Page 87 of Blindly Yours

I cut into my first bite and then pop it into my mouth. Rose is staring at me, waiting for my reaction, so I chew slowly, trying not to let my expression give me away. But, it’sgood. Really good. The ricotta filling is creamy and flavorful, and the spices she used for the sauce are the perfect compliment. The pasta is a tad chewy, but I know it’s probably hard to roll it out thinly enough to cook evenly. That’s one of the reasons I haven’t attempted making it yet.

I raise a brow at her. “I think you lied when you said you can’t cook.”

Her face lights up. “Really? It’s good?”

“Really,” I reply, taking another bite. “I’m going to need this recipe.”

She takes a bite for herself, chews for a moment, and then frowns. “It’s a little chewy, isn’t it?”

“I think it’s perfect.” I take a sip of wine. “But if you wanted, you could roll out the pasta a little thinner next time and that would probably help.”

She nods and continues to eat. “The flavor is good though.”

“I love it.” I tear off a piece of garlic bread.

We eat in silence for a moment before she speaks again. “My mom tried to set me up this weekend. I had to give her an excuse. Told her I’m going to a conference in Sioux Falls.”

I lean back with my glass. “Does she do that often?”

“All the time,” Rose sighs. “I’m going to have to tell her about us soon… I’m sorry I’ve been putting it off.”

“It’s ok.” I shrug. “I understand.”

She shakes her head. “Our first date was over a month ago. And…” She runs her finger around the base of her glass. “We haven’t talked about this yet, but…I’m not seeing anyone else…so are we…?” She pauses and peers up at me with the cutest blush spreading across her cheeks.

The corner of my mouth turns up, and I wait a few seconds for dramatic effect before I speak. “Would you like to be my girlfriend, Rose?”

“Yes.” She grins and clasps her hands in her lap in the most innocent way. I absolutely adore her.

“Sorry, I haven’t put a label on us yet,” I shake my head, “but I’m not seeing anyone else either. I deleted Blindly.”

“Me too,” she replies quickly. “And, yeah, I figured it went without saying that we’re you know, officiallytogether. But I wanted to make sure.”

I simply smile at her for a long moment. She’s such the perfect mix of everything that makes her unique. She’s getting ready to help lead a billion dollar company, and she’sgoodat it. She’s confident and poised and assertive when she speaks with her clients, yet, sitting here in front of me, she’s afraid to ask if we’re exclusive, even though she knows full well that we are. I’m enamored by both sides of her. Falling for every bit in equal measure.

Falling.

Yep.

I bite back the admission and take a deep breath as I lean forward, pushing my empty bowl away. “Kara is going to a water park in Elk River with Maddy’s family this weekend.”

“Oh, I bet she’ll love that.” Rose grins, standing to collect our dishes.

“Yeah, so I’m kid-free for the weekend.” I watch her load our bowls into the dishwasher.

She shuts it slowly and turns to me with an upward tug of her lip. “That’s…”

“Would you like to visit my cabin up on the lake?” I say it before I can second guess myself because I’m ready to spend a weekend alone with her. Tonight has solidified that for me, and I’m dying to know if she’s ready too.

She dries her hands on a towel and then eyes me for a moment with that sweet smile still growing. But it’s only a short pause before she crosses the room and leans down to kiss me, sweet and firm. Against my lips, she says, “I would love to.”

When she pulls back, I rest my hands on her waist. “I can pick you up Friday night.”

She grins and slides onto my lap, straddling my legs as she wraps her arms around my neck. “The whole weekend together?”

“Mhmm.” I smirk.

She bites her lip and watches me with twinkling eyes. “What will we do with all that time?”

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