Page 72 of Fierce-Hyde

But the long fitted cotton dress covered her to her ankles. It was short sleeved with a scooped neck.

There was nothing sexy about her clothing today other than the way it fit her body.

Rather than put little flats on her feet, she did put on nude colored wedges knowing she’d be in the office all day. It did amp the dress up in her eyes some.

“Thank you,” she said. “I might have been looking at you without you knowing. Purple is a good color on you.”

His eyes were popping even more than normal.

“My mother always said that too. I think she got me this shirt,” he said. “I told her about you yesterday.”

“Oh,” she said. Rather than her heart calming, it raced. Not in fear but in excitement.

If he was telling his mother, then he was putting an effort into this.

“Was that a problem?” he asked.

“No,” she said. “I hope you didn’t tell your mother what I told Raina on Sunday.”

She felt the heat fill her face. It only magnified when he laughed. “Not even close,” he said. “She was there when I went to see CeeCee. My sister would like to meet you at some point. No pressure soon, just saying.”

“I’d like to meet her too,” she said. “But maybe not right away.”

“Got it,” he said. “We’ve only had a few dates.”

“But we know it was more before,” she said.

He reached for her hand and held it a minute. “Are you okay? You seem off.”

“Just nervous.”

“Why?” he asked.

“I’m not sure we’ve got enough time for me to dissect it all to you right now,” she said. “But nothing is bad. I swear it isn’t. Knowing you told your mother went a long way.”

“You’re thinking this is a fling for me?” he asked. He lifted an eyebrow, but other than that, didn’t show any other reaction.

“I don’t think it,” she said. “At least not any more than I would with anyone else that I’ve gone on a few dates with. I hope that makes sense. It’s not you.”

“It’s just men in general,” he said. “Got it.”

He didn’t seem too fazed by it so she let it drop. “Did you want to make plans since we are here? I don’t like texting long things like that.”

“Sure,” he said. “I’ve got nothing going on any night this week or the weekend. You tell me what you want to do. We don’t have to wait until the weekend to get some dinner together, do we?”

She smiled. “No,” she said. “We don’t. Do you want to come to my place for dinner? You cooked me breakfast, so I guess I owe you a cooked meal.”

“I’d love to,” he said. “How does six sound?”

“Perfect,” she said. It would give her time to stop at the store and grab something. “Anything you want to eat?”

“I like surprises,” he said, pulling her close for another kiss. “Just like I think we are both feeling things are going now.”

22

A TEST OF SORTS

“You’re dating Tori,” Ryder said. “Like seriously dating or just kind of, you know, landed in bed together?”

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