Page 15 of Knotting Autumn

“I’m sorry.” He bit his lip, drawing my gaze to his sharp-looking teeth and how beautiful his mouth looked. I was so taken, I almost missed his next words. “I was affected too, that first day. I went home feeling like I’d been hit by a truck. And the only thing I could conclude was that it was some sort of connection with you.”

“Geez, was there some sort of neurotoxin on the egg carton? Was your friend alright?”

Thorne chuckled. “He was as alright as he usually is. Cole is…odd.”

“Hopefully nothing like that happens again. It wasn’t exactly fun.”

Sighing, Thorne rubbed one hand down his arm. “Look, I know we had a rough start. But you are really beautiful. My dream girl, honestly. And I’d like to take you to dinner and see if we click. I promise I’m not a stalker or an axe murderer.”

He smiled, and it was so charming, I felt it from my head to my vagina. This was a royally bad idea. I didn’t know this guy. There was no way he was being truthful about everything. But something about him drew me in. It wasn’t just the fact that he was the most handsome man I’d ever seen. Seriously, the guy had to be a male model. But he had a calm energy that I liked. He made me feel good just being around him.

Besides, I’d been making monumentally stupid decisions since I dry-humped Sawyer’s thigh. What was one more bad choice?

“Okay, but somewhere public. And don’t expect anything. I’m not even going to kiss you at the end of the night.”

He kept his cool, but I could tell that internally, Thorne was doing a fist-bump. His smile widened to a grin, and I couldn’t help the curve of my lips.

“So are there any nice restaurants you like around here?”

“Oh no,” I said, pausing before I took another bite. “You asked me out, you plan it. I’m not doing the mental labor involved in our not-actually-a-date date.”

The skin around his eyes crinkled as he grinned again. “Fair enough. Can I have your number? I’ll text you what I figure out. How’s tonight?”

“How about tomorrow?” I offered.

“Great.”

Against my better judgement, I put my number in his phone. He finished his sandwich and watched me as I finished mine.

“Thanks for lunch. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” I said, tugging my flannel back on now that my skin had cooled. Thorne stood and nodded, his hands tucked into his pockets.

“Tomorrow. Have a good evening, Autumn.”

Giving him another awkward wave, I slipped through the door and headed to the back room so I wouldn’t have to see him as he crossed the store and left. Margie was still manning the front register, so I took a moment to gather myself.

From that small contact with him, my skin tingled, even after several minutes had passed. My heartbeat pulsed under my skin, at my throat, between my legs. I wasn’t as turned on as the first time, but there was no denying that Thorne did something to my body.

Shaking myself, I tried to ignore it and focus back on work. I certainly wasn’t going to run away again. And do what? Go get some relief on my best friend and roommate’s thigh… again?

Absolutely not.

There was nothing to do but grit my teeth and pretend I wasn’t making a list in my head of sex positions I’d like to try with Thorne. Ones that would never happen.

I shouldn’t have agreed to go to dinner with him. It was a terrible idea.

Chapter 7

Pretty Boy, I Like Your Mouth

Sawyer was working the next night, so it saved me having to explain where I was going. In the past, he hadn’t cared if I dated, but I had a feeling he would care about this one. And I didn’t want to be talked out of it.

I already knew it was stupid. But Thorne was so hot, I wasn’t thinking straight. Besides, it was just dinner.

Surely, he would say something offensive and stupid enough it would snap me out of the dick-notism and then I could cut the guy off, block his number, and never see him again.

That probably wasn’t the best mindset going into a date, but I needed to guard myself. Otherwise I’d end up on my back in his bed in no time, and then probably taxidermied when he was done with me.

He’d texted that we could meet at the local Mexican restaurant, and I appreciated that he'd picked something within walking distance. And frankly, it had the best reviews in town for a reason.