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I lift Jemma up and into my arms, because I’m not about to take the risk of her falling on her face in those heels.
She tilts her head back, holding my gaze, and smiles. “I had no idea you could be so…”
“Romantic,” I finish, taking my time walking over to the table. “I can’t take all of the credit. My dad helped me plan this for you.”
Her eyebrows rise in confusion. “What did your dad have to do with this?”
“Did I forget to tell you my dad manages the Flyers?”
“No, I don’t think you told me. Makes sense why you act like such an entitled brat.” She chuckles, the blush rushing to her cheeks.
“I guess I deserve that.”
“I was just kidding. Well, not really. But you’re definitely changing my mind about you. I had you pegged for a player. I guess I was wrong.”
“Oh, I’m a player all right,” I admit. “Except now I have a reason to be… something more.”
“I like this side to you.” She nestles her face in the crook of my neck, her lips softly brushing against my skin.
My pulse races, the simple sensation creating a brush of heat along my skin.
Afraid I might drop her if she keeps this up, I set Jemma on the ice next to the table, holding onto her until she regains her balance. Our server pulls out Jemma’s chair for her to sit. She offers the middle-aged man with short, dark brown hair a quick thank you.
I push her chair into the table, before taking my place next to her. “I hope you like Italian food.”
“Yeah, of course. I’ll eat just about anything.” She stares around the ice, looking out into the stands. “I still can’t believe you did all of this for me. I knew you were sorry, but I had no idea how much until now.”
I cover her hand with mine, pinning it to the table with a gentle embrace. “No amount of words or dates can ever express how sorry I am. But if you’ll give me a chance, I’d like to make it up to you. Take you on every date we should have had. Spend every bit of time we missed.”
Her cheeks redden, the corners of her mouth turning up into a wicked grin. “I’d like that.”
Oh, thank God.
Relief washes over me. I was so afraid she wouldn’t give me another shot. With other girls, I never had to wonder because I didn’t care. They were replaceable in my mind, nothing more than entertainment for the moment. But not Jemma. I haven’t been able to let her go since the moment I laid eyes on her.
The more I got to know her, the more I wanted to be around her. She had no clue I was rich or an athlete and never seemed to care. I always liked that about her. Except last time, she thought she was getting to know Tucker, even though she was with me. We won’t have the same issue going forward. Now, she knows for sure which twin she’s dating, and Tucker promised to stay out of the way.
Our server pours glasses of water and wine, setting salads and bread in front of us. We dig in, midway through our plates when Jemma wipes her mouth with the napkin on her lap, her fork still in hand.
“This is so good. I never knew a salad could be so delicious.”
I laugh between bites. “Dolce is one of my favorite restaurants. I would say we should go for our second date, but I already have something else planned.”
“Oh, really?” she speaks between chewing her food. “How about you fill me in on when and where you plan to take me next time?”
“No, I don’t think I will.” I set my fork at the edge of my plate and sit back in my chair, glancing over at her. “If I’d told you where we were going tonight, it would have ruined the surprise. The look on your face when you saw where you were standing was worth it. You’ve never looked more beautiful. So, I think I’ll keep my ideas for our second date to myself. At least for now.”
She’s glowing, her face illuminated. “I’m glad I was wrong about you.
“Well, I’m glad you bid on me and gave me a second chance.”
“I honestly don’t know if I would have considered it if you didn’t look so sad up on stage without anyone bidding on you.”
“Perfect,” I huff. “A pity date.”
She knows I’m kidding and laughs. “It’s not a pity date. I had to save you from embarrassment.”
“Yeah, that was weird. I’ve never had girls not bid on me before.”
“Sorry about that. Even though none of them will admit it, I suspect my sisters had a hand in your lack of interest.
“Way to bruise a man’s ego,” I quip. “What did I ever do to any of the Kappa girls?”
