Love Without Rules (Contemporary Romance) by Kate Goldman Read Free Book Online Page A

menu. He grinned happily as she glared at him.
     
    “Who said I wanted to eat with you…” she grumbled as she picked up a menu. She was hungry though, so she decided to just enjoy the meal and be glad she had some company. She had come here often with Scott, and they knew the servers on a first-name basis.
     
    “What’re you getting? Everything looks good!” Drew acted like a child, and Sydney found it rather entertaining. It was a welcome difference from Scott, who always acted so serious in restaurants. “Hmm… I want to order everything.” Drew laughed loudly.
     
    Sydney smiled as she shook her head in mock exasperation. “I’m going to get the giant ravioli,” she decided. It was something she had always wanted to try, but had always chosen her usual of spaghetti and meatballs instead of it. It was actually one of the restaurant’s special dishes: several ravioli pieces that were comically sized and stuffed to the brim with cheese.
     
    “Well, me too then!” Drew smiled, his dimples showing. He ran a hand through his light blonde hair, tousling it gently. Sydney remembered all her tips and tricks about the first date. Wait… This isn’t a date, right? She frowned as she pondered.
     
    “Why are you making that face?” Drew asked.
     
    “Oh, um, nothing.” Smooth, Sydney.
     
    “Alright…” Drew shot her a suspicious look. The waitress arrived, and he ordered for the both of them.
     
    The food arrived very quickly. “Wow, it looks so good.” Sydney smiled as she picked up a knife and fork. Love Doctor Tip Number… was it sixty-five…? Always eat properly when on a date. Make sure to chew slowly, and quietly. Keep your mouth closed, she reminded herself as she took the first bite. Wait. No, forget that. This isn’t a date. Sydney abandoned her knife and instead took a big bite of the ravioli without cutting it.
     
    Drew noticed the change. He decided to tease her a little bit by also dropping his knife. He smirked as he also took a big bite of the delicious cheese-filled pasta. “Yummy,” he said with a mouthful.
     
    Sydney grimaced comically. “That’s real classy.”
     
    “Thanks.” He grinned widely, showing all his pearly white teeth.
     
    All too soon, her plate of pasta was finished and Sydney was left staring at the sauce, wishing there was more. Without saying a word, Drew speared one of his own and dropped it onto her plate. “Huh?” She looked up, surprised by the generous action.
     
    “Go ahead.”
     
    “Thank you,” she said as she ate the piece of ravioli. It had a different taste for some reason, and Sydney realized it was because he had put some spicy Italian sauce on it. “Bah.” She swallowed it and immediately downed half her glass of water.
     
    “You don’t like spicy food?” Drew questioned as he took a sip of his lemon water. “I love it.”
     
    “I like it mostly mild,” Sydney said without thinking. She hadn’t intended to share about herself, but it had just slipped out. He seemed delighted to have learned this new tidbit of information. “So…” She tried to change the subject. “I’m sure you have a lot to do, so why don’t we just split the bill and go our separate ways?”
     
    “Nice try, but you’re not getting rid of me this easily.” Drew chuckled as he pulled out a fifty-dollar bill, and put it on the table. “Come on, let’s go!”
     
    “Um…” She hesitated, going through the pros and cons in her mind.
     
    “Come on!” He stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the restaurant. He thanked the waitress as he walked out, and the two were once again thrust into the bustling mall atmosphere. He didn’t let go of her hand, a fact which she noticed almost immediately. She tried to pull away, but he was stronger than her and kept her tight within his grasp. He winked at her when she shot him a death glare.
     
    So Sydney gave up and let him hold her hand. Whatever. “Let’s go there first.” She pointed at