Page 23 of Stolen Kiss

“Do you want to taste mine?”

“Sure,” she said.

Then he shook his head. “You won’t like this, I guarantee it.”

Heidi was confused, then took a single piece of his pasta and twirled it on her fork. She slipped into her mouth and chewedand swallowed and then her eyes bugged out of her head. Jason was chuckling with a glass of water ready.

Heidi couldn’t speak, waving her hand in front of her mouth, debating whether she would be the first fire breathing woman.

“That’s hot,” she said after drinking half the water in the glass.

“I told you it wouldn’t be to your liking.”

Heidi ate some more of her dish and after swallowing, she sighed at the delicious pesto flavours, delighting in the delicate taste compared to the chilli dish Jason had.

“You sure like your heat,” she said and eyed his plate.

His arm came around the back of her chair and his thumb lazing stroked her back.

“I do,” he said. Giving her a smouldering gaze.

Heidi slow blinked.

“I asked the chef to make you a non spicy dish. This place looked cool, and I wanted to bring you here. It’s more about the atmosphere than the food. I like that no one can see us unless they are right in front of the table.”

“I think the cat’s out the bag that we’re getting to know each other.”

“Still, you seem like you want privacy to see where this might go.”

The fact that he understood her floored her. Even when they were together, it was only three months. They saw each other every day but still, how could he understand her so well?

“I’m not a sharer, beyond Freya. I have plenty of friends but I don’t share personal stuff with anyone else but Freya.”

“There is nothing wrong with that. I don’t share anything beyond my siblings and now Erica.”

Heidi nodded.

The rest of the evening was spent with Jason’s hand on her leg or his arm draped over the back of her chair. He ate dessertone handed. The food was amazing. Jason still had the spicy version and her cheeses and ice cream didn’t have any heat. She was thankful as the heat coming from Jason was warm enough.

Heidi didn’t see a bill or any form of payment exchange hands and she was rubber necking as they left the premises, scared that the manager would chase them down waving a card machine.

“Stop stressing. It’s already paid for, no one is going to chase us,” Jason said pulling on her hand to get her to move faster.

“How did you know?”

“You only get that expression on your face when you think you’ve broken the rules.”

She loved and hated that he knew her that well.

Jason drove her home and turned off the engine, switching off the lights at the side of her house.

“Do I get a tour now?” he whispered, leaning in to her neck.

Heidi shook her head. There was no way she could let him her little house. The sexual tension had expanded to surround them through dinner. She’d never had such a quiet conversation with her head close to another person before. But it had been intimate the moment they sat down.

Breathing normally had become tricky as he waited for an answer, his arm sliding behind her back on the bench seat.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Jason,” she said looking at her lap.

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