Page 30 of Blindsided By Fake Love

My lips twitch as I scan the room, spotting glowing teeth and stares watching us. “Hello, everyone. Are you enjoying your night out?”

The room fills with amused chuckles and a few greetings. And the hum of conversation fills the room. I turn back to Kit, a smirk still lingering on my face. She’s shaking her head and smirking.

“Hi, I’m Chloe.” Our waitress introduces herself and fills a tall glass in front of each of us with water. “I know you were just seated, so I’ll give you a few minutes to decide what you’d like to eat.”

“Thank you, Chloe,” Kit and I say in unison. Our gazes meeting in surprise.

A shy expression covers Kit’s face before she starts reading the menu—the menu glowing with words and a few constellations. My cheeks pull up and a surge of emotion rushes through me. Slowly inhaling, I pick my menu up and start to read over the options. “I always forget that the restaurant fare is one hundred percent comfort food.”

“I know.” I can all but hear the smile in Kit’s voice. “It’s one of my favorite parts about eating here.”

Scanning the menu, I ask. “What are you in the mood for?”

A shy smile curves her lips. She leans on the table, resting her head on her palm. “It’s between the Sparkling Grilled Cheese and the Dazzling Pot Pie.” Her expression has my gut tightening as heat pools. I lift my glass to wet my parched mouth.

I swallow hard. “SparklingGrilled Cheese?” I quirk a brow and look at her skeptically.

“Oh yes! It’s the absolute best grilled cheese you’ll ever eat.” She places her other elbow on the table and leans in. I’m surrounded in honeysuckle and take a moment to breathe her in. I’m tempted to reach for her hand, but I’m not sure what she’d think about such a public display of affection, so I decide against it. “Not to mention the tomato soup. Sooo good!”

“So you’re a grilled cheese girl, huh?” I press my jaw together and try not to chuckle at how adorable she is. Her eyes glitter with excitement and I’m lost in their warm depths.

“I’m a comfort food girl. Any time. All the time,” she says, her expression so serious that the chortle I’ve been holding bursts out. “Are you making fun of me?”

Her narrowed eyes are softened by the smirk she’s wearing. “Never.” She tosses her napkin across the table, hitting me in the face.

“You’re the worst!” She scoffs.

“And you like it.” Her eyes flare, and she looks shyly down at the table. I’m positive that if there were more light in this room, I’d see pink on her cheeks. I reach across the table with her napkin. When she grabs it I hold on, not letting go until she meets my eyes. “Maybe just a little?”

Her head tilts in the most sweet way as she tugs at her bottom lip. Putting the napkin back on her lap, she mumbles. “Maybe a little.”

A grin spreads across my face, and my chest flutters, pools of warmth flooding me. Pulling my eyes from her I glance back at my menu. “What do you think I should order?”

“I don’t think you can go wrong with anything on the menu.” She beams, her teeth glowing and puts her elbows on the table clasping her hands together. Tiny points of heat touch my face, making my pulse jump. Taking another sip of water, I work to focus on the menu so that I can pick something. But how do I pick from the menu when all I crave is the woman sitting across from me?

“What about the Braised Back Rib Glow?” She asks, interrupting my thoughts that are about anything but food.

“The Braised Back Rib Glow?” I echo, lifting an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” she smirks and chews on her bottom lip. Her gaze drops to my shoulders and slides over my chest. I can’t help myself. I flex. Her eyes jump back to mine. A surprised expression flits across her face, quickly replaced by a satisfied smirk. “You seem like a rib man.”

Even in the dim light I can see her hazel eyes dancing, and her shoulders bounce with silent humor. She shrugs again and covers her mouth with a hand. My lips curve up. Unable to stop myself, I reach across the table and pull her hand away from her mouth.

The moment I touch her skin, a shock courses through me. Maybe I imagined the spark of electricity between us, but then I hear her breath hitch. The pounding of her heartbeat under my thumb makes my mouth go dry. The warmth from her skin lights up my senses. We stare at each other across the table, the air between us charged. My eyes flick to her lips before quickly bouncing back to her gaze.

I wish we were back in my car so I could press my lips—

“Have you decided on your meals?” At Chloe’s voice, Kit’s eyes sparkle, and a playful expression crosses my face.

“Ladies first.” Lowering our hands to the table, I slowly let my thumb drag across her palm before returning my hand back to my menu. I hear a sharp inhale, and a sense of gratification fills me.

She likes me—more than a little.

My cheeks are sore from smiling. My body is humming. I feel like I’m eighteen again, lost in the eyes of the most beautiful girl in the world.

“So you agree with my meal choices?” Kit’s voice cuts through my thoughts.

“Umm. Huh?” Her eyes dance, and heat creeps up my face.

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