black belt. This was probably as dressed-up as he got. Did

he even own a jacket or a tie?

O.E. gave her a delighted smile as he came to the table.

His gray, piercing eyes never left hers as he approached,

wiping away any thoughts of a poor beach bum and

reminding Rebecca why she had agreed to have dinner. She

stood up to greet him.

O.E. took her hands in his and gave her a quick kiss on

the lips. "Rebecca, it's nice to see you. Sorry I'm late. Were

you waiting long?"

Hello, Mr. Considerate. As self-centered people went, he

had a winning personality. And even though his kiss was

brief, she felt a tingle on her lips, a thrill in her heart, and an

unusual pleasure at simply being here with him. She replied

with a parched mouth. "No, I just got here. You're not late."

The waitress came over, handed them menus, and took

their drink orders. Rebecca studied the menu. At one point,

as she read the offerings, she looked up to see O.E. watching

her with glimmering eyes, his menu closed on the table. "I

can tell you eat here often. What's good?"

"I'm having one of the house specials tonight: spicy

ragout of lamb. The stew is awesome."

"Which fish do you recommend?"

"Skip the salmon-the sauce is plebeian. Get the

bluefish-they do it right."

There's no room for doubt with this guy. He knew the

menu cold and had an opinion about everything. Rebecca

narrowed her eyes. "You really know this place. Do you

come here often? I mean, this isn't super expensive, but it

isn't the most budget-oriented restaurant either."

O.E. opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and

smiled. "Just because I don't have a job, doesn't mean I can't

afford to eat here. I have enough money for now. When I

need more, I'll go back to work."

"That's an interesting idea. You work until you have

enough money, then you quit and coast. How long since you

worked?"

O.E. paused before answering. "Four years. But please,

Rebecca, don't worry about money. I can pay for anything

you want. In fact, if you like this place, maybe I'll hire the

chef to come cook for us." He gave her a twisted smile.

Rebecca snorted. "Oh please! Is there anything you

think you can't do?"

"Very little-hardly anything at all. Well, I suppose I

can't give birth or become a wet nurse, but I've managed to

accomplish nearly everything else."

There's that raging ego again. It made Rebecca feel like

she was a little child, dominated by an older sister who




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