Hitting the Mark. Jill Monroe

Nice flat stomach, narrow hips. Fine-looking package. Okay, so she looked lower. Big deal. He pulled out a five.

      “I can even make you change,” she said with a smile.

      She could imagine it right now. Slide him three bucks and a dryer sheet, pocket the extra. Daddy had taught her well.

      But she wouldn’t. Because damn it, she was determined to be an honest person.

      Also, a very rude one. Rudeness kept people away, and that’s how she liked it. It was the way it had to be. When people got close to you, they began expecting things. Wanting to know personal, private details.

      He pushed the money into her hand. His long, lean fingers warm and strong as he folded her fingers around the cash. “If you need it that badly, keep the whole five.” The man took one of her sheets, turned his back and tossed it into one of the oversized dryers in the corner.

      He looked just as good from the back as he did from the front.

      Shoving the bill into her pocket, Danni was at a loss. She’d come out on top in this little encounter. Hadn’t she?

      Danni grabbed her book and sat. Freeing her mind to the wide-open world of court reporting, she tried to forget the man. She should be memorizing the abbreviation for parenthesis. She had a mock deposition to study for. Uh-huh, that was irony there.

      Her gaze strayed to the man folding his socks. What if he started folding his underwear? What if he didn’t?

      Despite the thinness of her T-shirt, she broke out in a light sweat. This was a man who deserved underwear speculation. He also took the fun out of it by giving her all five bucks.

      And yet that made him even sexier.

      Maybe she hadn’t needed to be that rude. But the man stirred up every instinct not to talk to him. Perhaps that was a good thing—her track record with men was awful. And she always went with her gut. So should she go against it for once, and go for him instead? The last of his clothes were already dry, there wouldn’t be much more of an opportunity.

      Grabbing a dryer sheet, she walked to the table where he stood shaking out another pair of well-worn jeans. He didn’t react as she approached. She waved the dryer sheet in his field of vision. The flowery scent of a summer day wafted between them. At least that was the scent mentioned on the package.

      Mr. Gorgeous turned toward her and raised an eyebrow.

      “I’m waving the dryer sheet white flag of peace. Maybe I was a little rude back there.”

      “A little?” he asked, his voice low and rumbly. And very, very sexy.

      “It should be two dryer sheets for a dollar. I misquoted the price earlier.” Okay, if he could work “dryer sheets” into a cheesy pickup line, so could she.

      Without touching her, he tugged the sheet from her fingers.

      In spite of the white flag, she refused to give up. “Actually, the going rate for five dollars is two dryer sheets and a cup of coffee.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out his bill. “And I just happen to have five dollars.”

      “I just happen to be thirsty.” The humor reappeared in his dark eyes.

      “There’s a coffee shop at the end of this block. Why don’t I meet you there in about thirty minutes? My clothes should be dry by then.”

      “Thirty minutes it is,” he told her.

      But she knew the truth. He wouldn’t show up. Sure, he’d accepted, but then who wouldn’t in order to get the crazy person at the Laundromat away from them? Besides, he was definitely corporate. Corporate never went for her.

      

      TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER, Danni slid her laundry basket with clean clothes into the trunk of her car and slammed the lid. She turned and faced the street. Five minutes to go. She couldn’t seem too eager. She dug out her cell phone and dialed Cassie’s number.

      “I’ve asked someone out for coffee,” Danni said as soon as her best friend answered.

      “It’s snowing outside, right?”

      Danni checked the sunny blue sky. “What are you talking about? It’s way past snowing in Reno.”

      “That was sort of my point. You never get my jokes. How did this come about?”

      “I insulted him, took his money, then apologized without really apologizing.”

      “That’s like my last three relationships,” Cassie said, her teasing voice making Danni grin.

      “He won’t show,” Danni said.

      “Whew, that’s better. For a minute there I was afraid you were nervous. But then, your normal cynicism reappeared.”

      “Nerves give men the upper hand on a date.” Was this a date? Meeting? Whatever. Nerves were never good. “You can never show them that you like them.”

      “Absolutely. Dating suicide.”

      “Do I detect a bit of facetiousness in your voice?”

      “If you only detect a bit, then you need your hearing tested. Listen, Danni, since you’ve asked this guy out and that’s a first for you, why don’t you make this a date of firsts. Here’s a guy who knows nothing of your past. He’s not going to be judging you. You’re just a woman, he’s just a man. Enjoy each other’s company. Enjoy the moment. Why are you talking to me when there’s a man waiting for you? I’m hanging up now.” Click.

      She smiled as she closed her cell. Cassie was probably right. Danni hadn’t consciously decided to treat this new guy differently than every other man who’d stumbled into her life. But she had, and that was a valid reason to be nervous.

      After putting her phone back into her purse, Danni locked her car and headed to the coffee shop, leisurely passing by others on the sidewalk. Actually, the coffee shop was more like a bistro, with a selection of breads, teas and coffees. An electronic chime sounded as she strolled through the door.

      Normally her glance would head straight for the refrigerated display cabinet, then she’d stop and look at the specials written on the chalkboard, or take a sample of the bread of the week. Not today. Instead, her gaze went directly to the seating area filled with fashionable glass-topped wrought-iron tables and matching chairs.

      He was there.

      He’d waited for her. Her steps slowed for a moment as she approached him lounging against one of the high-backed barstools. Her knees turned wobbly all of a sudden and she hadn’t expected that.

      So, how should she play this? Classic vamp? No, that wouldn’t work—she wasn’t wearing the right shoes. Girl next door? No, she’d already blown her chance at innocence back at the Laundromat. She paused and that’s when he looked directly at her. He smiled. A slow, open smile that moved across those sexy, sensuous lips of his and every nerve ending in her body fired up.

      She’d been right to be cynical. She’d been right to push him away at the beginning because this man was dangerous. This was the kind of man who made logical women say, “Sure, I’ll invest everything I own in your pyramid scheme.”

      She had no clue how to angle her behavior. Cassie had suggested that Danni should just be a woman. Could it ever be that simple? Just be yourself. Whoever that was.

      Danni realized she was smiling back. I’m an idiot. She slid into the stool beside him, and the waitress came by and asked for their order.

      “You took my money and I don’t even know your name,” he said after a moment of silence.

      “Danielle, but everyone calls me Danni.”

      “I’m Eric.”

      She shook his hand, his fingers feeling softly calloused. “So, Eric, do you usually pick up women while doing your laundry?”

      A moment passed before