Page 55 of A First Sight

Another timer went off, breaking the moment.

“The garlic bread. I should get it out of the oven.” I smiled and held the flowers to my nose, checking for a fragrance. “And I’ll put these in some water.”

“What do you need me to do?” he asked as I took the bouquet to the sink.

“Take out whatever you want to drink,” I said as I turned off the oven and removed a vase from the bottom cabinet. “I wasn’t sure what you’d want with lasagna.”

“I’m thinking of a nice Chianti. That will go well with pasta,” he said. “Would you like a glass?”

“Yes, please.” Wine would take the edge off.

Drake disappeared to the walk-in wine fridge, I moved the garlic bread into a basket and brought it to the dining table. By the time I returned with the lasagna, Drake was there with wine poured, his jacket and tie gone, and his dress shirt in a semi-casual state that somehow was even hotter than a full suit. Top button open, sleeves rolled up to show off defined forearms.

Damn.

He pulled out my chair, his fingers brushing my shoulders before moving away. A shiver went through me as I remembered what his touch felt like on other parts of my body. I hadn’t planned this with sex in mind, but I wouldn’t change direction if that’s where this was heading.

Taking a bite, Drake said, “This is amazing.”

“I meant to make it yesterday,” I said, “then I got distracted by Detective Kozuch.” I frowned, remembering the conversation.

“And then we were both too distracted to eat at all.” He wriggled his brows and smiled.

I blushed and smiled, remembering how hot it was.

“Yes, it was pretty…steamy.” A heated moment passed between us. After a few bites, I asked, “How was work?”

The question sounded as ridiculously domestic as the scene I had set, but it seemed to please him.

“Good. We’re working on transitioning from my uncle being CEO, to me taking over by the end of the year.”

“Did you always want to work in money management?” I asked. I knew so little about Drake’s past.

“My family has a financial consulting firm in Scotland,” he said. A shadow passed across his face. “When I moved here, it seemed natural to continue on a similar path with Uncle Ben. He took me under his wing and taught me everything about fund management.”

I sensed something was missing between his words, but I didn’t want to pressure the topic. Instead, I asked how his uncle was doing.

“It’s funny you should mention that,” Drake said with a slightly embarrassed smile. “He asked about you.”

“Really?”

“Well, he would like both of us to join Stellan and him at their place for dinner Sunday night.” Drake glanced at me. “I said I would ask, but you shouldn’t feel obligated. They’ll understand if you have other plans or don’t feel comfortable. They’re great like that.”

“I’d love to go. I mean, if that’s alright with you?”

“Of course it is,” he assured me, his warm smile reaching to his eyes. “I would love for you to meet them.”

Maybe I hadn’t read too much into this after all. Yes, we met and quickly came together. It could be viewed as unconventional. Still, I thought of my brother, Alec, who lived with his daughter’s former teacher, and Eoin, who was in love with a woman who got pregnant shortly after they met. And who knew what kind of story was behind Brody and his wife.

No, a relationship that followed traditional steps was no better or worse than one that didn’t. And worrying about what other people would think of me was one of the biggest reasons I stayed with Dale for so long.

I pushed my concerns and second-guessing into a box and shoved it away. In a short time, Drake did more to earn my trust than Dale had the entire time we were together. And, unlike in the past, I felt no dread about meeting Drake’s family.

It was a huge relief. Letting go of all that anxiety was like opening a window and letting in the fresh air.

After dinner, Drake flipped the vinyl on his old fashion record player. It was jazz, John Coltrane. We settled on the couch to relax and listen, but as soon as Drake’s fingers started playing with my hair, I was lost.

I turned my head to find him watching me. His eyes darkened to the stormy blue-gray of a winter sky, except with none of the cold. The heat in them made my sweater dress feel too warm. I reached for him as he bent his face to mine. The moment his lips touched mine, I sighed and forgot everything else.

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