Honey Trapped

Chapter Five

As the days blurred into weeks, Pria realized how much trouble she was in. She liked him. She really liked him. She liked his smile, his body, his sense of humor, the way he made time for her, and his creative ideas for date nights. She even liked his gentlemanly behavior, even though it drove her crazy in equal measure.

She'd never dated a man this long who had been so strict with himself, and Pria was learning that there was such a thing as being too gentlemanly. Yes, he'd relaxed enough with her that he now would allow himself to hold her hand and kiss her cheek in greeting, but that was it. His level of attraction to her was still a mystery. If it weren't for his daily phone calls, text messages, and routine date nights, she might have written him off by now. It was the sizzle of attraction she felt whenever he was near that kept her from doing so. Pria was in lust for the first time in her life, and the intoxication of it kept her hoping for more.

When her phone rang and his name flashed across the screen of her cell phone, Pria broke into a grin. "Hello?"

"Hey, beautiful. How are you?"

God, she loved his voice. She could listen to him babble on for hours and never get bored. "Better now that I hear your voice. You?"

"I'm fine. Was just thinking about you. Enzo had to cancel today's job, so I have the day off. Want to do something?"

Pria smiled. "Sure, but I'm volunteering today. Dinner?"

"Mm," he said. "I don't want to wait. Can I go with you?"

"Really?" There was no way to keep the excitement from her voice.

"Yeah. I don't like spending my days off without you. What time are they expecting you?"

"In an hour."

"Pick you up in fifteen."

The adoption event was packed and animals were getting adopted left and right. Housed on the Central Park lawn, dogs were everywhere, some on leashes, others in crates. People milled around, petting this animal or that.

Pria watched Drew as he interacted with her fellow volunteers and smothered a snicker of amusement as the women flirted openly with him. He took it in stride, smiling politely and speaking congenially, but kept his hand firmly on Pria's hip, silently declaring where his interest lay.

As the day wore on and Pria was drawn into the work they were doing, Drew did what he could to help where he was needed. Even though Drew didn't wear one of the volunteer T-shirts the rest wore, women dubiously interested in adopting an animal seemed keen on approaching him, asking him questions about whatever animal caught their attention. Pria rolled her mental eye several times until an older woman in her eighties reached up to feel his bicep suggestively. She snarfed on her water then.

Drew smiled warmly at the woman and murmured something that made the lady blush and flutter her hands. He excused himself, and as he walked away, he scowled at Pria. "You couldn't save me?"

She blinked up at him innocently. "Far be it from me to be a cockblock. It looked like you were having a good time."

He wrapped an arm around her neck and drew her into a playful headlock so he could kiss the top of her head. "One of these days, woman..."

"Yeah, yeah." She swatted him away.

A fearful cry had Drew looking around and then rushing to a little girl of about three. Her face was tear stained and her frightened expression was pitiful. Pria followed Drew, reaching him just as he knelt in front of the little girl. "Hey, peanut. Are you lost?"

The little girl nodded through a wail and popped a thumb into her mouth.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Who are you here with?"