Page 79 of Never You

“Hmm, I can wait for dessert.” He kisses my hair, bringing that flutter back. “I think.”

We walk in unison, glancing around the streets of Atlanta. The diversity is noticeable on every corner of the street, giving it a vibrant and lively atmosphere.

I like discovering new places, roaming new cities and learning about new cultures. Part of me is disappointed that I’ll probably never be able to travel to the other side of the world, but when I walk in a city like this, it makes me realize there is so much more to see in my own country. Every city has their own story, their own history and the differences are huge.

“Sushi!” Jensen suddenly shouts, pointing at a sign that says Nagasaki Sushi. “Do you like sushi?”

I pull a face. “Do they have fried chicken?”

“Err, I don’t know. But they have fried shrimp?”

“Close enough.”

We walk in, choosing a booth in the back of the restaurant with dim lighting. He orders a few sushi rolls, along with some fried stuff for me, and two glasses of wine.

Settling into his side, we wait for our food to arrive, while we make up stories about the people around us. I laugh at the ridiculous narratives we come up with, my mood getting giddier by the minute.

“I bet he's a big-time lawyer. A well-known name in the city.” Jensen nudges his head toward the man in a suit toward the front of the restaurant, before lowering his voice to a whisper. “But secretly, he’s an accountant for the gangs of Atlanta.”

“What! No way! He’s clearly a civil rights advocate, trying to help the homeless.”

He pulls a face. “You’re crazy. Just look at his face! It screams trouble.”

“Yourface screams trouble.” I shrug.

His gaze darkens, that playful glint showing in his eyes as he licks his lips. The look that makes me turn into a puddle every time.

“You want me to show you how much trouble I am?” My mouth turns dry, and the butterflies go on high alert again when he leans in.

His breath warms my face, and I part my lips in anticipation before he kisses me. The kiss has me swooning deep inside. Filled with affection and domination, it’s set in a perfect balance. A kiss that makes my brain stop functioning, and I couldn’t care less. His tongue moves along the seam of my lips, automatically parting them with a moan, right before the food is placed on the table. Jensen lets out a grunt, giving me another peck as if he has a hard time letting go.

“Good evening.” The waiter beams when we both give him a coy smile, mine with flushed cheeks. He places the food on the table, then lets us be before we dig in. For a minute, we are silent, enjoying our food, though he tugs me closer to him, rubbing my back in a sweet way.

It feels as if we’ve been doing this for months instead of days. As if we are two people who know each other through and through. With my previous boyfriends, there was always a level of awkwardness, of embarrassment. But with Jensen, I don’t feel insecure telling him how I feel, or feel the need to make things prettier than they are. He has already seen me growling and grunting more times than most men have anyway. No, with Jensen, everything feels real instead of make-believe.

My phone is laying on the table, face-up, and something lights up the screen. His eyes glance toward the device, noticing a message coming through.

Sean.

Jensen tenses beside me, his affectionate hand suddenly disappearing from my spine. “Is he still trying to get you back?” he asks, still chewing.

“Apparently,” I grunt, taking a bite of my fried shrimp, enjoying the soy sauce on my tongue.

“He calls you a lot?” I can hear the aggravation in his voice, and it warms my heart, enjoying his possessive behavior more than I should.

“Every day,” I say, honestly. “Every night too.”

“Every night?!” he asks, a slight shock on his face.

He throws his chopsticks on the table, then wipes the corner of his mouth with his napkin, aggravated. Leaning into the booth, he rests his arms on the back.

“He called you last night?”

“Hmm, every night. I put my phone on silent.”

“Do you ever pick up?” The look on his face seems interested. But the ticking of his jaw tells me he’s having a hard time keeping a straight face. I’m not sure what has pissed him off, but for some reason, it changes my lighthearted mood too.

“Why would I? I know exactly what he’ll say.”

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