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He planted a soft kiss to her lips. “You like it?”
“What about an Italian place?”
He smiled. “Next time. For now, I wanted you to myself. So… like it?”
“Yes.” She kissed him back as her arms wrapped around his neck.
“If we keep this up...” he mumbled between kisses. “We won’t be eating.”
Zoe giggled. Then she sat at the table. “What’s on the menu?”
Alex walked over and opened the wicker basket, sitting on the left side of the table. “Compliments of my Aunt Pam.” He pulled out two Styrofoam containers. “We have homemade lasagna or her famous meat loaf.”
Zoe’s stomach growled. “I’ll take the famous meatloaf.”
He handed her a plate with a wink. “Enjoy.” Then he sat next to her, but his knee brushed against hers.
Zoe didn’t waste time eating her dinner. Aunt Pam’s meals reminded her of her mother’s home-cooked meals. “This is incredible.”
“I’ll tell her you said that,” Alex said.
They ate in a comfortable silence, stealing furtive glances at each other between bites. Alex reached over for a napkin, but he paused long enough to kiss Zoe.
“You’re distracting me from the food,” she said. It didn’t stop her from pecking his lips.
“Am I?” he teased.
Zoe laughed, but picked up her fork and lowered it
to his plate. Alex stopped her.
“Taking my food now?” He grinned at her.
“Not if you let me eat with no distractions from you.”
He straightened in his seat. “Okay, but wait until you see what’s for dessert.”
She perked up. “What’s that?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m thinking about keeping it to myself.” He turned his back.
Zoe’s mouth quirked at the corner. She set her fork down and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her head on his shoulder. “Forgive me?”
Alex chuckled. “You think that’ll work?”
She then grazed the back of his head with her fingers. She heard his breath hitch. “Maybe.”
Alex didn’t turn to face her, but he rested one hand on top of hers. Zoe didn’t break their embrace. She held him close.
“Thank you,” he said.
She raised an eyebrow. “For what?”
“For this. I didn’t know.” Then he broke their embrace and faced her. He cupped her cheek. “You’re showing me what it could be, Zoe Mills.”
“I’m… I don’t know what to say.” Her lips parted, speechless at his vulnerability. She’d never experienced this with a man, but Alex kept his word to her with everything. He owned up to his mistakes. While she figured she had something to do with it, she hoped he was changing because he wanted more than the shallow lifestyle he’d led in the past.
“Don’t say anything,” he said.
