Emily stood, avoiding Derian’s hand. She
couldn’t keep touching her. It wasn’t appropriate, and besides that, it was
upsetting. She wasn’t used to all the feelings Derian kindled without the least
bit of effort and, undoubtedly, unintentionally. “No, Vonnie helped. I don’t
deserve all the credit.”
Derian nodded. “I’ll call her and thank her
too. But first, food.”
“You’re very stubborn, aren’t you?” The words
were out before she could pull them back. She was usually so much more cautious
when she first met someone, and here she was saying everything that came into
her head. “I didn’t mean—”
Derian laughed. “That’s a mild way of putting
it. Most people might phrase it differently. But yes, once I set my mind on
something, I’m kind of hard to dissuade. What’s your favorite food?”
“Cookies,” Emily said instantly.
Derian laughed again, a deep sound that
rumbled in her chest and seemed to enclose Emily like a warm cloak wrapped
around her shoulders. The image struck her as belonging to someone else. When
had she ever been so frivolous? All the same, she couldn’t help but smile.
“Besides
dessert,” Derian said.
“Who said it was dessert?” Emily said.
“All right, I’ll admit to an occasional meal
of ice cream myself, but not tonight. What would you like?”
“Almost anything—you choose.”
Derian looked down at herself. “I could use a
shower and a change of clothes. Would it be asking too much for you to stop by
my apartment with me for a quick pit stop? I promise, it won’t be more than
fifteen minutes, and that will give me a chance to call and get reservations.
I’ll have you seated at a table in less than forty-five minutes.”
“You can do that in New York City?”
“Trust me.” Derian grinned and Emily suspected
that grin took her a long way in the world—part charm, part devil, part sex.
And now she had the perfect opportunity to
beg off dinner. She could simply say she was too tired to wait, and too
disheveled herself. But she wasn’t, really. She’d often gone all day at work
and then out to an event in the same clothes, and she really had only been
sitting most of the day. Derian wouldn’t know that, though. Faced with the
perfect opportunity to escape, she had to admit she didn’t want to. She wanted
to go to dinner with Derian Winfield. She wanted to hear her laugh again. She
wanted to do something different, something out of her ordinary routine, and
wasn’t that odd. She could think about all of that later. “I don’t mind a
little wait at all. And you don’t have to rush.”
“I won’t be rushing. I’m used to quick
changes.” Derian picked up Emily’s coat from where she had laid it on the chair
beside her and held it out for her. “Anyone you need to call? Change plans or
anything?”