Page 57 of Catching Feelings

“Maple syrup. For the exact reason you wouldn’t want it. Taking a long time to wash off your body would be the best part.”

Rowan’s mouth drops and my gaze and dirty thoughts go straight to it. My cock, covered in syrup, between her lips. Or since she prefers the other, Nutella on my cock, down her throat. Nutella covered nipples. Nutella between her—

“Gnocchi?” The waitress once again cock-blocks me. Or rather, my imagination. Rowan lifts her hand and moves her salad bowl aside. “The Italian platter must be for you.”

She sets the trio of food in front of me. Spaghetti with the biggest meatballs I’ve ever seen in my entire life, chicken parm, and a slice of lasagna.

Rowan laughs. “You never cease to surprise me with your appetite.”

“Doc. You have no idea how big my appetite really is.”

Our plates are empty and cleared and the check paid before I’m ready to end our date. When I turn down the road to her apartment building, Rowan picks up her purse by her feet and cradles the flowers to her chest.

“Don’t bother trying to find parking. You can drop me off here.”

I give her a side-eye and drive past her building and into the lot. I drive through row after row, not finding anything open. Finally, a car leaves, and I snag the spot.

“Seriously, Miles. It’s not worth paying for a spot when you’re going to be here for two seconds,” she says as I enter my information into the kiosk.

Not worth it? Fuck that. Rowan is worth it and so much more. Ignoring her asinine comment, I reach for her hand and walk her to her building. When she unlocks the entryway door, she turns to me and opens her mouth to shoo me away, no doubt.

“I’m walking you to your door, Rowan.”

When we reach her apartment, she pauses, keeping her gaze to the floor. She nervously fiddles with her key ring and I can tell she’s thinking about our kiss last night as well. I’m all about taking baby steps with her, but she has to see how badly I want her. She may even be able to see how much Ineedher.

“Since you’re paying for an hour, want to come in for a drink or something?”

Or something.Like her, I don’t usually drink during the season unless it’s after a game or we’re celebrating someone’s birthday. Which has been a lot more lately now that I’m hanging with these family guys. I have a few beers, nothing too crazy, but then I’m back to my focused diet.

But fuck me now if I don’t pounce on her, I mean, the opportunity to spend more time with her, especially away from other people. Alone. Row and me. For real alone for the first time.

“Sure.” I sounded casual, right?

She’s a foot shorter than me, so when I stand behind her while she unlocks her door, I can see the slight tremble in her hands. Her nerves are my undoing. If she’s nervous to be alone with me she wouldn’t have invited me in, right?

The tremble’s gotta be nervous anticipation of what happens next, right?

Who the fuck my brain is talking to waiting for a reply, I haven’t a clue. I’m not one to talk to myself. Part of my problem. Words come out of my mouth before I think about what I’m saying. But when I’m with Rowan, I try harder to think before I speak.

Part of me is proud of mature Miles trying to act like a grown up. The other part twists my balls and tells me to be myself. That if she doesn’t like who I am, we’re not meant to be.

“Make yourself comfortable,” Rowan says as she sets her purse down on the counter and takes a vase out of one of the three cabinets in her kitchen area.

Her apartment is small but cute. Kinda like her. The kitchen is just big enough for a small fridge, two-burner stove and oven, and about three feet of counter space. The two-person kitchen table is set up with autumn-colored placemats and a leaf ring around a candle.

It’s cozy. Intimate. Set up for a date.

“Expecting company?” I nod toward the table and hope the second twinge of jealousy I have tonight isn’t evident in my voice.

“Oh, no. I rarely even eat at the table. My apartment isn’t much and I don’t have space to decorate for the holidays, so I like to make my table look festive. Usually Kendall, Riley, and I sit on the living room floor to eat.” She moves the fall candle thing and sets the vase of flowers in the center of the table.

I glance at the living space, which could easily fit inside my walk-in closet. Okay, maybe not easily, but my master bedroom is bigger than her apartment, and I don’t even live in a fancy house like most of the married guys on the team.

The couch is more of an overstuffed chair. There’s no way in Hell I could stretch out on it, but I can easily bend Rowan over the back and—

“Do you want something to drink?” She opens the fridge and pokes her head in. “I have orange juice, coffee creamer, water, and a bottle of tequila in the freezer.” She pops her head up. “Sorry I don’t have much. I don’t entertain anyone except the girls on occasion and they usually stop at the store for food.”

“Noted. Next time I’ll bring beverages instead of flowers.” I cross her apartment so I’m close to her, which doesn’t take but three steps. “And there will be a next time, Rowan.”

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