good first impression.
She walked the short distance between their condos and knocked on Justin’s door. Within seconds it opened and he stood before her dressed in a pair of dark-blue dress pants and a light-blue shirt that matched his eyes. He smiled widely as those beautiful eyes of his casually looked her up and down. She should have been offended, but she wasn’t. Instead, she felt her heart do a flip-flop that matched her stomach. She also felt her nipples tighten. If she were to make it through dinner without embarrassing herself, she was going to need to get a grip on her libido, something she had never had trouble doing before.
“Kat, you’re right on time and bearing gifts.” He took the wine she handed him and ushered her though the door. Holding up the bottle, he read the label. “Riesling, a German dessert wine. How nice. Thank you.”
“I’m glad you like it. Thank you for having me.” Looking away, she felt the shyness that had plagued her most of her life descend, making her tremble slightly. She wished she weren’t so awkward in unfamiliar situations, especially where men were concerned. She supposed it was lack of experience, but more so, it was just her. She wasn’t a social butterfly, and she supposed at this point in her life, she never would be.
As if sensing her discomfort, Justin grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Continuing to hold her hand, he gently pulled her with him to the kitchen where he placed the bottle of wine in a small wine rack on the counter. Drawing her closer, he leaned into her. “I’m just getting ready to take out dinner. I hope you like pot roast.”
“I love it.” She felt suddenly breathless. Pot roast had never sounded so seductive.
“Thank God.” His voice turned playful. “I thought about running over and asking you, but time got away from me.” However, he leaned in even closer, his lips brushing her ear. “My backup plan was takeout from Jeremiah’s favorite pizzeria.”
“I like pizza, but the pot roast sounds delicious.”
Justin pulled back and smiled, looking down into her eyes. He was about to say something when he looked past her. Kat turned to meet the eyes of the man who she knew must be Jeremiah.
He was about an inch or so taller than Justin. His short, brown hair still damp from his shower was combed back from his face that was a bit more angular than Justin’s. His black pants and white shirt fit him snugly. The top buttons of his shirt were undone enough for her to see his dark curly chest hairs. He had an excellent physique that he obviously didn’t mind showing off. Justin had a more rugged, casual look, where Jeremiah reminded her of a Grecian god. He was gorgeous and that made her more nervous than ever. However, the brothers shared the same smile and beautiful, light-blue eyes.
“Kat, this is Jeremiah.”
He closed the distance between them. “Kat, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Justin hasn’t stopped talking about you since I walked in the door from work. Now I know why.” He smiled, lifting her hand to his lips.
Katlynn was speechless. She just stared at him wishing she could think of something smart or witty to say other than the simple hi that came out in a whisper.
“Jeez, Jeremiah, stop with the European manners, we’re not in Paris.” Justin laughed, walking to stand beside his brother.
“No we’re not,” Jeremiah said, releasing Kat’s hand. “But we are in the presence of a beautiful woman who deserves to be treated to our best manners.”
“In case you don’t know it, Jeremiah’s the smooth talker in the family, so take everything he says with a grain of salt.”
“Hopefully we won’t need that salt for your roast,” Jeremiah said meaningfully to his brother, still holding her hand.
“And when have you ever needed to salt my roast?”
Jeremiah ignored him, his hand still holding hers. “It really is a pleasure to meet you. You have the most beautiful eyes. Those lashes of yours remind me
Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson