Page 22 of His Secret Gift

“Oh, my god!” A woman, I judge by the soft squeal that escapes her lips, exclaims.

It takes me a second to orient myself again. But when I do, I see a pretty woman with long, blonde hair and the most striking green eyes I’d ever seen. The streetlights above us reflecting beautifully in them.

“I’m so sorry,” she says in a muffled voice, her hands covering her mouth.

“It’s—it’s fine.” Somehow, in the collision, some of the chocolate got onto my light blue button-up, so I’m wiping at that.

She takes a tissue out of her purse. “Here. Please let me. I also have a Tide pen.”

I’m about to object, but when she gets closer, her proximity—as well as her sweet perfume—is inviting.

So, I allow her to carry on. I don’t know what a Tide pen is, but it does look like a writing utensil after she pulls it out. Then, she takes it and blots it on my shirt, leaving a wet circle.

“Again, I am so sorry.” She tucks hair behind her ear and looks up at me while blotting at the spot. “I’m not from here. I wasn’t watching where I was going—”

I smile down at her. “It’s fine. I have plenty of shirts.”

She frowns. “But you don’t have unlimited chocolate cake.” Her eyes dart to the casualty next to us. “If you do, then you’re just about my favorite person in the whole wide world.”

I can’t help but daydream about drizzling chocolate sauce all over her body before licking it off… I know that makes mecreepy, especially since I don’t even know her name. But she’s so gorgeous, and it’s been a while since I’ve seen any action.

“There.” She steps away, and I’m brought back to reality. I look down and just see moisture where the stain was.

“Wow. Thanks.”

Putting everything back into her tote bag, she says, “It’s the least I could do. Where’d you get the cake? I can buy you another.”

I glance back in the direction of the restaurant. Then, I decide to make a bold move.

With an eyebrow raised, I ask, “So, you like chocolate?”

“Guilty.”

“Would you want to join me for some? I just got it from down the road.”

She seems to hesitate.

I offer my hand out to her. “I’m Jack, by the way.”

She shakes it. “I’m Kayla.”

“Kayla, it would be my honor if you’d join me for a quick bite.”

She crosses her arms and bites down on her lip. “Fine. What the hell?”

Yes.

As we walk over there together, I note that she’s only wearing a broad-strapped, white tank top. Which bodes well for me because, and not just because I can see little imprints of where her nipples are hard underneath it. With the slight chill, I’m sure she won’t want to sit outside, and I won’t have to face the same server I had before. I am not sure she believed the second helping wasn’t for me, and I couldn’t as easily explain a third to her.

There’s even another person standing behind the host stand when we arrive.

“Inside or outside?”

I look to Kayla. “You pick.”

She rubs at her arms. “Inside. If that’s okay?”

“Totally.” I hold my arm out and wait for both of them to walk before me.

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