Page 18 of F Buddy

I chuckled at her disbelief. “Why don’t you believe me? I’ve told you the kind of women I go for. Most of them don’t even want to go out, so they invite themselves over to my place, and we eat there. I haven’t brought a date here in… Well, a while. Probably more than a year.”

She looked pleased, and I smiled. She ducked her head when a small blush lit her cheeks, probably realizing she wasn’t hiding her emotions. It was another thing I loved about her, though. Scarlett was easy to read, and most of her actions were clear. It was different when it came to her relationships, but she was naturally an honest person, and I loved that about her.

“And do you come here often?”

I shrugged. “It depends on my mood. If I’m too lazy to cook, if I want to treat myself after a particularly good or bad day.” I reached across the table and took one of her hands. “I came here the night after the wedding, so I thought it would be perfect to bring you here.”

An amused smile played on her lips. “Was it because of me?”

I mirrored her smile. “Of course.”

We paused when a waiter stopped beside our table to take our orders before disappearing again.

“I’m going to take your word on how good this place is. I don’t eat out a lot.”

“Really? Why not?”

She chewed slightly on her lower lip, then looked down with a self-deprecating smile. “I never feel like doing it on my own. It’s easier to order takeout, you know? And most of the guys I date don’t like going out.”

I frowned at that, again wondering what kind of guys she dated. I didn’t get close to any of them when she introduced them to us, but I’d met more than a handful since I’d known her. Most of them didn’t seem that bad, so it always surprised me when they were stupid enough to let her go.

I’d held myself back for years. There was never the right time to make a move because after she’d broken up with someone she was down for weeks afterward. But before I knew it, she’d found someone new, and I lost my chance. It was a cycle that had been going on for way too long.

So I’d taken advantage, just a little, when I saw her alone at the wedding and in serious need of company.

“Well, that’s no good,” I said with sadness that wasn’t entirely fake, slightly shaking my head. “I’ll have to take you out often to make up for all the years you’ve missed out.”

Her eyes flashed back to mine, slightly widened. “What?”

“I’ll take you out as often as you want,” I offered. “Well, as often as either of us can afford to spare the time. I’ll even pay for you.”

Her eyebrow went up. “No matter what I get? For every date?”

“Sure, why not?” I was sure I could afford to spoil her now and then. “It doesn’t have to be just dinner. If you’d like me to take you out on dates, then I wouldn’t mind.”

She aimed a grin at me. “Then I’ll take you up on that offer,” she said happily.

Our conversation was cut off again as the waiter came back with our orders. We chatted lightly as we ate, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her the entire time. We talked about our friends, the wedding—she wrinkled her nose slightly at that, it was cute—and our jobs.

And in between, we flirted. Her eyes would darken every time, and my body would heat in response to her apparent desire.

“Are you ready to leave now?” I asked after we were done with the meal. “We could get some dessert…”

But she shook her head, declining the offer. “I’m ready to leave.”

The look she aimed at me was trying to tell me something. With the way she was leaning slightly toward me, lips parted as she breathed, and the blush on her cheeks, I could guess what was going on in her mind. A slow smile spread on my lips, and her eyes dropped to my mouth as I said, “I think you should come home with me.”

It wasn’t a question.

She smiled back and looked at me from under her eyelashes. “Gladly.”

Chapter 7

Scarlett

“You have a thing for pushing me up against doors, don’t you?” I accused lightly.

He’d done it again, as soon as he got me to his apartment and through the door, turning me around and pressing me against the door.