He smirked. “You’re full of surprises.”
“Probably,” I said proudly, crossing my arms over my chest. “Do you always take your dates out to places where you don’t have to pay?”
Leo’s thigh brushed mine under the table as he leaned closer, and I startled at the tingling sensation I felt having him against me.
Smooth choice on the corner booth. We’re basicallyexpectedto sit this close to each other.
“I don’t have any experience taking women on dates, Sophia. If you want to call this a date, then I’d say thank you for being my first.”
My cheeks warmed.Of course he doesn’t think this is a date. Why did I say that?
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “I shouldn’t have used that word. I didn’t mean to make this awkward.”
He put his hand on my thigh under the table in a comforting gesture, and my thoughts started racing.
What’s happening? Is he into me? Is this a date? I thought we were just hooking up, but now this feels cozy and intimate and I’m not sure my body knows this isn’t a date because it’s reacting very much like I’m on a date. Is my heart fluttering?
“Do you always overthink everything you do?” he asked, gently.
I pressed my lips together. “Yes, pretty much.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean,why?” I asked as the bartender returned with our drinks. I grabbed the island one and took a quick sip.
Damn that’s good.
“I mean, I know we’ve only spent a little bit of time together, but I think you’re great. Yet you doubt yourself.” Leo took a sip of his beer and studied my face.
“Only in social situations,” I confessed, taking a sip of the second drink.
Wow, also delicious.
He looked at me curiously, so I continued.
“I don’t lack confidence in general, I just feel awkward in social, romantic, and sexual interactions. Hence why we’re here.” I gestured between us.
He shook his head and looked down at his drink. “No, that’s whyyou’rehere.”
The bartender returned with our appetizers and Leo thanked him before turning back to me and changing the topic.
Two hours later, I’d finished both of my drinks, unable to decide which was better because they were both fantastic, Leo was taking the last sip of his second beer, and the food was gone. We’d talked so easily that I’d slowly loosened up and forgotten to doubt myself. Leo was easy to talk to and he’d asked questions about my life and my family like he was genuinely interested.
I wasn’t sure if this was thefull Leo experiencethat every woman he slept with got or not, but it was certainly an effective way to distract me from what we were going to do next.
“Okay, Hawaii. Time to go.” Leo stood up and dropped a few twenties on the table, presumably leaving a very generous tip since he said we weren’t paying and the bartender never brought us a check. “I can’t buy you another drink and sleep with you in good conscience. And I think this might have turned into a date an hour ago, which is not what you asked me for.”
He held his hand out for me and I took it, sliding out of the booth. His palm was warm and a little sweaty but I liked the feel of my hand in his, which I guessed was a good thing since his dick was about to be in my body. My cheeks warmed at the thought.
Thank God the lighting is low in here.
“I’m glad we did this. You were right about it being a good idea,” I said.
“Good night, Mark.” Leo waved to the bartender again as he held the door open for me.
Leo tossed an arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side as we started walking back to campus, a gesture that immediately counteracted the chill in the air. “To be clear, Sophia, I amveryinterested in having sex with you right now. But if you’ve changed your mind, no hard feelings. I’ll walk you back to your dorm without so much as a kiss goodnight.”
My chest tightened in panic at the thought that he might be looking for a way out, but the hooded look in his eyes gave me hope that he was just being an honorable guy.
