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Turning his full attention to the two panting dogs beside him, he feeds their need for information. “About Saturday night. I was going to ask her to have dinner with me again. Do you think she’ll go on a second date with me?”
It’s as if I’m not even in the room anymore.
“Are you kidding? She’s talked of nothing else,” Payton says with a mischievous grin.
“Hey.” I gently slap my oldest sister’s shoulder as my eyes bounce back and forth between the three of them.
“Really? That’s a good sign, right?” Ryan asks, feeding off their over-dramatics.
“Oh, really. It’s been Ryan-this and Ryan-that since the moment she stepped foot inside the shop this morning.” This from traitor Payton.
“And she has been beaming and talking about how much she wants to see you again ever since I arrived just a bit ago.” And of course, conspirator Lexi chimes in beautifully as if on cue.
“I’m right here,” I remind my pesky siblings.
As expected, neither of them acknowledges my statement at all. They’re as bad as Grandma. Only with less butt grabs and talks about sex toys.
“So, you’re saying I have a shot?” Ryan asks while my sisters practically drool on the smooth counter before him.
“Definitely,” one says, while the other replies, “No doubt!”
“Excellent, ladies. You’ve been most helpful, but if you don’t mind, I’m going to steal Jaime away for just a few moments and do this officially.” As he reaches out his hand, which I readily drop my hand into, he throws them a final wink before turning his full attention back to me.
Ryan leads me towards the corner by the display case, just out of direct earshot of the two eavesdroppers. He never lets go of my hand and stands directly before me. I can feel the heat radiating off his large body, stirring to life the same desire I’ve attempted to squash–unsuccessfully, mind you–over the last three nights.
“I have to be honest. I almost picked up the phone at least a dozen times to call you since Saturday night,” Ryan confesses in a low voice.
“Why didn’t you?” The words are out of my mouth before I can even slide the protective wall into place around my heart.
And that’s the problem here. Ryan catches me off guard. I’m completely unprepared for the reaction my body has when he’s near. How can I properly protect my heart from the devastation and destruction this gorgeous man will surely inflict if I’m swooning like a teenager every time I’m around him? It’s unsettling, really.
“I didn’t because I’m a dumb boy who’s trying to abide by the ‘three days with no contact after the first date’ rule.”
“There’s really a rule?”
“Maybe not so much a rule as it is a suggestion. Boys are stupid. And that rule is stupid, so I’m done with it. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. From the moment I pulled away from your house, you’re all I’ve thought about. It’s so bad that I missed a nail and smashed my finger with a hammer this morning.”
Bringing his hands up to inspect further, I see the fingernail on his left thumb a tad purple. Moving it to my lips, I place a gentle kiss on the discolored nail. “Poor finger.”
“Lucky finger,” Ryan murmurs, his breath hitching in his throat.
The air crackles around us as heat begins to spread throughout my body. My cheeks feel flush suddenly as I gape up at him, realization setting in that I’m still holding his bruised finger to my lips.
“I was hoping that you’d be available Saturday to have dinner with me.”
My heart pounds wildly in my chest. “You want to go out again?”
“Of course I do. I have a great time with you and am hoping to get to know you better.”
“Really?” I choke out over my too-parched throat.
Ryan chuckles in response. “Yes. I love spending time with you. So what do you say? Dinner Saturday night?”
“Okay.” The words are automatic and spill freely from my lips.
I’m rewarded with another breathtaking smile, which I can’t help but reciprocate. “Excellent. How about I cook?”
“Wait, you cook?” I don’t know why that would surprise me so much. I mean, he’s a single man who lives alone. If he doesn’t want to eat fast food every night, of course he knows how to cook.
