Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 152064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 760(@200wpm)___ 608(@250wpm)___ 507(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 760(@200wpm)___ 608(@250wpm)___ 507(@300wpm)
“Is that what you’re doing? Cracking under the pressure?” I ask softly.
He kisses the back of my hand. I feel that point of contact everywhere and all I want is for him to lean in and kiss my lips.
“You opened a door when you asked me for a favor.”
“I’m—”
“No apologies. You’re done with those,” he orders. “You opened my eyes, and I couldn’t close them again. Lord knows I fucking tried, kitten. But every time I saw you after that, I couldn’t stop seeing you.” He gently strokes my cheek. “I hated when things were strained between us. I wanted things to go back to the way they were. I wanted text messages and book recommendations. And I sure as fuck didn’t want to push you into one of my teammates’ arms, or anyone else’s, for that matter. I’d never forgive myself if that happened.” His jaw works and he swallows thickly, eyes softening. “And then tonight you were right in front of me and you felt a million miles away, and you were hurting and I couldn’t just…wrap my arms around you and be the person to tell you it would be okay, and I hated it. I realized there was only one way to fix it. So here we are.”
“Here we are,” I echo. I’m elated, stunned and just...
“Kitten?” He sweeps his thumb along the hollow under my eye.
“Please don’t let this be a dream,” I whisper.
He pulls me closer and wraps me in his strong embrace, surrounding me with his sandalwood and mint scent. “I’m not a knight in shining armor.”
“Knights are kind of overrated.”
He squeezes me and sits back. “Am I overwhelming you?”
“Not in a bad way.” I gather my thoughts. “So much of my life is suddenly in upheaval. What’s happening with my family, the way my dad shuffled me to the bottom of his pile is…painful, and then you show up, and I expected it to be more rejection, but it’s the opposite, and it’s amazing, and I’m scared, and I just don’t want to lose what we have, not when I’ve already lost so much.”
“That makes perfect sense.” He tucks my hair behind my ear. “We’re just going to have a nice dinner, and we’re going to hang out and enjoy each other’s company, and I’m not going to fight this chemistry because it was making me a miserable, territorial ass.”
“I don’t mind the territorial part,” I admit.
“Good to know, it’s tough to get a handle on sometimes.” He winks and settles back in his chair as our server brings our appetizers to the table.
“Would you like to order your mains?” he asks.
I turn to Flip. “I haven’t even looked at the menu.”
“There’s no rush, we have lots of time. You can give us a few minutes,” Flip assures him.
“Of course.” He leaves us with our appetizers.
“Can I serve you?” Flip offers.
“If you want to.” I sit back, enthralled with this version of the man I’ve come to know.
He plates an arancini for me, spooning extra red sauce over it. His eyes stay fixed on me as I cut into the crispy outside, the cheesy inside pooling in the sauce. I cut a small bite and pop it in my mouth.
“Is it good?”
I cut another bite and hold it out for him. “Try it.”
His full lips close over the tines.
He hums his approval and takes the fork from me. “Will you let me feed you?”
“Is this like your version of foreplay?” My eyes flare and my cheeks burn hot.
His smile turns downright lascivious. “Head out of the gutter, kitten.” He cuts another small bite, feeding it to me. “I like the way you savor things. I think because of the way I grew up, food has always held a lot of power.”
“Because sometimes you didn’t have enough?” I ask softly.
He nods and pops another bite before cutting one for me. “Things were always tight. Tristan constantly brought food over. Rix learned to cook at a young age. There’s something very primal and satisfying about providing for someone I care about.”
My stomach flutters and my bruised heart soars.
We finally order mains, I choose the gnocchi and Flip orders the vodka pollo pasta. There are no leftovers, and we finish the meal with a chocolate torte that Flip eats most of. I don’t want dinner or the evening to end, but we close down the restaurant, so there’s no other option but to leave.
I stop in the bathroom and message Fee to let her know I’m on the way home.
Fee
At Cammie’s. Message when it’s safe. Brought all the things I need for a sleepover if necessary. *fingers crossed*
Flip is waiting for me at the front door. He links his arm with mine and walks me to his car, holding the door open as I take my spot in the passenger seat. This is literally the most amazing non-first-date I’ve ever been on, and I hate that it’s coming to an end.