“You’re asking me on a date?”
“Yeah. Is that a problem?”
“No. I’m just surprised.”
“Why? Don’t you eat?”
She chuckled. “Of course I do. I guess I didn’t expect that from you.”
“What? Eating or dating?”
She rolled her eyes. “Dating.”
“I don’t. You’re the first woman I’ve asked out to dinner in about ten or more years.”
Glancing away, she said, “Yeah. Right.”
He stepped closer to her and lifted her chin so she had to meet his eyes. “I want to take you out to dinner tonight.”
“Dinner,” she muttered, still in disbelief.
“Yeah, like in a restaurant, a table, food. You sitting across from me… no biting.” A grin spread across his face. “Unless you want to, but in that case, I get to bite back.” He ran his fingers through her hair.
Shaking her head, she laughed. “You’re too much.”
“So are you,” he leaned down and kissed her softly and then pulled away. “When are you done working your shift?”
“In a couple of hours.”
He let his hand drop and stepped back. “Give me your address and phone number. I’ll give you my number. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“And if I don’t answer the door?”
“Then I’ll knock again. And again. Then I’ll break it down.”
Her stomach flipped with equal parts irritation and desire. “I bet you would do that, wouldn’t you?”
“Fuck yeah.” His smile was pure wicked heat.
“I’ll meet you at the restaurant,” she said.
“Like hell you will. I’ll pick you up in my cage. My bike’s in the shop.”
A sliver of disappointment snaked through her; she wanted to ride behind him on his Harley, her arms tight around him, the feel of the wind rushing all around them.
“Okay,” she said. “Against my better judgment, I’ll go out to dinner with you.”
“You know you want to.”
“You keep talking and I’ll change my mind.”
He winked and took out his phone.
A few minutes later, he turned for the door, looked back at her, winked, then walked out of the storeroom.
Casey waited for the door to shut before a huge grin spread over her mouth. Her phone vibrated the minute she returned to the register. She glanced down, expecting to see Rags’s name light up on the screen, but Zoe’s name flashed instead.
She swiped to answer. “Hi, Zoe. Sorry I didn’t get back to you earlier. I’ve been… busy.”