Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 77249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Okay, when anyone from B & C got up to shenanigans there.
“He’ll find out.” Settling back more comfortably against the bench, Cyrus flashed me a grin before trying to look serious again and raising one eyebrow. “Are you asking me if you’re worth upsetting Conner?”
Was anyone worth that?
“No.” I wanted us to be able to go back, and he’d find us if we broke his two-week deadline. “But…but we’re going to take things in a different direction after dinner? That was the plan, right?”
Ha. I could ask questions.
His smirk said he was probably going to regret making my brain work, but he nodded and didn’t make me guess what he was thinking. “Yes, that was my plan as long as you’re still comfortable with it and as long as we get some boundaries laid out.”
Limits.
Yeah, the big brain needed to work for those.
“Didn’t you want to know about our dates, though?” His teasing expression did wonderful things to me but that was as far as he let it go. “I thought that was what you were curious about.”
“I am. I was.” Ugh. Thinking and talking at the same time was hard. There wasn’t enough blood in my brain to make it work. “Um, my thoughts are bouncing around a lot and won’t stay put. Or even in a straight line.”
There was no hope of that and he needed to understand my current limitations.
“On a scale from squirrel to racquetballs, how bouncy are your thoughts?” His question made me want to laugh and groan at the same time.
“I’m pretty sure I’m a high squirrel on some kind of psychedelic that’s riding the racquetball.” That might’ve been downplaying what my brain was doing. “I don’t know if I need to apologize but it’s where I am at the moment.”
“No.” Cyrus was shaking his head before he’d started to answer. “It gives me a better understanding of why you’ve taken so long to answer some of my questions, so thank you for making it clear.”
“What questions?” What had I missed?
“I tried to have a conversation with you about dessert and you just told me that kissing was important.” He shrugged as I groaned. “I was hoping it wasn’t a mental breakdown, so this is a better explanation.”
“It’s…my brain, I mean…it’s going too fast.” Hmm. “Sorry about missing the conversation, though. I…I don’t need dessert.”
I was full and getting antsy.
“Then would you like to try to have our conversation here or while we move?” Cyrus chuckled when I sighed and nodded. “Either one or are you saying you want to move?”
Oops.
“Moving, please.” The sitting still thing was starting to make me itch. “And…and maybe you hold my hand?”
Once upon a time, the area the club was in probably would’ve been too sketchy for me to suggest it but that was years ago.
And Cyrus was big enough that I wasn’t worried about anyone hassling us no matter what part of town we were in.
“Yes. I think that sounds like a good way to transition our date.” For some reason, he thought that was enough.
“Transition to what?” He was right…questions were good. “You made it sound like I should ask questions. I’m being good.”
Someone behind us snorted, but they could kiss my ass.
Cyrus shook but managed not to laugh out loud. “Let’s get out of here and I’ll answer anything you want to know.”
Perfect.
And it didn’t even take very long because they seemed anxious to get us out. So before my brain could trip and block out another conversation, we’d paid, escaped, and were slowly making our way back to the club where we’d left the car.
Cyrus was even holding my hand.
“Does this make it more of a date to you?” His question probably should’ve made me obsess but I nodded before I could think about it.
But he was going to need more than just me bobbing my head.
“Yes.” Why? He’d ask that next. “Because we hang out doing stuff like dinner on a regular basis, maybe?”
As I tried to think about what else I should say, he squeezed my hand and his fingers started stroking mine. “If there are other things that would shift it to a date feeling to you, I want you to let me know.”
What made it go from friends to dates?
“I don’t know…but…but I guess doing more…more of the stuff Conner said we couldn’t?” I wasn’t sure that made sense and Cyrus’s chuckle didn’t help. “My brain is confused and is going in different directions than the lower head.”
Understatement of the year right there.
But it got a laugh from Cyrus, which said he probably understood that.
“So we shift gears a bit and make sure we talk, but we focus more on kicking up the heat level of the date and make sure to include the stuff the lower head wants.” Cyrus agreed so easily it made me nervous.