“Thousands?” I whisper.
“Several thousand.”
Maverick lowers his hand from my face, then carefully places my arm in the crook of his.
“So you see,” he says, guiding me down the hall, “we have much to talk about.”
I glance up at him. “That sounds like an understatement.”
“But make no mistake, baby.” His voice drops, soft and certain. “Wearedating.”
My feet nearly forget how to work.
“Maverick.”
“Yes?”
“You can’t just decide that.”
“I didn’t decide alone.” He looks down at me. “You told me last night that today was the date.”
“I meant the date we agreed to meet for lunch,” I say. “I didn’t mean it was adatedate. We’re surrounded by people.”
“It’s the beginning of dating.”
“That’s lawyer talk.”
“Correction,bella.That’sDontalk.”
I should argue.
I really should.
Instead, I look at the strong line of his profile, the calm certainty in his face, the arm holding mine like I am something precious.
Then I sigh.
“One date,” I repeat.
His smile is slow.
“For today,” he says. “Tomorrow, we shall have our second and third dates.”
“Two dates on the same day?”
“Of course.” His gaze dips to my mouth. “I need to get to first base as quickly as possible so I can earn the right to kiss you.”
My heart stops.
Then starts again in a far less reasonable rhythm.
“Maverick,” I whisper.
“Yes,bella?”
“You already kissed me.”
His eyes warm.
