Hope Smolders by Jaci Burton Read Free Book Online

hand on the small of her back and led her inside. She’d forgotten what that felt like—to have a manput his hand on her. It was just a light touch, really, but what it signified meant so much. It was a stamp, a “hey, we’re together” kind of thing.
    She was being silly. It meant nothing. They were having dinner. He felt sorry for her because she’d lived like a nun for the past two years. She should stop reading anything into this.
    Except there’d been that kiss.
    The dark atmosphere inside was nice, but there was nothing romantic about P.F. Chang’s. On a Saturday night, the place was bustling with activity. Will, being a smart guy, had made reservations, so they were quickly shown to their table, a booth against the wall.
    Their waitress appeared right away with their menus and said she’d be back in a few to take their drink order.
    Will perused the menu, while she stole glances at him. When he peeked at her over the top of his menu, she quickly looked down.
    “What are you thinking about in terms of a drink?”
    She had no idea. Normally when she went out, it was Chuck E. Cheese’s or Incredible Pizza, where there’d be a buffet or games for the kids to run and play. Drinks consisted of soda. This was a grown-up menu, and she didn’t take her kids to grown-up restaurants. One, because they cost too much and it was a waste of money she didn’t have, and, two, because those kinds of restaurants weren’t fun for her kids.
    “Uh, I have no idea. As you can imagine, I don’t get out much.”
    He gave her a lopsided smile, and her stomach tightened. Really, all she wanted was to kiss him again. Nothing like a one-track mind.
    “How about some sake?”
    “Sure. That sounds great.”
    When their waitress came back, he ordered for both of them.
    “Are you hungry?” he asked.
    “Starving, actually.” She’d been so focused on getting ready for the date, she might have forgotten to eat much today.
    “Good. How about an appetizer? Their lettuce wraps are good.”
    “Sounds fantastic.” At the mention of food, her stomach grumbled. Yeah, she definitely needed to eat, especially if she was going to be drinking. She was a lightweight in the alcohol department, so getting food into her was paramount if she was going to stay sober.
    The waitress brought their sake and Will ordered the appetizer.
    “Would you like to order dinner now, or wait a bit?” the waitress asked.
    Will looked to Jane. “Oh, I didn’t look at that yet. Sorry.”
    “We’ll wait,” he said to the waitress, who left.
    “I guess I should figure out what I want to eat.”
    “There’s no hurry, Jane. We’re not on a schedule here. Just sit back and enjoy your drink.”
    “Right. I’m so used to my life being scheduled. Eating out with the kids typically means arguments and me wanting to get home as soon as humanly possible.”
    He laid his hand over hers. “Not tonight. Relax.”
    The contact was electric, the zing from his hand over hers shooting through her nerve endings and hitting all those sweet spots that hadn’t been touched in a very long time. She took a hard swallow of sake, her eyes watering.
    “Wow,” she said, glad she had a glass of water at the table to wash it down with.
    “It’s kind of strong,” he said. “You might want to sip it.”
    “Now you tell me.” But she did sip after that, and she liked the flavor. “I’ve never had sake before. It’s interesting.”
    “Sake and beer are good together, too. Some night when we have a designated driver, I’ll get you toasted on it.”
    “Hey, I’m not the one who’s driving.”
    He signaled the waitress and ordered an Asian beer and another round of sake.
    Her eyes widened. “I was joking, you know.”
    “I’m dead serious.”
    She arched a brow. “You would get me drunk?”
    “In a heartbeat. Easier to take advantage of you that way.”
    As if the sake hadn’t already made her sweat, his words sent her up in flames. “I…see. You’re going to