Page 80 of Resisting the Grump

She nodded slowly, letting the information sink in. “And since then?”

“I presume she found someone else to stalk.”

“That must be scary,” she said. “Being in the public eye, knowing your stalker’s out there.”

“Scary is not knowing whether the woman of your dreams is going to give you a second chance.”

“Wow, you really don’t let up.”

I shrugged. “I’ve missed you.”

She searched my eyes.

“What’s it going to take to make you mine?”

Her smile pulled to one side. “The lobster was a good start.”

I laughed, grateful for her well-timed levity. “Good.”

Her gaze softened, and my mind flashed back to the moment I first slid inside her. Every cell of my body remembered how good she felt. How she stretched for me. How heavy her eyelids got. How her slow exhale sounded like a wave returning to the sea.

She squinted at me. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I can’t keep apologizing and telling you I like you,” I admitted. “I won’t chase someone who doesn’t want to be chased.”

She put her poker face back on.

God, I was so over this charade. Could she not see that I wanted to do so much more than chase her? I wanted to wake her up with oral. Introduce her to my parents. Fly her first class to Florence for truffle risotto and buy her jewelry for dessert. Probably in that order. Was I delusional to think she’d be up for that? Crazy to think she’d ever trust me again? I had no idea where I stood with her. Then again, she had come to dinner. And enjoyed every second of it from the look of her plate.

“What were you thinking opening my mail?”

“Have you listened to a word I’ve said? Enough with the unproductive questions.”

“How can I be certain you won’t disappoint me again?”

The “D” word hit my chest like a cannonball. Fuck. That’s Florence on the back burner.

Her eyes looked sad for the first time all night.

“I can’t promise I’ll never disappoint you again, Avery. Just like you can’t promise you’ll fall in love with me if you give me another chance.”

She took a deep breath.

“All I want is an opportunity to earn your attention.”

“Clearly, you have my attention, Oliver.”

“I know. That’s why I’ve already moved onto step two.”

Her brows lifted.

“Earning your affection.”

She draped her fingers around the bottom of her wine glass and looked at them for a moment before lifting her eyes back to mine.

“Would you prefer I play games instead of being transparent?”

She shook her head.

---