Who will win?
Oklahoma scratches the scruff on his chin. “No, not out of the kindness of my heart. I’m hoping you’ll agree to go out with me.”
I almost choke on my tea. “Go out with you? On a date?” I swing my index finger back and forth between us. “You and me? Alone? That kind of date?”
Ruka snorts. “That’s typically how a date works.”
“Shut up, Ruka.” Reina nudges him in the ribs, and my brother holds his side.
“I love this show so much.” Jessica settles in her seat, keeping her arm around her wife, who is currently reading the menu.
Millie’s eyes appear to be bigger than they really are. She shoves her glasses up and scrunches her nose as she reads. Jessica is obsessed with her and is very protective. Millie is a sweet soul, awkward, massively gullible. She believes anything anyone says because her heart is so trustworthy. Jessica takes her job seriously when it comes to protecting her wife.
“Access to your property to chase storms if I go on a date with you? Seems like an ultimatum to me.”
“Perhaps,” he agrees, setting his hat on his head. “But even without you using my property, I’d still really love to take you out, Nariko.”
Jessica kicks me from under the table, swinging her eyes from me to Oklahoma, urging me to say yes.
No one needs to urge me to do anything.
Yes.
The voice in the back of my head is screaming at me. I can’t remember a time when I felt like if I didn’t get Oklahoma alone, I might die. My skin is already tight with how close we are andbeing unable to touch. I know if he reached across the booth to take my hand, I’d relax.
Having him so close only to be confined to the inside of the booth is torture.
“The property is just an added bonus,” Jazz adds on. “You get semi-great company to have access to an amazing piece of land.”
“Jazz,” Oklahoma scolds.
“What? I said you were semi-great. What more do you want?”
“I would think semi is even a stretch,” Ruka grumbles beside me, and Oklahoma’s eyes narrow at him.
“I think I’d like that,” I finally answer, my voice hoarse from anticipation.
The shirt is still sticking to his impressive form. His muscular chest expands with every breath, and I’m hypnotized.
Oklahoma smiles so wide that it causes his eyes to wrinkle on the sides. “Really?”
The entire table laughs except Ruka. He isn’t happy. He is sitting with his arms crossed, leaning back, clearly not amused.
“Yeah, really?” Ruka sounds unamused and unimpressed with my decision.
I can’t take my eyes off Oklahoma. I don’t care what anyone else says. All that matters is the man standing in front of me with a wet white shirt that teases me with a hint of defined pectoral muscles.
“Really.” I nibble my bottom lip. “I look forward to it.”
His friends go to sit down across the diner, leaving Oklahoma alone at my booth.
“Do you mind me asking for your phone number, then?”
I blink up at him, my heart pounding in a way I’ve never experienced. There’s something special about him I can’t put my finger on. Something that has had me hooked since the first timeI saw him earlier today. The way he looks at me slows my mind. My vision tunnels, and the only person I can see is this cowboy.
“I don’t mind if you ask.” I take a sip of my drink, playing a little hard to get.
It’s what he deserves after how he treated my friends and me.
