
She had finally decided she was done dating younger men.At forty-eight, she didn't want someone who needed to be taught how to make a woman feel desired. She wanted an older man. A sexy man who knew exactly what he was doing and had learned that the best things in life weren't rushed.And then she met him.The foreplay started before the appetizers ever arrived.It was in his smile. His scent. His eyes when they settled on hers and stayed there just a second longer than necessary.He had her forgetting what she was saying halfway through a sentence."I'm sorry," she murmured, suddenly aware that her cheeks were burning. "I need to visit the ladies' room."He stood and pulled her chair out for her.As she stepped past him, he moved just close enough that their bodies brushed. Slowly. Deliberately.Their faces came level for a fleeting second. She caught the warmth of his breath and the faint sweetness of his cologne, and a shiver traveled down her spine.His fingers grazed lightly across her waist as she passed.She stopped.Took a breath.Then another.Her knees felt strangely unsteady, so she cleared her throat and kept walking, pretending she hadn't just forgotten how legs worked.In the restroom, she stared at herself in the mirror."Get it together," she whispered.But the smile she couldn't suppress gave her away.When she returned, he was watching her approach.Slowly, he smiled.Then he leaned back, completely relaxed, as though he hadn't just spent the last several minutes making her lose her mind from across a restaurant."I've paid the bill," he said. "In case you were ready to go. I'm in no hurry if you weren't quite ready yet."His eyes held hers."We have all night."She swallowed."I'm ready," she whispered.He took her hand.Not hurriedly. Not possessively. Just confidently.Outside, he opened the passenger door for her. As she climbed in, he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper."Are you sure?"She looked up at him.For once, she didn't need words.She simply nodded.His smile appeared again, slow and knowing.He closed the door and walked around to the driver's side.The drive was almost unbearable.Not because either of them said much, but because every glance between them felt like a promise.When they finally reached his place, he opened her door again and offered his hand.She took it.Inside, he didn't rush toward her.Instead, he stood in front of her, close enough for her to feel his warmth."You've been nervous all evening," he murmured."Maybe."He smiled."Good."She laughed softly. "Good?""It means you're feeling something."His hand settled gently at her waist.Then he kissed her.Slowly.No hurry. No desperation. Just enough to make her realize exactly why she'd stopped looking for boys and started looking for a man.When he pulled back, their foreheads rested together."Still sure?" he whispered.She smiled."More than ever."His fingers intertwined with hers as he led her down the hallway, and the bedroom door closed behind them.For the first time in a very long time, she wasn't wondering what would happen next.She already knew.And judging by the look in his eyes, so did he.

