I haven't heard from Rain in two weeks and am disappointed as hell. While finishing up my shift with Kelsey, she approaches me.

"Hey, Summer, Momma needs a break." Kelsey looks at me pleadingly.

"McGrath's?"

"Yes, please! I just need to text Jim and let him know that we're going out."

Kelsey claps excitedly, and I chuckle at her antics.

We arrive at McGrath's ten minutes later, still wearing our scrubs. The barstools are all taken, so we grab a high-top table. Gus is behind the bar. He sees us and waves. We watch as he makes our drinks and sets them on the bar before giving another customer his attention. I go to the bar to grab the glasses, return to our table, and push Kelsey's gin and tonic to her. She grasps it with both hands and swiftly pulls it to her thirsty lips.

My phone buzzes, and I glance at it. Unknown number, I ignore it. The caller can leave me a message.

I grab Kelsey's hand. "So, what's the deal? Why the emergency momma break?"

She smiles. "I was due."

My phone buzzes again. I ignore it.

"Are you going to get that?" Kelsey inquires.

I look at my phone and see the same unknown number left me a text message. I click on it.

Summer, this is Rain. I've been out of town for two weeks, and I would love it if you would go on a date with me this weekend. I didn't want to do this through text, but you're not picking up your phone.

I smile.

Kelsey looks at me curiously. "What?"

I feel the heat warm my cheeks.

"Summer Ann Dalton, spill!" She demands.

"Do you remember the guy I told you about the night your loser cousin bailed on me?"

Kelsey cringes when I mention her cousin.

"You mean the dreamboat that saved the day?"

I can't keep the cheesy grin off of my face.

"Yep. Rain just texted me. He wants to see me this weekend for a date."

Cocking her brow, Kelsey replies, "I thought that you hadn't heard from him for two weeks?"

"He was apparently out of town on business." I shrug.

"Please don't make excuses for him. He couldn't even shoot you a text to let you know what was going on. Instead, he left you hanging for two weeks."

Momma Kelsey shakes her head in disappointment.

"You don't think that I should meet him, do you?" I respond quietly.

Kelsey takes my hand into hers.

"It's not my decision to make. Just follow your gut."

The remainder of our time together, Kelsey tells me about her crazy kids. After one more drink, she leaves to head home. I grab an empty barstool, take out my phone, and text back Rain.

What do you have in mind?

My phone rings a second later.

"Hello."

"Summer."

"Hey, Rain."

"Where are you?"

He must hear the voices in the background.

"McGrath's."

"I'll be right there," he says while disconnecting the call.

The realization hits me. Rain is coming to McGrath's right now, and I'm in my scrubs and must look like a complete mess. Gus refills my glass. I take this moment to slip into the ladies' room to fix my messy bun, pinch my cheeks, and sigh; there is no fixing the mess that is me. It will not surprise me if Rain runs in the opposite direction when he sees me.

I return to my seat and make a conscious decision not to give a shit about what Rain Grant thinks of me. He can accept me or leave. I'm proud of the woman that I am. No man can take that from me.

I detect Rain's scent before he places his hand on my shoulder.

"Hello, Rain."

"Summer."

He squeezes my shoulder before sitting on the barstool beside me. I unconsciously lean into his touch. He smirks as he sees the effect that he has on me. My damn body betrays me.

"Miss me?" He whispers in that damn deep, sexy voice.

"You wish."

He chuckles at my response.

"Well, I missed you, Gorgeous. I couldn't wait to get back to Harrisburg. By the way, you're rocking those scrubs. Damn Summer, you can make anything look sexy as hell!"

My breath hitches. This man has a gift. He knows how to speak to a woman, to tell her what she wants to hear. I'm aware of this gift and still fall for it hook, line, and sinker.

"You missed me so much that you couldn't take five seconds to text or call me in the last two weeks."

I take a long sip of my vodka, hating myself for giving him this power over me.

"Summer, Summer, Summer, I didn't take you for a needy woman who needed to know my whereabouts every moment of every day."

"I'm not," I defend myself. "I couldn't give a shit where you have been for the last two weeks. I just thought that I would've heard from you sooner. No big deal, Rain. Don't flatter yourself."

He smirks at me.

"You, my dear Summer, are a breath of fresh air. You're unlike any other woman that I've met. You intrigue me."

I feel the heat go straight to my center at his words. Get a hold of yourself, Summer.

Rain moves his stool closer to me and purposely shifts his leg to touch mine. His contact causes me to shiver. He takes my hand in his and lightly circles his thumb against my skin. I feel my resolve dissipate.

"If you're this gorgeous in your scrubs after work, I can't wait to see you all dolled up for our date."

His comment gets my attention.

"What did you have in mind for our date?"

"Dinner at Char's Tracy Mansion followed by dessert at my house on Saturday. I'll pick you up at 7:00 outside of your building, or my preference, your apartment," Rain confesses and grins mischievously.

I'm impressed that he's giving me the option of picking me up outside of my building or at my apartment door.

"Dessert at your house, huh?"

Rain leans in and bumps my shoulder with his.

"Of course, I make the best brownie sundaes."

I lick my lips and watch as Rain's eyes move to my mouth.

"Mmmm," I moan as Rain's eyes turn dark with desire.

I lean in close, aware that my breasts are brushing against his forearm, and whisper, "I can never say no to a brownie sundae."

Rain is not the only one who can play this flirty game.

Rain adjusts himself on his stool, and I do my best to suppress a smile. He looks at me knowingly. Once our eyes lock together, no one else in the room exists. I peer into his dark eyes and am mesmerized by how the light reveals the storm brewing within them. It reminds me of watching dark clouds rolling in without notice, prepared to wreak havoc.

"Let's get out of here," Rain says as he stands, grasps my hand, and throws a twenty on the bar.

Shocked, I wordlessly follow Rain out of McGrath's like a petulant child.

After several steps down the busy sidewalk, I finally find my voice.

"Where are we going?"

He responds, "To your apartment. You deserve to be properly picked up Saturday for our date. I refuse to have you meet me on the street. You are worth so much more than that, Summer."

Well, damn!

"All right. Thank you, Rain. You're so sweet."

We arrive at my building in record time. I press my thumb on the sensor and hear the door release. Rain looks impressed as we enter the lobby. He glances around, taking in his surroundings. Left of the entrance is a common area with comfortable overstuffed armchairs facing a gas fireplace that is currently unlit due to the warm summer weather. To the right is the front desk, where a security guard is on duty 24 hours a day.

As residents, we must inform security when we're expecting company. We give the guard our guests' names, and they check their identification before allowing them access to the building. I guide Rain over to the security desk.

"Hey, Jonathan."

Jonathan looks up and greets me, "Hello, Summer. How was your day?"

He is on duty on weeknights and greets me this way every time I walk through the door.

I smile. "It was good, thank you. Rain Grant will be coming here Saturday as my guest around 7:00 p.m."

Jonathan writes down the information. "All set."

"Thank you, Jonathan. Enjoy your evening."

"You too, Summer and Mr. Grant."

Rain nods at Jonathan, and we head to the elevator. As we enter, I hit the button for the third floor.

Rain gently squeezes my hand. "I like your building. It is quite impressive."

"Thank you. I love it here." The bell indicates that we have reached the third floor. "Now pay attention. You're on your own Saturday," I tease.

"Shall I take notes?" He smirks.

I pat him on the back. "I have faith in you."

We make a right turn. My apartment is three doors down from the elevator, apartment 306. "Here we are. Home sweet home." I unlock the door and deadbolt.

I switch on the light of my very spacious studio apartment, which is perfect for me. You enter into an open floor plan with hardwood floors throughout. Closets are to the left. To the right of the entryway is a full bath. When you pass the bathroom, there is a kitchen with stainless steel appliances. An island bar that seats four separates the kitchen from the living room/bedroom, my queen-size bed is to the left, and the living area is to the right. The natural sunlight penetrates the wall of the windows. I went with a teal and peach color scheme, which I find calming after working a long day.

"Can I get you something to drink?" I ask Rain as I place my work bag on the floor next to the bar.

"Yes, please. Whatever youre having is good for me."

I pour two glasses of Merlot. I hand one to Rain and take a sip from my glass.

"Would you like the grand tour?" I ask jokingly.

"I would." He grins.

I do not even move from my spot. I just wave my hand around the room like a model showcasing a candy apple red sports car.

"This is the kitchen, the living room, and my bedroom. We passed the bathroom when we entered, in case you missed it."

Rain laughs, and I decide right there and then that it's my favorite sound. "Thank you for the grand tour, Vanna White. This place fits you perfectly."

"Come, sit down."

Rain follows me to my comfy sectional couch with its back facing the bed. It gives the illusion of a separation between rooms. I sit first, and Rain sits close to me and places his arm behind me on the back of the couch. I look down and notice that I'm still wearing my scrubs.

"Are you going to stay for a bit?" I figure if Rain were leaving soon, I would wait to change.

Rain softy strokes my hair. "I'd like to."

"While my scrubs are comfortable, I like to change out of them when I return home."

"Of course."

I place my glass on the large square coffee table centered within the sectional.

"I'll be right back." I hop up and skip to my dresser.

I have a decorative trifold privacy screen in my bedroom area. I grab a pair of navy gym shorts and a yellow ribbed tank, go behind the screen, and disrobe. I slip on my clothes, pull my hair up, and come out from behind the screen.

Rain's jaw drops. "Holy shit, Summer."

I instinctively look down at my clothes. "What's wrong?"

"Not a damn thing." Rain grins and pats the couch next to him.

I sashay over. Rain's eyes never leave mine. God, he makes me feel sexy and powerful. I sit back beside him, turn my body to face him, and tuck my legs underneath me.

Two hours, a frozen pizza, and a bottle of Merlot later, we're laughing uncontrollably about a story Rain told me about his miserable two weeks out of town. He was out to dinner with clients. One of the clients decided to order lobster for the very first time. When the waiter served him his meal, he freaked out. He jumped up, trying to get away from the scary-looking lobster, and ended up toppling the entire table, sending everyone's meals flying.

"Seriously, Summer, you should've seen the fear in Bill's eyes when he was face to face with his monster lobster. It was priceless!"

Rain has been casually caressing my thigh all night. My center is aching for him to go higher, but thankfully my mind is the one in control. I resist my primal desire to straddle the man next to me and give in to the fiery touch that sweetly burns my sensitive skin.

"It's getting late, Summer. I should get going," Rain finishes his wine and stands. I stand too, and we walk into the kitchen to place our glasses into the sink. I take his hand and walk him to the front door.

Rain places his hands on my cheeks, and I once again get lost in his chocolate eyes. He leans down, and I close my eyes, waiting for his soft lips to embrace mine. Instead, he kisses my forehead.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening, Summer. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and am looking forward to Saturday."

He opens my door and leaves me standing there stunned. Damn!

Saturday finally arrives. I've spent the last two hours trying on every outfit in my closet and am at my wit's end when I notice a red glimmer in the back. I pull it out, perfect.

I slip it on, and it flawlessly fits my curves. I slip on a pair of strappy black sandals. My makeup is natural, and my hair is curled into beach waves with a loose half-up, braiding the upper part into a fishtail.

There's a knock on my door, so I glance at my clock, 6:55, and smile at Rain's punctuality, taking one last look into the mirror. Satisfied, I walk over and open the door. There stands Rain holding a dozen roses.

"Rain! They're beautiful!" I reach out, assuming that he will give them to me. He does not move.

"Rain?"

His eyes take their time roaming up and down my body.

"Like what you see?" I tease and turn seductively around, giving him a little show.

My silky red dress has a deep v-neck that accentuates the fullness of my breasts. The hem goes down to my thighs with a slit that reaches just below my hip. The scooped back falls just above my plump ass.

"My God, Summer. Wow! That dress is incredible. You're beyond stunning. I can't even think straight."

Heat makes its way into my pale cheeks.

"Thank you," I say while taking the roses from him.

"I'm going to put these in water, and then we can leave."

I feel Rain's eyes following my every step.

"Ready?"

Rain takes my arm and escorts me to the elevator.

I hear him mumble. "I can't wait to get you outta that dress."

I smile to myself, success.