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“I’ll bear that in mind.” His eyes sparkled. “Which reminds me. There’s something I wanted to ask you … I know this might seem forward since we’ve only been on three dates, but …” He paused. “Could I get your phone number?”
Allie tried to rein in her smile. “How did we get to three dates without exchanging phone numbers?”
“I don’t know. It’s probably some kind of record in the modern world.”
“It probably is.” She got her phone out to programme his number in, which drew her attention to the time. Once they’d swapped numbers, she drank the last of her coffee. “I need to get going,” she said reluctantly.
“I should get back to work, too.”
“Back to it?”
He grimaced. “I got up at five to get a couple of extra hours in before I met you.”
“Very conscientious.” She was about to get up, but paused. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Okay,” he said hesitantly.
Her gaze slid to his hat on the table. “Why have you been carrying around a cap?”
With a bashful smile, he pressed his palm to his forehead. “It’s new, but I don’t know if I’m really a hat person and I was kind of self-conscious about it.”
“Show me,” she said eagerly.
“No. I don’t think it suits me.”
“Let me be the judge of that.” She set it firmly on his head, then adjusted it a little before drawing back for a better look at him.
With the shadow cast over the top half of his face, his eyes appeared darker and gave him a hint of brooding.
“It’s awful, isn’t it?” Misreading her silent contemplation, he reached to remove it.
“No.” She grabbed at his hand before he could snatch the hat away. “I like it.”
“Really?” He looked entirely sceptical, and her stomach fluttered lightly as she felt the urge to show him just how much she liked it.
With her eyes locked on his, she touched the peak of the cap, lifting it ever so slightly as she inched closer to him. Still, she had to tilt her face to avoid the brim. Her fingers crept around the back of his neck, and a gentle tug closed the space between them.
His lips were soft and she tasted the subtle tang of sea salt beneath a hit of bitter coffee. For a moment he didn’t respond, and she felt the muscles of his shoulders and neck tighten. Only when she went to pull away did she feel him relax, then lean into her and catch her lips in a soft kiss. His hand came up to cup her face and his tongue darted deliciously against hers.
When they finally broke apart her breathing was uneven and her heartbeat felt erratic against her ribs.
“Maybe I’ll wear the cap more often,” Hugh murmured, his lips still close enough to hers that his breath tickled her lips.
“You should.” Playfully, she pulled the peak back down to shade his face, then forced herself up from the bench. “I have to go to work.”
“Do you want to have dinner with me tonight?” he asked.
“I’d love to.” His eagerness to see her again made her insides tingle. “I have to work until the restaurant closes though. I don’t know what time that will be, but too late for dinner.”
“Another night then?” He didn’t quite hide his disappointment.
“Yes.” Except she also didn’t want to wait until another day. “Or you could come up to the restaurant and prop up the bar. I could have a drink with you whenever I finish.”
“That sounds good.”
She took a step away, then remembered she was wearing his coat and began to shrug it off. “Keep it,” Hugh said. “I’ll get it back later.”
Gratefully, she smiled at him and told him she’d see him later.
