Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 387(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 258(@300wpm)
“Oh.” Not sure what to say to that, I pick up my fork, but all I do is trail the tip of it through the sauce that’s on my plate. After a moment, I say, “I do feel safe with you. I wasn’t afraid of you when I ran off yesterday. I was only afraid of how the kiss made me feel.”
Now he’s the one at a loss for words, but he’s grinning at me like I’ve said something amazing.
“I liked the kiss too much,” I continue. “I felt more than I’m sure a typical woman, someone with more experience, would feel from just a kiss, and I got flustered.”
“A kiss has never made you feel that way before?”
Biting my bottom lip, I shake my head. “Not even close,” I murmur. I don’t count Erik’s kiss, since it happened after.
“Good. And for the record, that’s how a kiss is supposed to make you feel.”
My brows lift. Good to know.
He rotates his plate, looking like he’s preparing to dig in, but he’s not finished making me blush. Putting his full focus back on me, his voice all low and deep, he says, “Let me know when you’re ready to feel that way again.”
Oh my god. I’m experiencing some of that same feeling right now, and all he’s doing is looking at me.
He looks like he wants to kiss me again right now, and I’m a couple of seconds away from melting off my chair and onto the floor.
“Is everything okay with your food?” It’s the waiter, seemingly alarmed because we haven’t taken a single bite of our entrees.
“Everything looks great,” Brax assures him, giving him a friendly nod before returning his eyes to me.
“We need to stop talking about kissing, or I’m going to be too flustered to eat,” I tell him in a whisper as I lean across the table. “But in a good way,” I rush to add. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to run out and leave you to dine alone.”
He laughs at this, full-throated, his head tipped back, and I never knew how sexy the sound of laughter could be.
We finally start on our meals, tasting our own and then offering some to each other. Brax holds out a bite of steak to me, his eyes on my lips as I pull the meat off of his fork, and it’s a wonder I’m able to chew.
Lust seems to be filling every bit of me, from the top of my head down to my toes, and I need a long drink of ice water as soon as I swallow the steak.
A wave of shyness hits me after that, and I hand my fork to Brax rather than feeding him.
“That’s good,” he says after tasting the tuna. “What was in that sauce again? It’s got a kick.”
“Avocado and wasabi. I think there’s some cilantro in there, too. It’s very interesting.”
We carry on eating and keep the conversation to less stimulating topics until right after we place our dessert orders.
“So,” he says, “circling back to that protective instinct I mentioned earlier …”
“Yes?”
“I’m curious about—what was his name?—Gray? You said you just met him?”
“Yes, just last night. Erik took me to a casino, and Gray was a bartender there.”
“A bartender,” he echoes. “Where?”
“Metro Station. Why?” Thinking about how Erik insisted on meeting Brax tonight, I’m wondering if Brax has similar ideas about Gray.
“Just curious. What kind of guy is he?”
“I just met him, and we didn’t talk for very long. He’s Erik’s friend though, and apparently, he used to be friends with my brother.”
“Used to be?”
“My brother mostly only hangs out with other men who attend our church. Gray was friends with him when they were younger.”
Brax nods, and I see him taking this in, getting a fuller picture on how insular our church community is. I have an impulse to tell him how much my family would disapprove of me being here on a date with him, but I stop myself, because I can’t see how it could sound anything but rude.
“Anyway, I think flirting might just be part of Gray’s job. He probably comes on to every woman who sits at his bar.”
It’s subtle, but I don’t miss the flare of Brax’s nostrils. He may be willing to date me while I’m also dating other men, but maybe he’d rather not hear about them, even if he is the one who asked.
BRAX
Ava looks good sitting in my truck, and I love how it feels to have her on my arm when I walk her to her door.
While we’ve been getting to know each other these past couple of months, there have been a few casual touches here and there, a hand placed on an arm over a funny comment, a pat on a shoulder, things like that.
Tonight, I held her hand when we left the restaurant, and she wrapped her arm around mine as we walked toward her building.