Page 24 of In Another Lifetime

“I—” I caught myself quickly before telling him I remembered that. We’d skipped dinner in favor of some of the hottest sex we’d ever had. My thighs clenched together at the thought of it.

“I can’t imagine,” I lied.

“Yeah, well, she sure was glad when I got promoted after my last bust.”

“So you’re saying, if things work out here, I’ll never see your edgy gang persona?”

“I don’t know. Maybe, it could be arranged.” A wholly different grin took over as he regarded me, hunger replacing the nostalgia, both of us in the here and now, Dayton fully with me and leaving the past in the past as he’d resolved to last night.

Unconsciously, I squirmed in my seat, and a spark lit in his eyes, the predator seeing prey in his sights. That reminded me of a secret I knew, too. The entire world knew a different Dayton from me. I knew how dominant, demanding and kinky he could be behind closed doors.

A little dimple appeared in his cheek before he returned his attention to his meal, and I did, too. The awareness running between us didn’t abate, my own arousal tingling in my pleasure centers, the sensations escalating whenever our eyes met.

“Dessert?” he asked after we’d finished our entrees.

I shook my head. “I don’t think I could manage another bite, but feel free if you want something. I’ll just sip my wine.”

“I don’t think they have what I really want, anyway,” he replied.

“And what’s that?” I asked, suddenly a little breathless.

“I know I said I wanted to go slow, but…” He shook his head. “I don’t know what it is about you. Slow seems like the most asinine idea I’ve ever had. Right now, what I really want after this meal is to taste your mouth and to see if it’s as sweet as I think it is.”

I swallowed hard, and the tip of my tongue shot out to dampen my lower lip before I realized it had happened.

“Jesus, Vale,” Dayton groaned. “You’re gonna kill me.”

“Trust me. That’s the last thing on my mind,” I told him. It was only knowing he was alive and safe that had gotten me through the past few years.

“And what are you thinking?”

“Slow doesn’t appeal to me, either.”

Dayton jerked a nod then signaled to the waiter. When the man produced the bill, Dayton just handed over his credit card without studying the printout. Minutes later, we were on our way Dayton’s fingers firm around mine.

I thought he’d kiss me when we got to his truck, press me up against the side and give in to what we both wanted. He didn’t. After he handed me inside, I thought maybe we’d kiss in the truck, but instead, he started the vehicle and took my hand, holding it on his thigh all the way to my driveway.

It was on my doorstep that his hands came up, cupping my face before the his fingers slid back, one curling in the hair at the nap of my neck before his mouth sealed over mine. Though I’d known it was coming, I gasped at the shock that went through me when his lips touched mine. Rolling to my toes, I leaned in to him while he dropped one hand and wrapped his arm tight around my waist and pulled me flush to him.

I couldn’t help the low moan that sighed from me at the sensation of his hard body against me. In response, his mouth grew more demanding and his fingers tightened in my hair, the light bite of pain reminding me of the wildness that had been between us.

“Dayton,” I breathed when our mouth parted, both of us gasping.

“Vale,” he growled in response, and for the first time in many years, hearing that name startled me. “If we don't stop…”

If we didn’t stop, we wouldn’t. That’s what he was implying, and we both knew that would be too fast.

“I… Thank you for dinner. It’s was great. Uh, goodnight.”

“Goodnight. Come to my place tomorrow for dinner? For that cooking together you mentioned?”

“Yes. What should I bring?”

“Yourself. Text me with what you want to make and what we’ll need, and I’ll make sure it’s there.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over mine again, light and fleeting, and I suspected he kept it that way so we didn’t end up stumbling through my door and right into my bed. “I can just order takeout, too. We don’t need to cook.”

“We’ll cook,” I murmured, my eyes closed while our foreheads pressed together.

“Okay.” As we parted, he took my key from my hand and opened my door. It was only through sheer force of will that I closed it moments later. I wanted to invite him inside, more than anything. Still, I knew slow-ish was better than rushing in now that we’d reconnected.

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