Page 10 of Dare to Love

CHAPTER 5

Lilian

Dinner at BigChowder had felt intimate during our first date but tonight was different. The same weathered exterior still gave way to that cozy interior but somehow everything felt more charged, more significant. As we were led to our table—the same table we had shared on our first date—I found myself hyper aware of Reid’s presence beside me and the light brush of his hand at the small of my back sending shivers up my spine.

“Thank you,” Reid told the server, the same woman who had waited on us on our first visit. I settled into my chair taking in the quiet jazz music that was floating through the restaurant tonight and the gentle clink of silverware against plates from nearby tables. It was lovely to see something different and new here for the normal and it seemed everyone else around the town had felt the same way enjoying a new sense of ambiance.

“What?” Reid asked me, catching me staring at him across the table.

“Nothing. Just thinking.” I admitted, my cheeks instantly felt hotter and I knew if I could see my reflection in a mirror at this moment it would be bright red.

“About the baby costume?” he teased, referencing the forfeit that once seemed so important to me but now felt trivial.

“Actually, no,” I admitted, surprising myself with my honesty. “I was thinking about how different this feels from the last time we were here. I mean it’s only been a few days too.”

I watched the way Reid’s expression shifted from something unreadable passing across his features until he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. He was closer now, close enough that I could smell his cologne—something woodsy and warm that made my stomach flutter and my breath hitch a notch.

“Different how?” he asked as his voice dropped an octave and made my pussy clench. “Lilian…”

Before I could answer, our server arrived at the table with water. I used the momentary distraction to collect my thoughts though thinking about how much I wanted to reveal. Do I be truthful and risk being told that he was playing with me? I mean ever since that kiss on the beach—the one with no audience, no pretence—things between us had shifted. We’d agreed to talk about it over coffee but somehow the conversation had never quite materialized. We had diverted and managed to escape the dinner at the mayor’s house unable to coincide schedules and instead danced around the subject, continuing our charade while something real and unnamed grew between us.

“Wine?” Reid suggested after the server left, already reaching for the menu he knew by heart.

“Please,” I said softly, grateful for another moment to compose myself as I allowed him to continue taking charge ordering the same rich red he’d selected last time—the one Paisley had told him was my favorite. The small gesture of remembrance shouldn’t have affected me as much as it did but I couldn’t help but find myself touched by the thoughtfulness.

“You never did answer my question,” Reid said once we were alone again, leaning in as if he knew the closer he was to me the more affected I became by him. “How is tonight different?”

“Last time, it felt like we were putting on a show for the town and for—” I took a deep breath as I forced myself to meet his gaze directly knowing he knew what I meant without having to finish that sentence. “But this time…”

“This time, Lilian?” He pushed me.

“It feels like we’re just us,” I finished the sentence softly. “There’s no audience or performance anymore. Just two people enjoying each other’s company together.” I couldn’t help but gulp harshly as I noticed the way Reid’s gray eyes darkened slightly with my words. His hand stretched out and reached across the table into my space as his fingers brushed against mine as we both reached for our water glasses. Unlike the first time we shared dinner together neither one of us pulled away from the contact this time. Instead, his fingers lingered against mine, questioning and asking me all at once if these jolts of electricity he was sending up my arm were okay with me.

“Maybe, it’s because we’re not acting anymore,” he suggested, echoing the words I’d first said to him after our beach picnic.

The server appeared suddenly, breaking the tension that had been building between us with our wine. As she poured us both a glass each, I noticed how the other diners barely took notice of the two of us anymore being together. If I was honest, I didn’t care what they thought or what they saw. The only person whose opinion actually mattered was the guy sitting across from me, watching me with an intensity that made it hard to breathe.

“I saw Mrs. Henderson today,” I told him, smiling at the memory after we’d both placed our orders. “She asked me very pointedly when you’re going to make an honest woman of me.”

“She didn’t.” Reid uttered as he choked slightly on his wine, his eyes widening as he attempted to clear his throat.

“She absolutely did,” I laughed out loud. “Apparently, the town’s already planning our wedding. She’s been having conversations at length with Morgan at Blooms at Bay already and saying that she’s been saving her best roses for the occasion.”

“And how does that make you feel? The town planning our future?” Reid uttered thoughtfully. My jaw slackening at his deep response rather than laughter I thought I’d pull from him.

The question immediately caught me off guard as I pondered on it for a moment wondering how to answer it. “I... I don't know,” I admitted. “A week ago, I would have been horrified. Now…”

“Now?” he prompted when I trailed off.

“Now I’m not sure what I feel,” I said honestly as he nodded back as if my confusion made perfect sense to him.

“That makes two of us.” Reid replied.

Our server arrived with our meals allowing us both time to reflect on the moment. The risotto was creamy and perfect but I couldn’t help but find myself struggling to focus on the meal when Reid’s knee brushed against mine under the table. Unlike our first dinner I knew this touch wasn’t accidental but with pure purpose and intent. When I didn’t move away, his knee stayed pressed gently against mine allowing me to not forget for a moment the changing dynamic that was happening between us.

“You look beautiful tonight,” he said suddenly, his voice low and sincere catching me off guard. My breath caught in the back of my throat at the admittance of his words. Reid had called me beautiful before as part of our act, but this felt different—more real, more intimate. When I looked up from my plate the intensity in his eyes made my heart race.

“Thank you,” I managed, my voice barely above a whisper. “I…”

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