John drove and waited patiently for her explanation but none came. "When are you going to tell me?""Can you just let it slip for now? I"m not yet ready to confide my secrets to you." Her eyes were looking outside the window, but s.p.a.cing out. Instead, her mind played his heated gaze on her before they left the parking lot. That manly reaction was not new to her. She saw those same look from that hated guy in her life. Diane thought John would kiss her right then.
"You said you"re happy to work with me. So why not confide with me? I"m a good listener. I might be of help to you."
"Maybe, but please, not now." She knew, revealing her secrets to him could lead them to get closer, and she might fall for him. And ... it could be another heartbreak, she supposed.
"At least, give me something that I can hold on, something to ease my mind and heart," said John.
Diane slipped him a curious glance. "I understand the mind but I don"t understand the heart portion."
He chuckled, but his eyes fixed on the road ahead. "You will understand it later."
"It sounds dramatic and sickening." She smirked but concealed it.
"There"s nothing sickening to it, but dramatic will do."
She was getting a headache listening to his innuendo. "Can we stop this topic? I find it nauseous."
"Fine. But you have to thank me."
"Thank you," she said in a casual manner.
"No, it"s not enough. A dinner date will do."
"Ugh!" She smacked her forehead. "If I tell you the reason why I was there, will you stop then?"
"It depends," John said, gladdened by seizing control of the conversation. She had no choice but to brazen it out.
"Then I won"t tell you. And by the way, you are the great Dr. Casanova I"ve heard in the hospital. Why date a bland girl like me? Date those pretty nurses and doctors. Not me."
"Who said you"re bland? Trust me when I tell you, Diane. You are fascinating and nothing less. And I don"t know about that Casanova thing. In fact, that description doesn"t fit me at all."
"Really? I guess, kissing and bedding women are a common occurrence to you."
Suddenly, the wheels" brakes. .h.i.t hard on the ground, making a screeching sound due to the sudden stop in the middle of the road. Their bodies jerked forward. Thank goodness, their seat belt was fastened well.
"What?" He faced her. Her accusing words sparked his anger but controlled it inside him. "Do you have any proof to back your a.s.sumptions? If you have, then I"ll yield and let you go. If not..." He let it trail and waited on how she would take that.
She drew a sharp breath, tensed to see his reddening face. Diane understood he was angry. "Sorry, I only heard them."
John nimbly unfastened his seat belt and his body bent forward abruptly to meet her eye to eye, making her gasped in fear. She, like a prey, moved back against the car door, her palms acting as a s.h.i.+eld from the approaching predator John.
"Do you really want to know?" asked John.
She avoided his gaze and hesitated to reply, hoping the man would let her go.
"Diane, I never thought you"re the type who easily believes in idle gossips. I suggest you take away that bad habit." He moved inch per inch toward her. "I admit kissing those girls, but most of them initiated it. And I"m not a promiscuous man as you suggested. I"m not a fool to be tangled to any woman I don"t love just because I played fire with them." His voice was dense.
"Sorry," she said again, but softly this time. It was the only word she could utter since his nose almost touched her palms. His breath was against it. She thought he would wrench her blocking hand away and kiss her again. It made her heart race, but to her disappointment, he did not.
"Then you have no choice but join me for dinner twice," he said bluntly, but feeling victorious inside.
"Heh? Twice?" Her eyes got bigger as the owl"s as she looked at him. Her mouth gaping.
"Yes, twice. The first, for saving you. The second, as your apology."
John smiled. He got her this time.