Somewhere deep down though, I feel like I do know him. That’s what makes everything with him so easy, but so complicated. I don’t have a filter to begin with and whenI’m with him, I swear he can see right into my spiderweb of thoughts.
He chuckles. “Then let’s make this easy. Finally go on that date with me. I’ve been waiting for two years.”
There’s something about the way he sayswaitingthat gets to me. After he told me that he hasn’t been with anyone else since me, it feels like it has a different meaning. It feels like something I don’t want to unpack right now.
“Date you? You want me todateyou?”
He nods slowly and smirks. “Yeah, Shadow. That’s kind of the point of going out on a date, to get to know the other person.”
“Fine. We can go on a date.”
He flashes a blinding, toothy smile that puts those dimples on full display.
I laugh, trying to hide how that smile makes the butterflies in my stomach do acrobatics. It’s starting to feel good to say yes—to do things for me, to have someone look at me the way he is right now.
He leans forward, propping his chin up on his fist. “When are you free?”
“I’m not sure.” I pick up a piece of the maple glazed bacon and take a small, crunchy bite. “I’m supposed to meet my parents for dinner in Rodgers tonight after work and I’m going to stay at my apartment there. I’ll be back at the coffee shop tomorrow morning, but I was thinking of picking up a shift with Rich.”
“Then let’s do tomorrow night.”
I look at him in confusion. “Don’t we have to work? I just said I was going to pick up a shift with Rich.”
He shakes his head. “I can make sure I’m off tomorrow. I need to give my sous-chef some time on her own to grow anyway. Plus Rich should be able to cover things with one of the other bartenders.”
I wobble my head back and forth. “OK. I guess if you say so.”
I try to sound calm and not overly excited, but it’s hard to control that rare sense of optimism creeping out of the back of my mind. He really does like me and I wish I would have accepted that fact earlier.
“I like this trend.”Monica walks to my side at the oven in Cowgirl Coffee’s small kitchen.
I slide in the tray of chocolate croissants and shut the door. “What trend?”
She grins. “You getting to work before me.”
I huff a laugh. “You mean because there’s less work for you to do when you get here?”
“I like it because it means you stayed in town last night, and you’re less scowl-y.”
I say nothing because I have no comeback for that.
“So… did you see him last night?” She shimmies her shoulders with a pleased hum. “Is that why you’re less scowl-y?”
I turn to face her and fold my arms over my chest. “You’re getting awfully bold with your assumptions, Mon.”
“Maybe, but you didn’t answer my question.” She leans against the cabinet with a look that says she knows she’s right.
I’m not going to give in that easy, even though part of me wants to tell her everything. I did exactly what I joked about. I hooked up with Sutton in the middle of his restaurant last night. More importantly, it felt so good to give in and do something impulsive for myself.
She clears her throat and raises her brows. “Well, did you?”
“I worked at Gloria’s last night and so did he. So yes,I saw him.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.” Her lips curl up into a knowing smile. “Did you guys do anything else?’
My mind goes right to the sight of his head buried between my thighs and the way he feasted on me. My core clenches and I feel heat creep up my neck at the thought of how hard he made me come.
“Maybe,” I squeak out.