Page 28 of Nathan

She ignores me and slips into the booth. I follow her, sitting on the same side. “What’ll you have?” I say, scanning the menu.

“The Dino burger.” She licks her lips, and I wish it was my dick. “And a chocolate milkshake.”

I can’t contain my amusement at how relaxed she is, how normal, a complete about turn from the way she acted at the restaurant. “You’re much more comfortable here, aren’t you?”

“Yep. I’m a sweats and sneakers kind of girl.” She gives me an impudent grin. “I bet you’re not feeling as comfortable, though.”

She’s wrong. I’m more at ease sitting in a cheap diner with her than I’ve been with anyone in years. Ever since my life turned upside down, I’ve avoided intimacy with anyone, especially my family, in case I slip up and share what I know.

I nudge her playfully with my shoulder. “Actually, you’re wrong. I admit, I fucked up taking you to Alessandro’s.” I shrug. “I guess I wanted to take you someplace special. But if you’re happy here, then so am I.”

“Even with Susan fawning over you.” She laughs. “Your face was priceless. I bet you thought she was going to ask you to sign her boobs.” More laughter. “Now, that I’d have paid to see.”

My insides warm at her genuine happiness. When I picked her up at her place, her mouth had been pinched at the sides, and she’d seemed tired, and more than a little overwrought—which I hadn’t helped by taking her to the wrong restaurant. But now, even though she’s still paler than I’d like, her color has picked up, and she looks a lot better. Freer somehow.

I curl a hand around the back of her neck, leaving my other free to explore. “Oh, Titch. Payback time.”

“Wha… oh.”

“Yeah, oh.” I flick my thumb over her nipple for a second time. “Why do you think I chose this seat?”

“What can I get for you, lovelies?”

Dex jumps and tries to squirm out of my reach, but I hold her in place as I lazily turn toward Susan, proudly wearing her baseball cap with my signature scrawled across the peak.

“Two Dino burgers and two chocolate milkshakes. Also, if that man at the counter hasn’t eaten, tell him to pick whatever he wants and put it on my tab. If he has, you bill me for it and refund his money.”

“Oh my.” Susan slaps a hand to her chest. “That’s real nice of you. I’ll be back soon with your burgers.”

“No rush.” I turn back to Dex. “Now, where were we, Titch?”

“I can’t believe you did that,” she says, her eyes all soft and misty. “Carry on like that, Nate O’Reilly, and I’ll believe you’re a nice guy.”

I shrug, even though I’m secretly pleased at her response. Making Dex happy is fast becoming my favorite pastime.

“Even if I order one of everything off the menu, it’ll still be cheaper than two steaks at Alessandro’s.” I want to ask her to expand on the comment she made about being short of money, but instinct tells me I won’t get anywhere. Not with the direct approach, anyway. Lucky for me—and unlucky for her—I have a plan for exactly how to make her talk.

Susan comes across with our burgers and shakes, and Dex’s eyes light up.

“They look fabulous,” she says, sending a grin Susan’s way.

“Best thing on the menu. And there’s a piece of apple pie waiting after that. My treat for being so generous to Dave.” She jerks her head back toward the man now tucking into a burger of his own, along with a huge side of fries. “He’s ex-military, you know. When you think of what he did for this country, too.” She shakes her head sadly. “Terrible how we treat some of our veterans.”

I make a mental note to stuff a bunch of bills in Dave’s pocket as we leave.

Dex and I finish our burgers and the promised apple pie, then she flops back in her seat and rubs her belly.

“I couldn’t eat another thing.”

I wrap her ponytail around my hand and tug her head back. “That’s too bad, Titch, coz you owe me a blow job.”

She blinks. “You’re not serious?”

My lips brush hers. “Deadly. Not here, though. I want a blow job, not a rush job.”

I stand and wander over to the counter to pay, sliding five one hundred-dollar bills into Dave’s pocket. I give Susan a large tip, which earns me a dazzling smile, and a kiss on the cheek. Weirdly, I don’t mind at all. In fact, I might bring Dex here again.

As we walk to the car, I don’t have to look at Dex to feel her beside me, almost buzzing. Good. Because tonight, Dex is gonna spill what her issues with money are.

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