Under Cash’s appreciative gaze, her cheeks heated, then scorched when she suddenly registered his appearance.

Oh, sweet mother of God. The man filled out a suit like nobody’s business. The black jacket hugged his broad shoulders, and the top two buttons of his crisp white dress shirt were undone, revealing his strong, corded throat. He looked sexy as hell, and he smelled like heaven when he leaned in to kiss her. The scent of his aftershave gave her a head rush; his firm lips as they gently brushed over hers made her even dizzier.

“Are you sure we’re not jinxing it?” she murmured when they broke apart. “We’re kind of putting the cart before the horse by celebrating what might not end in a job offer.”

He took her hand and led her to the door. “It’s not the job offer that matters. It’s that someone looked at your photos and recognized your talent. A job would just be the icing on the cake. If you don’t get it, then you can apply somewhere else, knowing that you are good enough.”

His thoughtful words made her heart soar. God, for a man who claimed not to know what to say to women, he seemed to be doing a damn good job.

Cash held her hand the entire way down to the parking lot, letting go only to open the car door for her. His long, masculine fingers stroked her palm as he drove away from the building.

Ten minutes later, when he pulled up in front of Primrose, Jen looked over in surprise. “How’d you swing a reservation?”

“I know the chef,” Cash answered with a grin. Then he hesitated. “I know this place probably reminds you of Carson, but everywhere else I called didn’t have a table.”

She squeezed his hand. “It’s all right. But let’s promise not to talk about my idiot brother tonight.”

“Done.”

She felt a bit like Cinderella as she followed Cash into the restaurant. The place was filled to capacity, but Holly must have pulled some serious strings, because the hostess led them to one of the more secluded tables in the main room. The pristine white tablecloth and glowing candles made Jen smile, and then Cash pulled out a chair for her, giving her an even bigger princess complex.

“I could get used to all this gallantry,” she teased.

His blue eyes softened. “I could get used to being gallant.”

They settled in their chairs and reached for the menus. Jen tried not to raise her eyebrows when she glimpsed the price list. Jeez, she needed to talk to her sister-in-law about something called the recession. But based on previous visits, she couldn’t deny that the food here was to die for, which was probably why it was so damn expensive.

Cash ordered a bottle of red wine and they toasted to her interview. For the next hour, they chatted easily, swiping food off each other’s plates and later sharing a decadent piece of chocolate cake. At some point during the evening, it occurred to her that this was their first real date, a realization that both pleased and disturbed her. She decided not to dwell on the latter, choosing to focus on her good news, the great food and the even greater company. God, why was being with Cash so…effortless?

By the time they got back to the apartment, Jen had never felt happier or more relaxed.

“Thanks for dinner,” she murmured, kissing Cash’s clean-shaven cheek. “I had a really nice time, cowboy.”

“The night’s not over yet,” he said, reaching for her hand.

He led her to the bedroom, where Jen gasped. Candles had been arranged all over the room. The yellow glow and the shadows dancing on the walls created a romantic ambience that made her heart do a little flip. The bed, which Cash had left in disarray the entire two and half weeks she’d been here, was now perfectly made with a new bedcover and fresh pillowcases.

When had he done all this? Probably when she’d been up at Annabelle’s, Jen deduced, but then another thought occurred to her, causing her eyes to narrow.

“Did you leave the candles burning the entire time we were out? Because that is such a fire hazard!”

He chuckled. “No, I texted Annabelle when we pulled into the lot and told her to light them.” He came up behind her and brushed his lips over the nape of her neck. “Sit on the edge of the bed.”

Jen practically floated to the bed, her pulse speeding up when Cash sank to his knees in front of her. He slid her stilettos off one by one, then moved his fingers beneath the hem of her dress and rolled the fabric up her legs. When her thigh-high stockings were revealed, he groaned.

“Oh, I like these,” he rasped, trailing his fingers over the sheer stockings.

Anticipation built inside her as Cash slowly unrolled each stocking, his fingers leaving a trail of heat along her skin. He ran his hands over her bare legs, then bunched the hem of her dress with his fists and slid the fabric up and over her head.

Left in a black strapless bra and skimpy panties, she met Cash’s eyes. The longing and appreciation on his face made her palms go damp and her heart beat faster.

“Have I told you how beautiful you are?” he murmured.

“Only about, oh, a hundred times already.”

“Let’s make it a hundred and one then. You’re beautiful, Jen.”

He looked beautiful himself, his eyes shining in the candlelight, his gorgeous face softer than she’d ever seen it.

Her throat clogged with emotion. Her heart squeezed. Her hands trembled. God, something was happening. The way he was looking at her, the tenderness with which he touched her… She sensed something changing between them, but she was too scared to label it, too scared to let it fully sink in.