She spent all last night torturing herself with what-ifs and wondering what she could do to help her sister but we both know the truth. Until Ivy decides she’s ready to leave, there isn’t anything anyone can do. But when the time comes, I’ll be there to help and the club will be behind me one hundred percent. It kills me to see the pain in her eyes and I would move mountains for her but right now, I’m stuck and I hate it.
“This is nice,” she whispers, like she’s surprised I could plan such a nice date and I choose not to take offense, laughing as she opens her menu. We haven’t been on an official date until now, but she’ll learn I can be a romantic guy when I really want to be.
“What did you expect?”
She shrugs, glancing up with a gleam in her eye that I fucking love. God, this woman has me mesmerized. “Honestly? Pizza and beer.”
“I’m hurt, Princess. That actually hurt.”
She leans forward, her eyes zeroed in on my chest and I tilt my head to the side as I try to figure out what she’s doing. Finally, she leans back and shrugs again. “Doesn’t look fatal.”
I bark out a laugh, unable to stop myself and I’m greeted with her full smile – the one that takes my breath away every time – and my gaze trails down her neck to her chest. The dress she wore tonight hugs her tits tightly and I wish I had gone with pizza and beer instead, so we could be at her place right now. Naked. It’s been too fucking long since I’ve been able to get her underneath me. But that’s my own damn fault.
I pat the white button up shirt I wore tonight and smirk. “Yeah, but, at least, I dressed up for this.”
Her eyelids droop for a moment before she meets my eyes again. “Yeah, but I think I’d like it a whole lot better if you were dressed down.”
“Careful, Princess,” I growl, my jeans feeling a little tight. “That comes after the date, remember?”
With a sigh, she rolls her eyes. “Fine. I guess I’ll wait.”
What Carly and I have started out as just sex and call me crazy, but I wanted to give us a chance to really get to know each other before we jumped back in bed. I wanted to make sure we did things differently this time but honestly, it’s been killing me. All I can think about when I’m around her is slipping my hands up under her shirt or bending her over the nearest surface. And it doesn’t help when she’s just as intent on making me eat my words.
The waitress stops at our table, snapping me out of my daze. “What can I get y’all to drink?”
“A glass of moscato, please,” Carly says and the waitress turns to me, her smile changing as her gaze drops down my body.
“I’ll just get a beer.”
She nods. “Any preference?”
“Nope. Whatever is on tap works.”
“Would you like a glass of water with it, too?” she asks, batting her eyelashes and completely oblivious to the glare Carly is throwing at her right now.
“Nope. That will be all.”
She scribbles it down on her notepad before laying her hand on my arm. “Coming right up and I’ll be back in a moment to get your order.”
As soon as she leaves, Carly rolls her eyes and scoffs but doesn’t say anything and I bite back another smile. Is she jealous? This is new and I can’t say that I’m not enjoying it. She has nothing to worry about, though. How could any other woman steal my attention when I have her sitting in front of me?
“So, I was thinking we could try something a little different tonight,” I prompt and she quirks a brow at me.
“Oh? And what was it you wanted to try?”
“Well,” I say, rubbing my hands together. Why do I feel nervous all of the sudden? “I have questions for you and since you promised to stop fighting me, I’m hoping you’ll answer them.”
Her quick intake of air worries me. “I don’t know about that.”
“This is what people in relationships do, Princess. They get to know each other.” I’m going out of my fucking mind, dying to know what it is that makes her act the way she does but I have no intention of asking that tonight. That’s something we’ll have to ease into. But there are so many other things I’ve wanted to ask since the moment I met her. She sighs, thinking it over for a moment before she nods.
“Okay, I’ll play along but I still reserve the right to veto any question I don’t feel like answering.”
I nod, hating the nerves lacing her voice. She should know by now that I would never intentionally do anything to upset her. “Sounds fair.”
The waitress stops at the table with our drinks and she sets them down before turning her attention to me. “Are you ready to order?”
“Yes, we are,” Carly snaps and I bite down on my fist to stop myself from laughing. Yeah, it’s decided. I definitely love that she’s a little jealous. The waitress turns to look at Carly.
“What can I get for you, ma’am?”
“I’ll take the baked ziti.”
It doesn’t slip my notice that she forgoes the “please” this time and I wish we were closer, so I could run my hand up her thigh to distract her from her anger. The waitress turns back to me and smiles.
“And for you?”
“The burger, please.”
She writes it down and looks like she’s going to say something else before she glances at Carly and decides better of it. As she scurries off, I chuckle.
“You’re jealous,” I accuse and she huffs, crossing her arms over her chest.
“So, what if I am? You’re here with me and she’s practically jumping into your lap every time she stops by the table. It’s fucking trashy.”
I can’t help but laugh as I reach across the table and grab her hand. “I kinda like you jealous but you’ve got nothing to worry about, baby. I couldn’t even tell you what she looks like ‘cause I’m too busy watching you.”
“Those lines don’t work on me,” she shoots back at me, but her gaze softens and I laugh again.
“Whatever you say, Princess.”
She rolls her eyes. “Don’t you have questions to ask me?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Well, get to it then.” She looks so damn beautiful all pissed off and I remember the first time I showed up at her apartment to ask her out. She was so stubborn and I love the fire in her eyes whenever she argues with me. God, I love her attitude. It’s one of the biggest things that attracted me to her because there’s no way in hell I could be with someone who didn’t put me in my place every once in a while.
“What’s your first question?” she asks, softer this time. Thinking over all the questions I’ve wanted to ask her since the moment we met, I decide to start with something easy.
“When was the last time you went on a real date like this?”
Her shoulders tense again and she drops her gaze to the floor. Okay, maybe that’s not such a safe question. “Twelve years ago.”
I blink. Jesus… she was only… “When you were sixteen?”
“Yes. And I don’t want to answer any more questions about that.” She refuses to meet my gaze and her fist is clenched on the table, her knuckles turning white. Fuck, what the hell happened to my gorgeous girl?