AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Dinner, yeah.” Tristan runs a hand through his hair, mussing it. “Let’s find our table.”
Just like that, the moment is broken. How can he just walk to our table after almost kissing me?
Did he not feel that too?
I’m not sure what that is, but it was strong and alluring and intoxicating. I was suspended in the air, and what happened next would determine if I would fall into the abyss or survive.
22
Tristan
I could kill Toby right about now. I was so close to Sage, both of us leaning into each other. To anyone else, it would seem like a couple sharing a kiss. To us, it was crossing a line. A line I shouldn’t cross in public but wanted to.
She’s gorgeous, luring me in with her smile, humor, and protection. The way she watches out for me makes me feel cared for.
When the woman at the inn informed me there was a mistake with our booking, my heart stopped. Even with separate bedrooms, I was looking forward to spending the morning with her, maybe having breakfast. I thought that was ruined until Sage surprised me.
I should be flattered she trusts me enough to stay in the same room, but a part of me wishes there was more between us. I want her to be mine.
I could call the deal off, tell her I want to date for real and have an honest start with her, but I’m not sure if she feels the same or if the lifestyle I’ve always wanted will be enough for her.
Despite wanting to reach for her hand as we find our table, I give the both of us some space. Even though we’re not part of the bridal party, Hope and Toby have seated us with the wedding attendants, which is nice.
“Here.” I hold Sage’s chair so she can sit.
I can’t help myself. When I tuck her chair in, my fingers caress her exposed shoulders. She shivers and takes a deep breath.
“Thank you,” she whispers, hardly audible.
“You’re welcome.” I sit beside her with a smile.
Things between us have been building, a slow fire we’ve been stoking with lingering eyes, soft touches, and almost kisses. I want it to grow, impatient to know if this thing between us could be real.
Since she got sick, my priorities have shifted. I want to be there for Sage. I want to take care of her, give her what she needs. Spread Joy is still my dream, but in the past month, that dream has expanded.
“Isn’t this place beautiful?” Lex looks around.
“It is,” Sage says. “The flowers are stunning.” She reaches out, almost touching a eucalyptus leaf.
“And the chandeliers,” Ellie says. “They’re definitely vintage.”
“They are,” Lex nods. “I think they’re original 1920s.”
“You and your love of all things antique,” Hudson laughs, wrapping his arm around her.
“You love that I love it.” She playfully elbows him.
I look at Sage, noticing how she watches them with a soft smile. “Do you like antiques?” I lean in and whisper.
“I’ve never put much thought into it, to be honest.” She turns her head toward me.
We’re close again. Not as close as before, but enough that I can see speckles of gold in her brown eyes.
She clears her throat, grabbing the napkin elegantly folded on the plate and draping it across her lap. It breaks the contact and eases the tension a bit, but I can’t completely release it.
Everything about her lures me in. We have chemistry. It goes beyond physical attraction. Sage is a woman I’d give it all up for. I know she’ll never allow that, but it doesn’t mean I wouldn’t consider it.
I’m not sure when it happened. Some time between getting to know her and witnessing her vulnerability during her flare-up, something snapped inside of me. I became a man on a mission.
