Icing On The Date (The Bannister Brothers #1) (9 page)

Yeah, that was it. A quick sneak in and a little grab, and he’d call it good.

So why didn’t it feel good? Why did thinking about calling it off with her make him feel so bad? He could feel the scowl descend on his face, and the familiar dark cloud settle in around him.

Turning, he snatched a roll of wrapping paper off the shelf. “You want to grab a couple of bows and cards, and let’s get out of here.”

They checked out, and Owen carried the bags then tossed them in the back of the 4Runner. He opened the door for her, and she slid into the seat.

The ride back to her apartment was quiet—a little small talk, but mostly just listening to music.

He pulled up to the bakery and got out to open her door. “Thanks for coming with me. You made it much more fun and kept me from making a fool of myself by waltzing into the party carrying a couple of bicycles.”

“It seems to me that you think you make a fool of yourself much more often than anyone else thinks you do.”

“Pick you up at six?” he asked, brushing off her comment. “If you still want to go.”

“Of course I still want to go.” Tipping up, she dropped a quick kiss on his cheek then turned to go up the stairs. “I don’t want to miss out on seeing the kids,” she called over her shoulder, getting in one last shot.

Nice. He shook his head and chuckled as he got back in the truck. He could tell she had a brother, because she sure wasn’t a pushover. She gave it as good as she got. Which was one more thing that he liked about her.

The list was growing.

He was supposed to be using her to help his image look better, and she’d certainly helped with that father and son in the toy store today. Especially if they posted that picture on social media. He’d even remembered to smile. That part hadn’t been hard.

Gabby had been holding the camera, and all he had to do was look at her and a smile broke out on his face. He rubbed his cheek where she’d left the brief kiss.

Geez. He was getting sappy.

Time to put this thing back into perspective. Gabby was a temporary distraction. Something to help his reputation.

So why couldn’t he get her, and her lips, out of his head?

Chapter Seven

Gabby smoothed on a swipe of lip gloss and took a last look at herself in the mirror. The pale pink dress fit perfectly—the silky fabric draping elegantly along her figure.

The design was classic, but the long slit up one side gave it a just a hint of sexy. The bodice dipped to a V in the front, tasteful but still showing a glimpse of her ample cleavage.

The magnificent dress made her feel like a princess in a fairy tale. A beautiful, sexy princess. Too bad she didn’t know if her night was going to end up with a prince or a toad.  

A knock sounded at her door, and her mouth went dry. The prince had arrived.

She reached for her clutch and noticed her hand was trembling. When had she last been this nervous about a date?

She needed to get a grip. She didn’t even know if this
was
a date.

Striding through the living room, she took a deep breath before opening the door.

And then she couldn’t breathe at all.

Owen Bannister stood on her doorstep holding a pink corsage, wearing a tuxedo, and looking so ridiculously handsome that it took her breath away.

He was flawless in his black tux and white starched shirt. His hair was still damp and curled on the ends, and he smelled marvelous. He grinned, and something inside of her tumbled.

She was afraid it was her heart.

His gaze traveled the length of her body, and he let out his breath. “Wow. You look amazing.”

“You smell amazing.”

Really?
She was such an idiot. Why didn’t she think about her words before she just let them run free all willy-nilly from her mouth?

He chuckled. “Thank you.”

“Come in.” She stepped back and inhaled as he walked past her. Oh. My. Gosh. Maybe she shouldn’t have said it, but the man did smell
so
good.

Maybe they should forget the fancy party. Forget the dress. Like literally lose the dress and just get naked and spend the night wrapped up in her bed.

Where did that come from? Her inner vixen was trying to come out and play. But the practical side of Gabby pushed her back. What about the kids? And he had paid for the dinner, so they shouldn’t waste it. And this dress. It was amazing. It would be a shame not to get to wear it out.

He held out the corsage, breaking into her inner struggle of deciding if they should go out or if she should just forget being rational and jump the guy. “This is for you.”

A corsage? Wow. She clutched her hand to her chest, as if trying to hold in her heart. It was pounding so hard, she was afraid it might beat through her chest. “I’ve never been given a corsage before.”

“What? Not even for prom? Or a school dance?”

She shook her head. She didn’t need to tell him that she hadn’t gone to school dances. That she had already been working by the time she was a junior in high school and didn’t have time for such frivolous things as dances. She’d been intent on saving every dime in an effort to get out of her house and live on her own as soon as she graduated.

Taking the pink rose corsage from the container, he slid the elastic band around her wrist. “There. It’s perfect.” He stood back and looked her up and down. “You’re perfect. You look beautiful.”

The compliment, and the way his eyes traveled over her body, heated her skin like a warm liquid moving through her. It sure felt like he was flirting, like he was giving off ‘I want you’ kind of signals. But his signals had been so inconsistent that she couldn’t tell for sure. One minute he was laughing and had her in his arms, ready to make out with her in the toy aisle, the next he was scowling and brooding.

She gave him a skeptical look.

“What?”

“I’m still not sure if I’m doing you a favor or if this is a date?”

He looked down at her dress then gave her a panty-melting grin. “Oh, this is a date. It’s definitely a date.”

Her inner vixen woke up and started doing a cheer. Give me an O. Give me a W. Give me an E.N. And give him to me. NOW.

“You ready?” He held out his hand.

Was she?

She took his hand, and he led her out of the apartment and down the stairs. She gasped as she saw the black Porsche sitting on the street. “What happened to the 4Runner?”

He chuckled as held the door open for her. “Nothing happened to it. I just thought you might like this one better for tonight.”

She slid onto the expensive leather seat and inhaled the new car smell. “How many cars do you have?” she asked, as he slipped into the driver’s seat next to her.

He shrugged, which was not an answer. “I like cars.”

“I like this car.” Looking around the interior, she spied two beautifully wrapped gifts sitting on the back seat. “Wow. Did you wrap those presents?”

He put the car into gear and sped forward. “I’d like to impress you and say yes. But no. I stopped by to see my folks after I dropped you off, and my mom wrapped them for me. I told you she loves Christmas.”

“You just stopped by to see your parents today? Why?” She couldn’t think of a time when she voluntarily wanted to stop by her parents’ house. She only went over when she’d been summoned. And then she knew she didn’t have a choice.

“What do you mean why? Do I need a reason? I just felt like it. My brothers and I stop over there all the time.” He glanced over at her. “Don’t you ever just drop by your folks’ house? Just because you feel like seeing them?”

She laughed, but not a ‘
funny ha-ha
’ laugh. More like a ‘
are you kidding me right now?
’ kind of laugh. “Not hardly. I only go over there when I have to. I’m not really close to my parents. Especially my step-dad.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

She changed the subject, not wanting to talk about her family, or her step-dad. “Do you know what they’re serving for dinner tonight?”

He shook his head. “No idea. But at five hundred dollars a plate, it should be something good.”

“Five hundred dollars a plate? Holy cow. I mean it. Seriously—are they serving a holy cow? Dishing up a solid gold-encrusted fatted calf?” Just how much money did an NHL hockey player make?

He chuckled. “I hope so. That sounds delicious. But it will probably just be plain old steak. Most of the money goes to the charity.”

They pulled in to the valet line in front of the event center. The rich and famous of Denver spilled out of fancy cars and limousines and paraded up the long red carpet leading to the doors. Cameras flashed as reporters and paparazzi vied for the best shots.

Her palms started to sweat. What was she thinking? She was completely out of her element. “I didn’t know there’d be so many people here. Look at those beautiful women.”

Owen slipped her hand into his. “I only see one beautiful woman.”

There was no way she could walk up that carpet now. She’d just melted into a warm puddle in the seat. Owen’s eyes were on hers, and they only held sincerity. None of his normal flirty charm, just true honest feeling. She swallowed, unable to speak above more than a whisper. “Thank you.”

“I mean it. Those woman are all going to be jealous of you.”

She grinned. “Just because I’m on your arm.”

He reached up and touched the corner of her lip. A chill ran down her spine, and butterflies quivered in her stomach. “No. Because you’re gorgeous, and you look amazing in this dress.”

“Let me at least carry the gifts. Then I’ll have something to hold on to.” She grabbed the presents from the back seat and crushed them against her chest.

“You can hold on to me.” The valet signaled him, and he moved forward in the line.

They pulled up to the red carpet, and he gave her hand another squeeze before the valet opened the car door. Cameras flashed, and she heard murmured questions about who she was. She felt like a movie star as she stepped on to the red carpet. And nervous as hell. Was it too late to jump back in the car and get Owen to take her for pizza and a movie instead?

She took a tentative step forward.

Oh God, what if she tripped? Her hands trembled with nerves—then Owen was there.

His strong arm wrapped around her waist, and he looked down and gave her a heart-stopping grin. “I got you.”

Yes. He did. He had her heart right in the center of his powerful hand.

She wasn’t sure exactly when she’d given it to him, but it was his just the same. There was no choice and no going back now. He could crush it or cherish it, but it belonged to him.

She smiled, leaning against his solid frame, and stood tall as he guided her up the red carpet. Obviously used to this, he was a pro at pausing for a picture, turning them toward a camera, and playing the crowd. He stopped to sign a couple of autographs, usually for kids. But after each time, he wrapped his arm back around her and always made sure she was his focus.

By the time they reached the door, her cheeks hurt from smiling so much, but she couldn’t help it. She was having a great time.

They stepped through the door and left the noise of the reporters behind.

She let out a breath. “Geez. Is it always like that? That was crazy.”

Owen nodded. “Yeah, big events like these draw a lot of reporters. You’ll probably see some celebrities tonight and some big-name athletes.”

He was obviously a big name athlete. Lots of reporters had wanted to snap shots of him. Was this normal for him, or how much of that had to do with the Twitter buzz from the day before?

She gave him a questioning look. “You seemed like you were really good at that. Like you were having fun. That’s so different from how you’re portrayed in most of your pictures. It’s hard to find pictures of you even smiling. Why does it seem like the only pictures of you that reporters normally snap having you frowning or looking sullen?”

“Because I’m usually pissed at them being there, or I’ve been hounded by posers wanting to hang out with me all night. I’m also a defenseman so it’s my job to come across as mean and tough, like no one can get through me.”

“You didn’t seem very mean and tough tonight.”

He smiled down at her—a smile filled with mischief. “That’s because I didn’t feel pissed or angry. I was having fun.” He leaned down and brushed a quick kiss just below her ear. “You make me kind of happy.”

His voice was low and husky in her ear, and heat shot through her. She didn’t how to respond—couldn’t speak if she tried. All she could do was smile, like her face was permanently fixed in a grin.

The corner of his lip tipped up in amusement, and he pulled her against him. “How do you know what I usually look like in pictures? Did you google me?”

She laughed. “Possibly. I may have looked up a few pictures of you.” A few hundred. She’d spent more time than she’d intended on the internet last night searching out stories and pictures of him. Every one that she saw only made her hungry for more.

It made her sad seeing so many photos of him looking unhappy and scared the hell out of her to read the captions depicting him as an elusive womanizing playboy.

She’d resolved the night before to keep this fun and easy. He was a good-looking guy who wanted to hang out with her. No harm in that. She’d decided to go with it. Enjoy being teased and flirted with. She was smart enough to know something with him wouldn’t last, so why not enjoy it while it did. As long as she didn’t start to care about him.

Oops. Too late for that. Her resolutions had flown out the door when she’d opened it and saw him standing there wearing a tux and a heart-breaking smile.

A throng of people pushed through the door, and he chuckled and led her into the ballroom. He presented their tickets to a gorgeous woman holding a clipboard and wearing an eye-popping gold and black dress.

“Thank you, Mr. Bannister. You’ll be seated at table eight. The kids will sit at the table with you and have their seats already assigned. This packet should help answer any questions you have. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.” The woman gave Owen a sultry once-over, but he didn’t take the bait.

Instead, he offered her a polite thank you, took the folder and led Gabby toward their table.

She glanced at the name cards. “It looks like the kids assigned to us are Marnie and Benjamin.”

They took their chairs as a large group of kids were shepherded in at the front of the room. The majority of the kids seemed quiet and shy in the big room filled with people, but a few of them were acting up and running in circles. All of them were dressed in their holiday best, and the girls had their hair curled and adorned with ribbons and sparkly bows.

A harried looking woman ushered two kids to their table and introduced them. “Hi, there. This is Marnie and Benjamin. They’re both in fourth grade. They will be sitting at your table for the meal. We’re having the kids eat before the G-I-F-T-S.”

The boy looked up at her and gave her an exaggerated sigh. “We’re in fourth grade. We know how to spell.” He had blond hair and wore small wire-rimmed glasses. A cowlick stuck up from the back of his head, and he looked like a cross between Harry Potter and Dennis the Menace.