Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 43375 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43375 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
I took two steps forward and cupped her face in my hands. “You look incredible. Fucking edible.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she bit her lip. The smile that bloomed next was what I lived for—genuine and happy. The one who told me I was demolishing her walls.
“Oh! I forgot my purse.” She turned on her heel and vanished back inside.
I followed, taking one step inside the apartment.
It was a small studio with a couch and small end tables, a tiny kitchen, and a nook with a bed and cubbies that sectioned off what I was sure was her space from the rest of the place. Most of the apartment was cozy, but clean.
There were touches of her everywhere.
She rounded the cubbies with her purse and stopped short when she saw me looking around. Her eyes were wide, swimming with mortification.
“Um...I know it’s not much. It’s pretty much the size of your closet. The maintenance guy was supposed to paint, but…”
“Baby, I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. You think I always lived in a penthouse?” I stalked over to her and dropped my arm onto her shoulders, steering her toward the door. “The place Raiden and I shared in college would make this place look like a penthouse. It was falling apart. The ceiling leaked, the air-conditioning units frequently went on the fritz, and Raiden swore we had a ghost living in the crawl space.”
Her shoulders relaxed, and she giggled.
“This is cozy.”
Her eyes twinkled, but she gave me a look that said she thought I was ridiculous. I just laughed and guided her out to the car.
When we reached the restaurant, the hostess lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw me but didn’t say a word. Which was why I liked this place. Low-key. No bullshit. The owners were very strict with their employees when it came to interactions with famous people.
We were seated in a corner booth, intimate and out of the way. Rylin was across from me, and I watched the way her fingers moved as her hand brushed the edge of her menu. The nervous flick of her gaze. The pretty pink stain on her cheeks.
“So.” I leaned in. “I have to admit, I’m a little rusty.”
“Rusty?”
“Yeah.” I grinned sheepishly. “It’s been a while.”
She tilted her head to the side, her brow furrowed in confusion. “A while since what?”
I chuckled. “It’s been a while since I went on a date.”
She laughed softly, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. I wasn’t sure what that was about. However, I didn’t want to dig into it and dampen the mood before the date had even started.
“It’s been a long time for me, too,” she admitted softly.
“We’ll muddle through together,” I teased, earning me a real smile.
Dinner was fantastic, but spending time with Rylin was the highlight of the night. She was sexy as hell, and I couldn’t wait to fuck her again. But it wasn’t just her passion in bed that attracted me. She was obviously smart, funny, talented, and cared deeply about her family and friends. The conversation flowed easily as we got to know each other a little more.
On the way home, I swiped her hand from where it had been resting on her thigh and kissed the back. “I have to say, there was a lot less pressure than I remember for a first date.”
“Oh?”
I grinned and tossed her a heated glance. “I already knew you were coming home with me.”
Rylin laughed, and the sound warmed my soul like it always did.
The rest of the week, we fell into a comfortable routine. I dropped her off at work and picked her up, taking her straight back to my place. Better to ask forgiveness than permission. Rylin never protested, though, and fuck, having her in my arms when I fell asleep and woke up was a heaven I didn’t know existed before her.
Saturday rolled in heavy with sunlight and heat, another September day where breathing the humid air outside was like filling your lungs with bath water. I wanted to spend as much time as I could with Rylin, so I was at The Tight Line. Once Tammi realized I wasn’t leaving, she grinned evilly and put me to work.
With my sleeves pushed up and sweat rolling down my back, I hauled boxes into the storage closet, then worked on inventory. Not that I accomplished a whole hell of a lot since I was easily distracted by my woman, stopping to stare at her every chance I got. Each glance, smile, and time she brushed past me with a tray of food or leaned over the counter to laugh with a customer—I felt it like a pull in my gut.
Between refills and customer deliveries, I frequently stole her attention with small touches and seductive smiles. She’d glare at me and tell me to behave, but there was no real conviction in her tone. I was also trying every angle I could think of to talk her into coming to the game tomorrow. It was our third regular-season game and our first one at home.