Page 18 of Wild Thing
“So, are you really meeting up with a friend tonight? Or was that just bullshit to get Steven off your back?”
“It's the truth. I’m meeting a girlfriend for dinner.”
"Damn," Brax ran a tattooed hand through his hair and sighed in disappointment. “I was going to ask you for dinner.”
Huh, what, how, huh?!
My heart thumped. The possibility of seeing Brax again felt exhilarating to me.
“Maybe another time.”
“How about tomorrow?”
I curled the ends of my long hair in between my fingers and pretended to think about it. I prayed my attempt to be totally cool, totally unbothered and totally unfazed was working. “Well, that depends on what you were thinking of eating?”
“I know a great seafood restaurant.”
“Are my dislikes that forgettable?”
A shy smile formed across his face, before he dropped the weight of his stare onto me. “Nothing about you is forgettable.”
Brax leaned over and put his hand on my thigh.
His touch made me take a sharp breath. It was like being brought back to life with a defibrillator. I eye-fucked him then and there, and then broke the gaze.
“I do know a place,” he said, removing his hand from my leg. “Italian, not far from here.”
I took a deep breath. “Okay. That sounds great.”
What’s dinner with an old friend? Harmless.
“Meet me here tomorrow. Six-thirty?”
“Sure.”
Checking my watch, I realized Taylor wouldn’t be far away. “I really should go and get ready. My friend will be here soon.”
“I should head up to my room too actually, considering I’m still wearing drenched clothing.”
My eyebrows raised in total shock. “You’re staying here?”
“Of course I’m staying here. Why would I have come to this bar otherwise?”
"I don't know," I replied. My stomach twisted.Here?!This just got ten times more complicated. "I just thought you were escaping the rain.”
Brax smiled wide. “Looks like we’ll be running into each other all week, Miss Forrester.”
Oh boy.
Brax slid off his stool and waited for me to sign off the tab. Sliding my bag over my shoulder, I could feel him watching what I was doing. By the way he swallowed, I wondered if he was struggling to keep his hands to himself.
I know I was.
I placed my hand on my hip. “What?”
“Nothing. I just can’t believe you’re standing here in front of me.”
I couldn't believe it either. I held his stare for a few seconds before I let a little smile shimmy across my lips.
