Page 16 of Twisted Devil

I allowed my gaze to sweep over her from head to toe before meeting her bright blue eyes. “You look gorgeous.”

She smiled shyly. “Thanks.”

We stood there for several seconds staring at each other. “I thought for sure you'd cancel.”

Her head tipped to one side. “Why?”

“I don't know,” I admitted. “I just... I thought I'd scared you away yesterday.”

“Not at all.”

I held out my hand and my pulse kicked up when she placed her fingers trustingly in mine. I tugged her forward. “Would it be weird if I said I missed you?”

“Would it be weird if I said I missed you too?”

I cracked a grin. “No. I think I like the idea of you missing me.”

She didn’t say anything, but the shy little smile that curved her mouth and tinged her cheeks pink told me everything I needed to know. I squeezed her hand. “I thought about you a lot last night.”

She'd been in my thoughts constantly, more than usual. I'd woken up in the middle of the night so fucking hard I'd had to work one out before I could go back to sleep.

She peered up at me with those liquid blue eyes that threatened to slay me. “Me too.”

We had to get the hell out of here before I dragged her inside and begged to touch every inch of her. I gave a gentle tug to her hand. “Come on. I have reservations for us downtown.”

I held the door for her as she slid inside, then rounded the car. “Anything you don't eat?” I asked.

“Fish,” she replied. “I'm not allergic or anything, I just don't like it.”

I nodded. “I'm not a huge fan either.”

We made small talk as we drove to the obscure Italian place I’d chosen. I wanted something small and intimate where she wouldn’t feel like she was on display. Though she’d told me she didn’t care, it mattered to me. I never wanted her to be uncomfortable, especially with me. Inside, I seated myself in the booth across from her.

“Afraid to sit beside me?” she teased.

I could hear the thread of insecurity in her voice, so I leaned forward and took her hand. “I wanted to give you space. Plus, I like sitting over here.”

Her brows drew slightly together, and her eyes flooded with confusion. “Why?”

“Because I like looking at you, and I can see you better from over here.” Her cheeks flared and satisfaction welled up inside me. “Besides, if I sat next to you,” I admitted, “I don't think I could keep my hands off you.”

The waiter showed up to take our orders, promising to be back soon with drinks and appetizers. Once he was gone, I set my hand on the table, palm up, prompting her to take it. After a moment, she twined her fingers with mine. “In case I haven’t said it recently, I’m really glad you decided to come on a date with me.”

Her smile was so soft and sweet it hurt my heart. “I’m glad you asked. Thanks for this.”

“My pleasure.” Silence fell for a moment, and my gaze flitted around the intimate, dimly lit restaurant before I faced Chloe again. She’d never really explained why she’d shown up out of the blue. “I was a little surprised you came to see me,” I admitted.

She bit her lower lip. “I'm sorry. I know it was unexpected.”

“You know I don’t mind that.” I shook my head. “But I imagine seeing me brought back a bunch of memories you'd probably rather leave behind.”

She was silent for so long that my stomach began to twist into knots and I shifted uncomfortably in the booth. I was just about to tell her not to worry about it and change the subject when she spoke.

“I replay that night in my mind every single day, imagining what I could have done differently.” I sensed she wasn't done talking, so I kept my mouth shut and let her gather her thoughts. “I could have asked Sara to stay with me. I could've been more careful. A huge part of me wishes it had never happened, obviously.”

My heart clenched with sympathy and I lightly squeezed her fingers. “I can understand that.”

Those pretty blue eyes lifted to mine. “I'm not sure you do. Because there's this other part of me that thinks it happened for a reason. It's crazy to think that way, I know it is, but I can't help it. Every time something bad happens, people always justify it by saying things happen for a reason, right?”

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