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“You’rebeautiful.” I correct. “You’re so beautiful you make me ache, hard, inallthe right places, Sophia.”
She places her empty glass on the bar, wiping the back of her hand across her cherry lips as she looks at me in astonishment.Fuck. I want to eat those lips of hers…
It’s in that moment that the waitress brings our food. “Can I get another cider?” Sophia asks hurriedly, and I can’t help but chuckle to myself at her obvious nerves.
“One for me too,” I say, finishing mine off and handing over the glass—my father said a woman should never drink alone.
“You know. I really wanted a fruit pie. But this beef pie looks and smells amazing,” she says, picking up her knife and fork.
“Tastes amazing too. The chef that sets the menu here works at that fancy restaurant,Hunt & Gather, a few blocks over. His family owns this place. It’s beentheplace to grab a good meal for a decent price for the last year now.”
“I’ll have to come here more often,” she says, holding a forkful of flakey pastry and stewed meat up to her lips as she blows. I watch her delicate movements, entranced by the shape of her mouth and the way she holds her hair off her face. Then she places the fork in her mouth, and I’m almost salivating with desire. The look of pure ecstasy on her face as the flavor explodes over her tongue is erection inducing.
“Good?” I ask, adjusting myself in my seat so she can’t see what I’m packing.
“Amazing.”
Our second round of ciders is placed in front of us, and I thank the server as I pick up my cutlery and dig in. As we talk and eat, I find the conversation with her is easy, entertaining, and downright fun. After her initial shyness, she slowly comes out of her shell and I find that she’s not just beautiful, but has a quick mind and a witty tongue. I hardly remember the last time I laughed this much.
“And then she just pulled her teeth from her mouth and dropped them in a glass of Chardonnay in the middle of the restaurant,” she explains, covering her mouth as she giggles over the story of her grandmother’s antics. “And what makes it worse is that the Chardonnay wasn’t even hers. It was my cousin’s.”
My shoulders shake from laughter. “She sounds like a hoot.”
“Well, that’s one thing to call her,” she says, lifting her glass to lips and drinking the final mouthful of her cider. “You know, I’m really glad you suggested this place.”
I pick up a napkin and wipe it across my mouth and down my beard as I lift my brows at her. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I was feeling pretty miserable about the holiday, but you really helped to brighten it up. Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” I say, taking my wallet out of my pocket and peeling a couple of notes off as the barman calls last drinks.
“Oh, you should let me pay half,” she suggests, reaching for her bag.
I place my hand over hers to stop her. “Consider it an early Christmas gift. My treat.”
Her cheeks brighten yet again as she lifts her eyes to meet mine. “Thank you, Jackson. I really appreciate it.”
“My pleasure,” I say, standing up and holding her coat out for her. “Can I walk you home?”
She smiles up at me. “I’d really like that.”
I wrap my scarf around her neck again, then gesture toward the door, wishing the waitress who collects our plates and the bill a Merry Christmas on our way out.
“Oh, my lord!” Sophia holds her hand up as a gust of wind sends her hair flying, and the biting sting of snow carried on whipping winds lashes against our faces.
“Do you live nearby?” I ask, sliding an arm around her and pulling her tighter against me.
“Not near enough to walk in this weather, I’m afraid. Maybe I can get a cab?”
“On Christmas Eve? I live one street over. Come home with me, and you can wait out the storm there.” I don’t know if she can tell how much I like saying those words to her.Comehomewith me.
“I don’t know. I don’t want you to think I’m the kind of girl who goes back to a guy’s place on the first date,” she whispers, her eyes not quite meeting mine.
“This was a date, then?” I grin and slowly lean forward till my lips touch the side of her temple.She shudders. But it isn’t from the cold.
“I…um…” She looks flustered, and immediately I feel bad for teasing her.
“Sugar, I’m only teasing. Of course this was a date. Ourfirstdate. The first of many, I hope. But, I want you to listen to me closely now, OK?”
