Page 52 of Fall at Once

The tip of her tongue teased my upper lip as her hands slid up my chest and into my hair. I opened my mouth for her with agroan. She tasted like strawberry lip gloss and mint, with just a hint of tequila, and I was in so much trouble right now.

My hands itched to pull her close and feel her against me, like in the corner at Bookers. But the truck’s console was in the way. Then, there was the fact that we were parked outside in a relatively public place.

Damn, I wanted more than what I could have right now. She fit me to perfection. Like she was made to be with me, and this was only one of the millions of kisses we had shared.

And who knew? Maybe in another lifetime, she was already mine. This was pure, beautiful torture. My dick ached, straining against the fly of my jeans. I was so hard for her that it hurt.

Then my stomach growled and ruined it all.

She broke the kiss with a giggle. “I’m hungry too. They promised me cheese fries at Bookers, and I didn’t get them.”

“We shouldn’t go back there; the gossips are probably still out in force. Have you ever been to the Skytop Diner?”

“Yes, Gigi loves that place, and I may or may not have been addicted to their burgers for years.”

“Perfect. I was thinking earlier. At the station, I mean. Before the calendar shoot, I decided to ask you for a date. Out to dinner or something.”

“Maybe this could be a date? Right now? To the Skytop?” Her eyes bugged out, and her cheeks went up in flames. “Um—Sometimes I can’t believe the things that come out of my mouth?—”

I touched a fingertip to her lips.

“I love the things that come out of this gorgeous mouth. Yousaid yes. No taking it back now. This is our first date. Even though we’ve already had our first kiss, it was fake.” My lips tipped up at the corner. “And in a bar. With an audience of eager gossiping spectators and your ex-boyfriend. Not to mention my brothers, your sisters, and all my coworkers…”

“Oh god. We’ll probably be hearing about that for a while. But I wouldn’t change a thing about it.” Her soft sigh made me smile. “I think it still counts. Plus, it’s our thing, remember?”

“Ahh, yes. Me coming to your rescue?”

“Exactly. And now you’ll buy me dinner and save us both from our lack of proper nourishment.”

I started up the truck and took her hand across the console. “The kids love the Skytop, but I’ve never taken a date there before.”

“Oh, yeah? Where do you usually take a date?”

I grinned at her. “Somewhere without fluorescent lighting and greasy food. But I haven’t asked a woman out in over two decades, so who knows?”

Her eyes bugged out, and her jaw dropped. “Huh?”

“I probably shouldn’t have said that out loud, right?” The fact that I’d only ever been with Sherry was something best kept to myself. Yeah, I’d married the first girl I ever dated. A player, I was not.

Would it be a turn-off?

It would have been easy to figure it out if she really wanted to. Small-town life was not conducive to keeping secrets.

“Wait.” Her hand fluttered in the air between us. “But youlook—I mean, you’re so freakin’…lookat you. And you’re so sweet and funny too. And a good dad. You’re a total catch, Cole. I don’t get this at all.”

I shrugged, self-deprecatingly. “I mean, I’ve had opportunities. But I’ve never been tempted to act on it until you.”

I backed out and turned onto the road. Driving would give me something to focus on besides how pretty she was and how much stupid shit was coming out of my mouth.

“Oh, Cole. I’m honored to be the first. I haven’t been on a date with anyone besides Ross in five years, so you’re my first, too. Maybe we can take baby steps together.”

“I’ll take you somewhere fancy for our second date.” I froze.

I was doing this all wrong. Maybe I should have taken Evan and Natalie’s advice about how to ask her out. I shut my eyes; I didn’t want to see the look on her face. “I mean, if?—”

“Yes.” She reached out and stroked my shoulder as I turned onto the highway. “I would love to go out with you again. Don’t worry, I’m already having a good time with you. The best.”

I let out a relieved breath. “That’s good. And listen, if the meeting at my house tomorrow feels too rushed or too intimate now. Let me know. We can meet at my office or Gigi’s instead, okay?”

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