“There, that’s much better.” And it is. It’s not shiny anymore, fingerprints and smudges marring the once pristine dash and door. A bit of embarrassment creeps back in.
“I…uh…didn’t realize my fingers were that dirty.”
Shit. I really am an idiot.
Pulling the sleeve of my hoodie over my hand, I buff the door, but Kade’s first chuckle stills my frantic movements. The chuckles roll from deep in his chest, one after another. Waves of sound crashing against me. He’s leaning back against his door, left hand gripping the wheel. His whole body is shaking with his laughter. It really is the best sound. If I could listen to that sound the rest of my life…well, I wouldn’t be mad about it.
I wrap my hands tightly over the strap of my seatbelt, holding myself back. I want to crawl to him and press my chest against his so I can feel the laughter roll. And maybe lick him a tiny bit. There, on corner of his smiling mouth. Kade’s laughter dies as we sit, caught in each other’s eyes. Electricity zapping between us.
His fingers tighten on the steering wheel before he yanks his eyes from mine and clears his throat. “Pizza okay?”
I nod, unable to look away from him. I’d go eat caterpillars off the trees with this man, as long as he keeps looking at me like that.
10
BECCA
Iam in over my head.
The whole way over here, I was trying to tell myself that this feeling would settle down. That this attraction I feel toward Kade is not as big as I’m making it out to be. That it’s just relief over having somewhere to settle for a bit.
But those butterflies in my stomach have morphed into big, hairy mutant moths careening and colliding in my whole body. Maybe they’re morphing because we no longer have the distraction of work between us.
The colliding, the bushing, the casual touching we did today, and the slow, gradual buildup of sensation have put me on edge. Looking at him now, relaxed in the booth in front of me, sipping his beer, eyes on me, the nerves are back in full force.
“Ready to order?” The harried waitress, Sue, her name tag reads, smiles at Kade. It’s clear from the extra attention she’s paying him he’s a regular here.
Kade nods his head at me. “Large pizza, whatever she wants on it.”
I briefly consider pushing him to order what he wants, but it’s pizza, and I’m starving, so nah. “Sausage, mushrooms, onions, olives, and fresh tomato, please.”
Sue jots it down and takes the menus, leaving Kade and me to sit in tension again. My eyes are skittering around the restaurant, cataloging the couples on dates and the families wrangling their kids. It’s clear from the line at the door that this is a popular place.
“So, um, you come here a lot?” Shit. Real original Becca.
Kade smirks before taking another sip of his beer. “Yea. Pizza’s good, and it’s close to the shop.”
“Good. That’s good.”
Kill me now.
I swear I’ve had conversations before.
With men even!
But usually, a conversation goes both ways, and Kade doesn’t seem to be that interested in speaking. I’m tempted to pull out my phone and distract myself, but I can almost feel the slap my dad would give me if I did that.
“Why are you smiling?” Kade’s looking at me intently.
“I didn’t realize I was.” I let my smile grow and admit to him, “I don’t really know what to talk to you about, so I was thinking about getting my phone out.”
“And that’s funny how?”
“My dad hated cell phones. HATED. He had a flip phone for work, but he refused to buy me a smartphone. When I finally bought one on my own, I had to sit through regular lectures about how technology was creating a disconnected society.” God, those lectures! I swear I know them all by heart. “If I picked up my phone when we were at dinner, he would slap my hand. Not a little slap either, a big one. It would echo around the room, and everyone would look. It was so embarrassing!” I chuckle, enjoying the memory. It became a game for us.
When I look up, Kade’s face is dark, his brows pulled down. “He hit you?” he asks in the coldest voice I’ve ever heard from him. Startled, I lean forward as I explain.
“Well, yeah. But not the way you’re thinking.”
