Page 14 of Closing the Distance

“The doorman.”

She still looks confused. “You were mad he made me leave?”

I step forward because I can’t stand the distance between us. I’ve been aching to hold this woman for what feels like forever. I’m dying to kiss her, but being near her will have to be enough for now. She has a skittish look on her face—worse than anything I remember from that night at the club—and I’m not about to do anything that will cause her to run from me again. I brush a loose strand of hair away from her cheek because I can’t not touch her. “Yeah. I wanted to see you again. I hated that you left without giving me your full name or your number. I tried to find you, but you’re a hard woman to track down.”

“You did?” she asks, looking completely surprised, and once again I’m taken aback by how much gratitude I feel now that she’s here. She’s the breath of fresh air I’ve been aching for. Most of the women in my past would’ve thrown out some snarky line about how lucky I was they came back, and here’s this goddess who has absolutely no idea what a gift she is.

“Are you hungry? Thirsty? I can get us something to eat while we talk. Or better yet, can I take you out, on a proper date this time?” I ask with a smile tugging at my lips. I’m too happy to hold it back any longer.

Her mouth parts while her dark-blue eyes stare up at me. I can’t quite place the look on her face. “You want to take me on a date?” she asks, her voice a little hoarse.

I step closer, my body thrumming with an excited buzz at being this close to her finally. I love how I feel when she’s near. “I would loveto take you out on a date.” I smile. “In fact, I’ve got the perfect place in mind. Are you down?”

She stares at me for another moment, her gaze unsure, and then looks down at her outfit. “Um, am I dressed okay for what you have in mind?”

I use the excuse to peruse her body once more. It takes everything in me not to close the distance, pull her body against mine, and kiss her with nearly six weeks’ worth of pent-up desire. Her lush lips are a temptation I’m all too willing to give in to. I focus on her face, memorizing how her long, dark lashes highlight her deep-blue eyes. Her cheeks look like they have a natural flush, and there’s a smattering of freckles along the bridge of her nose.

All minor details I missed during our night together because of the lack of lighting, but now I’ll picture whenever I think of her.

Which, if the last several weeks are anything to go by, will be often.

“You’re perfect,” I say, meaning every word.

I don’t usually have to work to impress women, but it’s clear by her narrowed eyes and puckered lips she thinks I’m full of shit. Somehow that only endears her to me more.

“Shall we?” I ask.

She nibbles on her lip and then nods.

“Are you okay if I drive us?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” she replies, but there’s a slight wobble in her voice, almost like she’s nervous or distracted. If anyone should be nervous here, it’s me. This woman is clearly unimpressed by my typical swagger, which means I need to step up my game so she doesn’t bail on me like she did before.

I take her to Alberto’s, my favorite pizza joint. It’s just after the lunch rush, so I should be in the clear, but I put on a baseball cap I pull low, hoping it’ll help me stay incognito until I can tell her the truth about me. I know I should do it soon, but a bigger part of me wants to wait. If I wasn’t in the middle of my season, I’d definitely wait, but there’s no way I can explain how frequently I go out of town without her getting suspicious. And the last thing I want is for her to think there’s another woman.

Because there’s not.

And if I have my way after this date, there won’t be anyone else until she’s done with me.

She’s quiet during the short drive and lets me take the lead in ordering our pizza before finding us a table tucked in the back. There are only a few patrons here, but I’d still rather not risk it.

She stares down at her hands in her lap, and my gut clenches at the idea that she’s not comfortable with me.

“You okay?”

She looks up, her eyes wide and darting between mine. She opens her mouth and then snaps it shut. Her attention drops back to her hands, and my brows furrow in concern.

“Maybe this was a bad idea,” she murmurs.

I lean forward, moving my hand across the table, palm up, hoping she’ll take it. Hoping she’ll use me as a lifeline and realize I want her with a desperation that’s completely out of character for me. I’ve never wanted a woman this way—never been so consumed I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

“I’m really glad you came back.”

Her gaze shoots up to mine, but she nibbles her lip and doesn’t say a word.

“Like I said, I tried to find you,” I say, willing to put it all on the line if it will get her to smile at me the way she did the night we were together. I don’t know what’s got her so uncomfortable, but I’m willing to work to ease her concerns the best I can.“Don’t ever Google ‘Lexi-Los Angeles’ because you’ll get all kinds of crazy results, and not a single one was the one I was looking for.”

She stares into my eyes, and a feeling passes between us—one I can’t name that makes me feel both soothed and yet on the edge of my seat, unsure of what’s coming.

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