James didn't even look at her. Instead he lifted up his menu, like he was studying it. "But an apology may be due when the attraction is not reciprocated," he said slowly.
I pressed my lips together. I almost wanted to laugh. If that didn't shut Kristen up, I didn't know what would.
"I don't know," Kristen continued. "Sometimes people just need a little persuading. Don't you find me alluring, Professor Hunter?"
Oh my God. It was easier to focus on this than my own turmoil. I turned to James. "Tell me about Penny."
James smiled and set down his menu. "She's the love of my life."
I swallowed hard. I wanted someone to feel that way about me. Which is exactly why I should have trusted my gut around Rob. I needed to run away from him and this uneasy feeling in my stomach. I needed to find something real, not fleeting. "How did you know that you loved her? I mean, did you know right away? Did it take awhile?"
James glanced at his brother for a second and then back at me. "I think I knew right away."
"You think?" I smiled.
"I wasn't really in a good place when I met Penny. My divorce wasn't final yet. My whole life was just kind of up in the air. But when I met her, I felt this peace that I had never felt before. She just has this way of making me only see her. Like nothing else in the world matters. She grounded me. I guess you could say she's my balance. I'm better because of her. And she loves me despite all my flaws."
I always thought that you needed to be content with yourself before you found your partner. That's what I was lead to believe. But it was almost the opposite for James. It almost seemed like he found himself in Penny. That thought was even more romantic. "And do you love her despite all her flaws?"
"I love her flaws, I don't just love her in spite of them." He smiled again. "They're part of why I was drawn to her in the first place. She's stubborn and she challenges me. She never cared about who I was. And maybe that makes her naive, but it makes her her. And I love her."
"Such a sap," Matt said. "Alina, you should tell us all about your time in Brazil."
Alina laughed one of her uncomfortable laughs. If there was one thing she hated, it was talking about Brazil. Unless the question was about her future hubby. And then she could go on and on about it. Just like clockwork, Alina said, "It was wonderful. I actually met the guy I'm going to marry in a few weeks there."
"Wow," Matt said. "That's a little shocking. Was he one of the guys in the performance?"
Alina cleared her throat.
"Matt, come get a drink with me," James said and stood up. He seemed to share my thoughts on how inappropriate it was to flirt with someone who was about to get married. And if he couldn't get Kristen to understand, maybe he could get Matt to.
"We just ordered drinks, man."
"Come on, it's my bachelor party."
Matt pointed at him. "Finally ready to have fun? There's the James I know." He stood up and followed James to the bar. Alina couldn't have looked more relieved.
I had no idea why the four of us were hanging out with these four guys. Mason was in a serious relationship and James was getting married soon. I was the only one in my group that was single. This whole night was just a terrible idea. I wanted what Alina and Bryce, James and Penny, and Layla and Ethan all had. God, maybe even Kristen and Tim. I didn't understand their relationship but I could tell they were in love. What the hell was I doing here? Putting my list aside and trying to find love in paradise? What the fuck am I doing? I made that list for a reason.
I was just about to excuse myself to go to the bathroom when I felt something on my thigh. I looked down at the card that had just landed there. Rob was right that some of the cards were x-rated. This one said, "Get fingered."
"You have no idea how badly I want to do that to you. But I made you a promise. I intend to keep it."
I thought he was playing a game with me. Hell, maybe he still was. But he stopped because he was keeping his word. I looked up into his captivating eyes.
"Unless you don't want me to keep it, Daphne."
Chapter 20
Rob
I had wanted to touch her. That's all I wanted. Well, that and her lips around my cock. I wasn't sure what had happened with her restraint between the waterfall and tonight, but she wasn't resisting anymore. She had opened up her legs for Christ's sake. She was going to let me finger her under the fucking table. I could have made her come in front of the whole damn restaurant. I could have had the only thing I wanted to indulge in since I had met her. I was going crazy waiting to taste her. And I had been so close. So fucking close.
But I pulled back. Like an idiot. She hadn't even agreed to my deal in the waterfall, but I didn't want to break it. I wanted her to trust me. I was serious about seeing where this weekend went. I was serious about all of it.
She looked up at me with her beautiful green eyes. She seemed to be torn. It was the same thing I was feeling. I wanted her. I wanted her so badly that my balls actually ached. But I also wanted to wait. For what? I had no clue.
"Keep it," she said slowly. "I want you to keep your word."
I laughed and ran my hand through my hair, watching her as she watched me. "You're quite the tease. You do realize that, right?" I put my arm around the back of her chair without touching her.
She looked back at my arm and then back at me. "I want what your brother has."
"A hot girlfriend?"
She laughed. "No. Not exactly." She furrowed her brow when she was thinking. I wanted to reach out and smooth it out for her. But I was too distracted by her words.
Love. She was looking for love. I felt far away from that. A part of me just wanted to give her whatever she wanted to make her happy, though. I liked seeing her smile. I didn't want to talk about love or anything deep right now. I just wanted her to smile. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?"
Instead of smiling, she pursed her lips together. "No one that's actually meant it."
She was trying to pull me into something deep again. Maybe I'd try to get her to blush instead. I liked seeing her blush even more than seeing her smile. "I mean it."
Her cheeks turned rosy and I felt my dick swell even more in my pants. What the fuck was this girl doing to me? I felt like a teenager with no control over my hormones.
She laughed and looked away from me. "I know you're just messing with me."
"I'm not messing with you. Have you ever even looked in a mirror?"
She laughed again. "You're a total schmoozer, Rob Hunter. Ask me something important. Something that matters."
Deep. Again. Why couldn't we just have a flirtatious conversation without her trying to get to know me? Because you said you wanted more, you jackass. I thought back to her saying she wanted what my brother had. I had just been thinking the same thing earlier today. "Have you ever been in love?"
"No. I haven't. Not in the way you're asking anyway."
I understood that. I loved my family and friends. I loved Penny, who for some reason didn't quite fit into either of those categories. But all of that was different.