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CHAPTER 11
“You do that alot.”Rio’s words stopped the naan covered in saag paneer that was halfway to my mouth.
“Do what?” I ask, putting the bite of food back down onto my plate. All I had been doing was eating, so I didn’t know what he was getting at.
Rio frowned at me, and I could see that he didn’t know how to phrase his next words. “I’ve noticed that, sometimes, you will cover up your real feelings with your bubbly smile...” He looked like he regretted even bringing it up.
My stomach twisted uncomfortably, and my previously ravenous appetite fled as I tried to figure out how to respond to him. Most people didn’t notice when I masked my feelings. I was pretty sure that those who I was closest to, like Pack Russo and Pack Simmons, had an idea of it, but they never pointed it out. Only Tibby, the queen of brutal honesty, had tried, and I’d changed the subject almost immediately.
How does one explain all of their childhood issues over a plate of naan? It would take me all night to really explain why I presented such a bubbly face to the world, so, instead, I just said: “Does...does it bother you?”
I really liked Rio, but what if he really only liked bubbly Maddie? My heart started to thud in my chest, and I was worried that I was going to start to have a panic attack as every single self-conscious question that I had about myself ever since my parents had abandoned me came roaring back to the surface.
But Rio quickly put my fears to rest when he reached across the table and put his big, warm hand over mine. “No it doesn’t, I get the need to put on a front to get through the day. I just hope that I make you comfortable enough one day that you don’t feel the need to do that.”
With that, Rio picked up my abandoned piece of saag paneer covered naan and held it out to me. “Now, eat, Divya gets really sad if you leave her restaurant hungry.”
The feel of the room shifted once again from panic to something, well,hot. After spending the evening with Rio, I was pretty sure he wasn’t aware of just how hot he was. Sure he acted awkward at times and, to be fair, so did I. But right now? Right now Rio’s eyes were a molten darkness that stayed locked on my lips as I opened my mouth and let him push the naan in between my lips. The food was delicious, but the alpha feeding it to me was even more so. I was definitely in trouble when it came to Rio Malik.
Rio’s truck pulledup to the curb of my apartment, and he threw it in park before turning to me. “I’m really sorry for making dinner awkward there for a minute. I didn’t mean to.”
The rest of dinner had gone really well. At the end, Divya had brought in a plate of jalebi, an Indian dessert. It had been crunchy, sweet, and had been the perfect end to our dinner. Divya had refused to accept any kind of payment from me or Rio. But I had watched Rio sneak some bills into her apron when he was kissing her goodbye.
Divya had given me a big hug that had nearly taken my breath away, and I’d left the restaurant in a bit of a daze.
“I didn’t mind.” I reached out to touch him, my fingers tangling in the folds of his shirt. “I was just surprised you pointed it out. Most people don’t.”
“I’ve been watching you enough to notice it, and have always been curious about it.” Rio paused. “Watching you, but like, not in acreepyway.” His cheeks darkened as he stumbled over his words.
My smile was genuine as I leaned across the bench seat and shut him up with a kiss. My first kiss with Rio Malik was sweet, a tentative meeting of mouths. It took Rio a minute to realize what was happening, and then his warm hands cradled my face and he pulled me in as much as my seatbelt would allow, the tiniest of groans falling from his lips as he deepened the kiss.
I wasn’t sure how long we sat there, necking like teenagers, but when we finally broke apart, my lips felt swollen. I was also pretty sure that I was going to be sporting a couple of scratches from Rio’s beard after all of that.
“That was...” I began breathlessly.
“Wow.” Rio finished for me as he pressed a hand to his chest, just over his heart. After a minute he turned to me with a grin. “So does that mean I get a second date?”
I decided to tease him a little bit. With a grin I unbuckled my seatbelt, and opened the car door before sliding out. Slamming the door behind me, I pretended to walk towards my apartment, but before I reached the stone steps I hurried back over to the car where a very confused Rio still sat with the window rolled down.
“I’m just kidding, of course you get a second date. I get to plan the next one though, okay?”
“You’re definitely going to keep me on my toes aren’t you?” Rio crooked a dark brow at me, and I couldn’t help the little bubble of laughter that rippled out of me.
“I hope so, Rio, life would be boring if I did everything that you expected.” I took a step back from the car and waved at him before hurrying up the steps, feeling lighter than I had in a long time. It also wasn’t lost on me that Rio waited until I had pulled my keycard out of my purse and opened the door before he drove off, the rumble of his truck fading into the night.
