Page 79 of The Ones We Fight For

“Mmm.” Walker nodded in appreciation and unlaced his fingers from hers. She impulsively wanted to snatch his hand back, clutch onto it for dear life, but the need morphed into something stronger when he dropped his hand to her leg and set it along the hem of her dress, riding up her thigh. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah,” Talia’s voice came out huskier than she would have liked. She cleared her throat and adjusted in her seat. “So, this is what you would do on a normal first date?”

“Not really, no.” Walker grinned. “Just with you. Other guys probably shouldn’t be doing this on a first date with you, either. Should I stop?”

Talia’s heart was beating a million miles a minute, her cheeks flushing beet red. There was no use in hiding it. Walker had to know at this point that she was wildly attracted to him. The lines kept getting blurred, and she was starting to wonder if being friends and friends alone would ever feel normal.

She wanted to wake up next to him, curl into his side, and breathe in his scent. She wanted to cook breakfast with him and laugh about whatever silly thing one of his nieces or nephews had said. She wanted to be included in every decision about the kids and watch them grow up. And, dear God, her body was dying to be underneath him, to feel his weight against her, to run her hands over his bare skin like she did in her imagination when she read Contracted Love alone in her room.

I’m only thinking about you, Walker. I don’t want anyone else, Talia thought, staring into his eyes. How can you not see that?

Talia set her hand over his and, with a light touch, swirled her thumb over his skin. “No, it’s… comfortable. If you remove it, I'll just end up being cold.”

“Good. So, tell me something I don’t already know about you. What’s your most embarrassing story?”

“Oh, we’re going there?” Talia laughed and picked up her water glass, putting it to her mouth to take a swig before answering. Walker followed her motions, and she could have sworn that his eyes dropped to her lips as she drank. “Let’s see… actually, I don’t think I can tell you my most embarrassing story.”

“What? Why not?” Walker gaped at her. “I’ll tell you mine.”

“It’s too mortifying. I promised myself I would never tell anybody. Except Amala, of course.”

“But I’m not just anybody. I’m me.” Walker gave her the poutiest of faces, sticking out his bottom lip like a literal child. It reduced her to a puddle, and she gave in.

“Okay fine, fine. But you have to promise not to laugh.” Talia pointed at him sternly.

“I won’t, promise.” Walker held up his free hand like a Boy Scout giving an oath, his thumb folded over his palm.

Taking a deep breath first, Talia launched into her story. It was more a series of events that led to the worst embarrassment of her life. It started off with her showing up in her brand new outfit to her first day of school in NYC just after moving. She made it halfway through the school day before running into a kid in the cafeteria who was unfortunately in the middle of drinking a carton of chocolate milk. Her outfit was ruined, a questionable brown stain down the front, and there was nothing to be done. Her mom was at work, and Talia had no spare clothes. It ended up looking like the worst kind of bathroom incident, and it did not go unnoticed by her classmates.

Next was the actual bathroom incident. At the time, she was so terrified of being a bother to anyone and so desperate to fit in, she figured asking to use the restroom would only be met with more commentary on the large, brownish stain down the front of her. So she tried to hold it, as any reasonable person would do. It didn’t end well.

“What happened after you peed yourself?” Walker pried, the corners of his lips turning up with a force beyond his control as he attempted to keep from laughing.

“I just sat there in my own pee, waiting for class to end as it ran down my legs. When I got up, that’s when Cory Wilkshire—he was actually a nice kid—asked me why I was all wet.”

“And you said…?”

“Slipped in a puddle.”

“Did he buy it?

“Nope. Especially when a different kid pointed at my ass and yelled ‘she peed herself’ at the top of his lungs. Anyway,” Talia blushed furiously and averted her eyes in embarrassment before Walker reached his hand up to cup her face.

“Hey, that’s not that bad.” His thumb brushed over her reddened cheek, and she returned her gaze to him. “And if you ever need to pee during dinner, you just let me know, and I will hop on out of this seat.” His face split into a grin, and she nudged her shoulder against his.

“I hate you.”

“Do you really?” Walker asked, his voice low and breathy. Talia found his hand again, resting against her leg under the table, and rubbed her thumb over him with slow, methodical circles. His breath hitched, and she liked the sound of it, wishing she could guide his fingers between her legs right then and there.

“No, I don’t hate you. You have to tell me your story now, though. And it better be worse than mine.” She lifted her chin defiantly, and he smiled again, his pearl-white teeth gleaming in the candlelight.

“Um, mine is… not exactly appropriate for dinner.” Walker looked away.

“You promised!”

“You’re never going to look at me the same.”

“How do you want me to look at you?” Talia pried, leaning into him further and finding his eyes.

---