Page 25 of Saving Meadow

“Is this a date?” I blurted out.

“Yeah. It is.”

“I haven’t been on a date since before. No one has wanted to date me.” Damn. Now I was making myself sound pathetic. Not that I wasn’t, but I didn’t want him to know just how pitiful my life was.

“You’re wrong. Men take one look at you and know they’re gonna get shot down, so they don’t approach. You have a wall built around you that is a mile high and just as thick. I’m not complaining. I’m pleased as hell no one has been smart enough to saddle up with a jack hammer and break through. But it has nothing to do with a scar and everything to do with you screaming stay away. Whether you mean to or not, it’s there. Just to be clear, Red, I have every intention of breaking through.”

“You can kiss me.” What in the ever-loving hell possessed me to tell him that? I think I was having an out-of-body experience. So, I told him just that. “I must be in some alternate universe or still under hypnosis because I think I may be floating right now. Are you real?”

“Yeah, baby, I’m real. And as much as I’d love to kiss you, we’re gonna take this slow. I have a feeling that once I taste your sweet mouth, I won’t ever get enough.”

“Wow.”

He leaned down and closed the distance between our lips and gently brushed his against mine. The contact was soft and brief, and after the touch I didn’t want slow. I want now and fast.

“You kissed me,” I breathed.

“Red, if you think that was a kiss, I hate to say it, but you’ve been doing it wrong,” he laughed. “Sally’s still in the car. Is it cool if I bring her in?”

“Shit, Nick. Why did you leave her in your car? Go get her.” I pulled back and gave his chest a shove. He didn’t move, he just stood there and smiled at me. “Are you wearing one of those bulletproof vests?” I asked.

“No. Why?”

“That’s all you?” His chest felt like it was lined with steel.

“All me,” he confirmed.

Damn!

“I’m gonna go get Sally before I forget we’re taking this slow and throw you on your couch.”

He left.

I paced.

By the time he got back, I still hadn’t had enough time to wrangle my newly-awakened sex drive under control.

“Hey, sweet girl.” I knelt to greet Sally. “Why isn’t she coming to me?”

“I haven’t given her the command yet,” he explained.

“Oh. Well, can you? Her tail is wagging so fast I’m afraid she’ll take flight.”

With a flick of Nick’s wrist, Sally barreled toward me and stopped just shy of knocking me over, waiting for me to give her love.

“How ‘bout we order a pizza and stay in,” I suggested.

“Meadow,” he warned.

“Because of Sally. Unless she can come in a restaurant with us. I don’t want her to have to wait in the car. I wouldn’t enjoy my meal worrying about her.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“Yes. Promise.”

I didn’t even have to think about my answer, it came immediately, and it was the God’s honest truth. For the first time in five years, I wanted to stay home not because of my scar but because I wanted Nick and Sally all to myself.

“Sounds good. Mind if I change out of my work clothes? All I have is my gym bag, so I’ll be grungy.”