Page 46 of Winning the Nightcap

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We walk hand in hand to a quaint restaurant not far from my apartment and sit at a small table next to floor-to-ceiling windows with a gorgeous view overlooking the river at sunset. The setting is intimate and quiet.

When we get to talking, Aiden doesn’t waste any time reminding me of one very good reason I haven’t been able to get him out of my head since I met him. Talking to him is effortless.

I don’t know why I feel so comfortable with someone I don’t know all that much about. Well, other than our few interactions and what the media has said about him, but that’s mostly baseball related. I’m not ever admitting to him that I looked him up online, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat to see those pictures of him in his uniform.Yum.

His entire demeanor puts me at ease, allowing for the conversation to flow easily. Regardless, it doesn’t stop my heart from racing whenhis gaze roves over my frame, when he reaches out to hold my hand as we walk side by side, or when he places his hand on my waist to guide me to my seat. Each time his skin brushes against mine, my stomach twists with excitement.

We spend dinner talking about how Aiden met Dom and Dylan in college. I share stories from when Ellie and I grew up and how we met Carissa and Dee when we went to the same University, two years after he started there. I’m convinced we had to have run into each other plenty of times and never noticed each other. He vehemently denies this, stating if he ever saw me, he would have proposed on the spot. Dinner has flown by and before I know it, the waitress is asking us about dessert.

“No, thanks. That’s our next stop,” he says as he pays for our meal, already having shut down my attempt to cover the cost of my meal. He tipped well—my number one green flag on a date.

“Our next stop?” I ask.

“Yeah, how do you feel about walking a little farther in those boots? Will you be warm enough?”

“I should be good.”

“Good. If you need it, I could always keep you warm,” he says with a wink, standing and reaching for my hand. Renewed confidence flows through me at the way he devours me with his eyes. This right here.Thisis the feeling I’ve been chasing from the moment I met Aiden Price but could never seem to find it with anyone else, no matter how hard I tried.

There’s something electric in his touch, something intoxicating in his stare. I got a taste of him once and nothing has ever satisfied me the same way in all the potential “maybes” I’ve met since. The lingering hesitation drains from my body, the tension and anxiety replaced with anticipation and excitement. Maybe the right person really can change everything.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Bec

The moan coming out of my mouth is unholy. “Oh fuck, this is better than sex. Oh my god, I think I have a new lover.”

I open my eyes to find Aiden watching me as I lick my spoon. He quickly looks down at his dessert, coughs into his fist, and adjusts in his seat.

“You’re fucking killing me, Miller,” he says with a groan.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I sigh and take another bite of my brownie sundae and lick the spoon with a little extra enthusiasm. Dee would be proud.

His eyes lock on my mouth.

“I think you know exactly what I’m talking about. I’ve never been jealous of a dessert before, but here we fucking are. I’m begging for mercy.”

“Can you blame me? You brought me to a build-your-own hot chocolate and brownie sundae bar…in a bookstore. This is my new religion. How’d you find this place? I’ve never even heard of it. The girls are going to be obsessed.”

“Evie, my sister, is a bit of a foodie. She’s always scoping out local spots. When I mentioned you liked to read, she suggested I bring youhere. Well, she demanded it is probably a more accurate statement.”

“Ah, so she’s the true brains behind the operation.”

He laughs then takes a sip from his hot chocolate, licking his lips after. Damn, that shouldn’t be so hot, but the guy has great lips. Memories of kissing Aiden while backed against the wall next to a hotel ice machine come rushing back to me, and I feel desire swirl low in my stomach.

“I wanted to get this right.” His confession catches me off guard. A flash of vulnerability quickly swept away by a shy smile on his face as he avoids eye contact. “Plus, Evie wasn’t willing to risk me ruining our date with subpar dessert. I believe she said I deserve to be single forever if I can’t realize how important hot chocolate and brownies are.”

“Harsh, but honest. Smart boy for listening. Are you two close?” I ask.

“Yeah, we’ve always been pretty close. I mean, we had plenty of the typical sibling arguments, especially right after Mom left my dad and we were sharing a small room. Her shit was always everywhere. I wanted to throw away all those tiny shoes she had for her Barbie dolls. She started hiding them in my shit on purpose. She even wrote a threatening note and claimed it was written by one of the dolls after I threw some out. She was a menace.” He chuckles, eyes far away in his memories.

“Seems like the punishment fit the crime. You ever throw away my shoes, Price, and you’ll get more than a threatening note,” I say, waving my spoon at him in warning.

“Trust me, Bec. If I’m lucky enough to find myself in a situation where you’re leaving your things around my place, the last thing I’ll ever do is throw them out. I’d spend my time convincing you to leave them there indefinitely.”

I bite my lip, trying to hold back my grin at his confession. I lovehow easily he shows affection and is direct about what where he wants things to go between us.

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