Page 7 of Sturdy & Dirty

Blink, blink.

Were those my words, coming out of my mouth?

Did I really just make a pass at the woman I’d regretfully introduced to the ground?

I pressed my lips together to hold back a groan.

Just how hard did I hit my head anyway?

Silence spread thick between us as my mind raced with how to take back what just slipped from my mouth.

“Well…” she said, her tone unreadable. “I guess if it bothers you so much, you could always make it up to me.”

I really should find a way to—

“By taking me to dinner.”

What?

I turned my head to find her pretty eyes staring right at me, practically dancing with intrigue as we both remained sprawled on our backs.

“I’m free tomorrow,” she added.

“For…”

“For dinner,” she confirmed.

Either I’d knocked myself clean out with that fall and I was having a crazy fever dream… or Holly James just asked me to have dinner with her.

There was only one way to find out which.

Chapter Three

Holly

Austin seemed to glitch, his expression going still as mud. And for a moment I wondered if I’d made the wrong move. But he called me pretty, and a girl can’t help what she feels when a gentleman says nice things about her.

Right?

The tips of his ears turned a furious shade of red that bled lower onto his neck to disappear under his trimmed beard. I wanted to reach out and put my fingertips to his skin to feel the heat.

Whoa, Holly. Slow down.

A line formed between his eyebrows as a curious frown darkened his navy eyes. He had great eyes. Expressive, but seeking. A window to his world, but also like he could see into mine if he so wanted.

Did he want to? Or was I totally ruining this?

He blinked. “Dinner with me?”

“Thought you’d never ask.” I grinned, hoping my humor did a good enough job hiding my nerves.

But he didn’t smile back.

“Why would you want that?” His question was serious. His expression, even more so. As if he really needed this mystery solved before we moved forward.

But… I wasn’t sure how to answer him.

“I—”

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