Page 35 of Reckless

“And that is something you aren’t sure you can overcome?”

“Maybe.” I pick up a fry with my fingers and pop it into my mouth.

“Have you talked to them about it?”

“Yeah, we’ve talked this thing to death.”

“I mean, about you worrying they’re not being truthful about how they really feel. Or that you don’t have the right to look after yourself without upsetting the balance with them.”

There is no answer to that, because I’m not sure. It’s still an issue.

“It’ll take time,” Krista says after a while. “Learning to think about yourself before others. It’s not a bad thing to care about the people around you. The problem is, you’ve reached a point where you need to think of yourself first. And that is one of the hardest things a person can do.”

How the hell did I find this woman? She speaks so much sense, like she can see right inside my head and show me the answers I’m searching for.

It’s not that simple. She’s right and I’m going to struggle with the anxiety of hurting my friends.

“Sorry.”

“For what?” she asks, confused.

“Bringing the mood down.”

“Hey, I’m still having a good time. This food is delicious. Eat up, it’s going cold. I want to order dessert and we’ve got a schedule to keep.”

The huge smile she gives is genuine and cheeky and makes me grin back. Buying her dinner doesn’t seem anywhere near enough for what she’s doing for me. Somehow, I know if I made any other grand gesture, it would piss her off, and we’d lose this.

And that is the last thing I want.

We end up sharing a melting chocolate pudding for dessert, which is entertaining by the fact Krista makes a couple of obscene noises while eating it, then flushes bright pink when I smirk at her. She balls up her napkin and tosses it at me.

“I defy anyone not to be satisfied by this cake.”

“I’m not denying it's incredibly satisfying,” I say back, my voice a little huskier than normal.

She licks her lips and I groan, but she laughs again, as if she is playing.

My dick isn’t getting the memo it’s a joke. It’s a good job there is a table hiding the evidence.

“What? It’s messy,” she reaches out a hand, then points at the napkin she threw at me.

I think about holding the napkin hostage and offering to clean it up for her with my tongue. Instead, I pass it back and she wipes the chocolate from the corner of her mouth.

All this talk of being selfish and thinking of myself has me wondering if I should say something. I’m wildly attracted to her and it’s getting harder to hide it. I’ve seen how she looks at me sometimes too.

This is the first time she’s been playfully flirty with me, and I’m not sure what to make of it. There wouldn’t have been an issue at all in the past. Do I take the bull by the horns, put myself first and make a move?

The server appears and asks if we want anything else or the check. Krista asks for the check.

“This is my treat, remember?” I say as she leaves to get it for us.

“I ate more than I intended. Let me go Dutch.”

“Krista, you could get another seven courses, and I still wouldn’t let you pay. Let’s not argue about it, okay?”

Her cheeks flush again and she nods. I’m not sure what embarrassed her about that, but I like it when she blushes, so say nothing.

Once I’ve paid and we both use the restroom, we head outside. It’s only a five-minute walk back to the lot where the RV is parked. I wish I knew how to drive it already so she could have a break. Tomorrow, I’ll get her to show me. I mean, how hard can it be?

---