside. But Angie had been wrong. His feelings for Debbie were beyond anything he’d felt for another woman, and going there was a giant leap for Drew, one he was ready to take.

He’d made reservations at an upscale restaurant located inside a newly built five-star hotel in Redfield. He thought he might hear from Debbie after sending her his “invitation” but she hadn’t called, leaving him to wonder if she would show.

Taking a seat at the bar, he ordered a beer but barely raised the bottle for than a few swallows. His attention and his cravings were all focused on the door to the restaurant as he waited.

He hadn’t realized exactly how nervous he was that Debbie might not show until the moment she walked into the restaurant. His breath escaped in a rush and he sank back against the padded back of the leather bar stool. From his vantage point in the bar, he had a perfect chance to study her unnoticed. She looked...breathtaking.

The restaurant’s décor was a combination of rustic and elegant with its rough-hewn, exposed-beam ceiling and river-rock fireplace illuminated by bronze sconces and blown-glass chandeliers. Her blond hair glinted in the ambient lighting, and her soft skin was awash in a golden glow. His blood heated at just how much of that skin was revealed by her pale blue strapless dress.

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