Page 108 of The Rules of Dating a Younger Man

I glanced out the window. “There’s still time to go to the store…”

“Brayden, if you show up with anything, I’m gonna strangle you.”

I chuckled. “Well, since you put it like that. Jeez…”

I heard a knock at the door. “Someone’s here, Billie. I’ll let you go. See you in fifteen.” I hung up.

When I opened the door, my heart fell to the floor. On the off-chance I was hallucinating, I blinked. She’s here.

She’s here?

“Alex…”

Her cheeks were red. Was that the cold January air outside or nerves? Her long, blond hair was wind-blown and wild. And she looked more beautiful than I’d ever seen her in the nearly five months since we’d met.

Perhaps I should’ve thought of something more eloquent to say, but nothing came out of my mouth.

She fidgeted with her hands. “Is this a bad surprise?”

I shook my head. “What the heck are you doing here?”

“Can I come in?”

Jesus. I was an idiot. I moved aside. “Of course. Sorry about that. Come in.”

Alex looked around my apartment and licked her lips. “Can I have some water?”

She seemed exhausted, like she’d just run a marathon. Had she run here? “Sure, yeah.” I couldn’t get to the kitchen fast enough. I grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with filtered water from the fridge.

After I handed it to her, Alex downed the entire glass.

“Damn. You were thirsty.”

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and exhaled.

Maybe it was just nerves. I couldn’t blame her. I felt it, too. “Are you sure you don’t need something stronger?”

“Actually, I would love something stronger.”

“Coming right up.”

Alex followed as I returned to the kitchen. This was surreal. She stood several feet away as I fumbled with the wine opener, then nearly let the glass slip from my hands. Okay, who’s the most nervous here? Her or me? I made sure to pour the chardonnay slowly so as not to spill it all over the damn floor. As I filled the glasses, I could see her reflection in the bottle.

I can’t believe Alex is standing in my kitchen.

I turned toward her. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.” She took a sip.

I crossed my arms. “What brought you here tonight?”

“I have a meeting with a potential spa partner here tomorrow,” Alex explained. “Someone who owns a company that makes red-light saunas. We’re thinking of having them installed. It was sort of a last-minute thing. Wells was supposed to come with me, but his grandmother is not doing well, so he went to Massachusetts to visit her.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

She nodded somberly. “So I came alone.”

“When did you get into town?”

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