Page 72 of Knight Life In Vegas

I’ll ask.

At least the plan had been partially set in motion.

I tried to focus on the rest of my day, but all I wanted was to go see her… Why couldn’t I?

Chico:

Are you busy right now?

Can I take you out for lunch?

Charlotte:

I could do lunch.

Give me some time to shower first, though. I’ve been scrubbing floors. Text me the address?

I picked a place that was super close for her and sent over the address before quickly getting ready.

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?” Eduardo asked.

“I have a date.”

“Since when?” Dylan tilted his head, examining me. “It had better be one with Charlotte.”

“It is, and as of about two minutes ago.”

“You’re going without us?” Dylan pouted.

“Just this once. I want to talk to her and you’re a distraction. Plus it’ll give Eduardo time to talk to our neighbors.”

“I’m going.” Eduardo hoisted himself off the couch and took himself next door while I disappeared to the car.

The butterflies in my stomach were doing an Irish jig, nerves spiking the closer I got to Charlotte. I settled in to wait at the little Vietnamese restaurant when I arrived, staring at the door for her arrival. The moment she stepped inside, it was like she brought the sun with her.

I rose to my feet, moving toward her as if I were magnetized. Her lips met mine eagerly, and I swept her into my arms, breathing deeply of her lemon meringue sweetness until my feet were on solid ground once more.

“Hello there,” she said with a laugh. “You’re going to make me think you missed me.”

“Ididmiss you. All of us did.” I drew her back to our table and a server took our orders quickly. “Thank you for meeting me.”

“You’re welcome. Thanks for inviting me out. I talked to my friends,” she said. “They’re happy to do Night of Knights instead, but they’re insisting on paying full price. And they offered to take the boys for a sleepover afterward.”

Bless every single one of them for thinking that so I didn’t have to ask for it. “Could we entice you to have a sleepover of our own after?”

Her cheeks flushed, scent bursting. “I could be persuaded.”

The server arrived with our drinks, and Charlotte took a long drink of her iced water.

“Nervous or thirsty?”

“It’s the first time we’ve been out just the two of us, since…”

“Since you panicked and bailed on me in the middle of the night?”

She swallowed hard. “Yeah. That. I’m so?—”

“Don’t apologize. I didn’t understand it at the time, but I know you better now. I know you’re scared, and that’s okay. It wasn’t your choice to come back to us, not really, but I’m glad you did.”

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