Page 10 of Personal Foul

“Okay,” she promised.

The bill came but before she could grab it, he snatched it up. She tried to halve it with him, but he refused, stating he asked her for the date.

“Fine,” she said. “But how about I treat you to some ooey-gooey butter cake at the Soulard Farmers Market tomorrow?”

“I’ve never had that before.”

“It will forever change your world view on desserts.”

“All right,” he said with a laugh. “Amaze me.”

He pulled out his wallet and grabbed some money. Beckoning to the server, she came over immediately.

“Here,” he said. “The rest is for you.”

The woman’s eyes widened. “Thank you so much.”

Kaiden gave her an impersonal smile and stood, holding his hand out to Romilly. She allowed him to help her stand and then escorted her toward the exit, linking his fingers with hers. Warm tingles danced across her skin and up her arm. Never had she felt such an electric sensation, and had thought such a thing existed only in romance novels. Apparently, she was wrong.

Once outside, he turned to look at her. “Did you drive?”

“No, I walked.”

“May I drive you home?”

She bit her lip, wanting so much to say yes, but she didn’t want to be that stupid woman who got into a car with someoneshe barely knew and ended up dead. He must have read her mind because he smiled and took a step back, letting go of her hand.

“I understand,” he said. “Stranger danger.”

Now, she felt silly. Kaiden snapped his fingers and pulled out his cell phone. He typed something and then handed it to her. Romilly saw it was an article about him. It painted a very unflattering picture of Kaiden.

“I don’t understand,” she said, looking at him. “I thought you wanted to alleviate my doubts.”

“That article makes me sound like a selfish asshole,” he replied softly. “I could’ve called a dozen people who would tell you I’m a great guy, but I don’t think that would’ve swayed your opinion. The only thing I have is honesty, and that night I received a call that made me extremely angry.” He shook his head. “There was all this energy inside, just burning me up, and I had to do something. So, I took a baseball bat to the tree outside and beat the hell out of it. My neighbor called the cops. Said he feared for his life. Of course, the paparazzi monitored that shit and caught me sitting in the back of a police cruiser. I would never have harmed that man. I wouldn’t harm anyone.”

She cocked her head and stared at him, and she saw the honesty in his eyes. On his face. She held out his phone, not bothering to read the article. Kaiden took it and slipped it into his pocket. A sort of resigned look settled on his face.

“I live three blocks away.”

Shock gave way to a smile that was downright sinful. Once again, he took hold of her hand, linking their fingers as they strolled. For the first time in her life, she wasthatgirl. The one who got the handsome hero at the end of a romance. The cool night air wrapped around them, but she wasn’t cold. Not with his body heat pressing against her. Every step had her heart racing. Excitement mixed with anticipation.

“Thank you for having dinner with me,” he murmured, squeezing her hand gently. “And thank you for letting me walk you home.”

“I had fun.”

“Me too. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

She glanced up at him. “So am I.”

They fell silent, but it wasn’t awkward. All too soon they reached her apartment complex, much to her disappointment. She wanted the easy comfort to last.

“This is me,” she said.

He stopped and looked around, then he led her to a darkened section where the streetlight faded. Kaiden brought her hand up so she could kiss the back of it. Even in the muted light, his eyes burned with dark promises, and that spark between them that existed just under the surface bloomed with a carnal craving.

“May I kiss you?” he asked, his voice a little ragged.

Unable to form words, she nodded. It was all the invitation he needed, and any hesitation disappeared from one blink to the next. Kaiden gently rubbed his knuckles on her cheek, then slid his hand under her hair to the back of her neck. At first, he pressed his lips to hers almost reverently. One of his arms wrapped around her tenderly, pulling her into his body. The kiss turned white-hot in an instant.

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