Page 20 of Cross-Check

Kellan pulls out my chair, waiting until I’m seated before taking his own.

He takes his seat, smiling over at me softly. “You look beautiful tonight,” he tells me.

“You said that already.” The words come out a little blunt, but I’m starting to get pissed.

Why would he bring me here? I’m not one of his women. I thought I was special, but I guess they all did too. God, this is just a page out of his playbook.

I need to get out of here.

“You deserve to hear it a million times.”

That line should soften my heart, but it only has it reinforcing its defenses. I’m about to tell him I want to go home when the server comes up.

“Here are your menus. Sorry for the wait. Have you been here before?”

“No, sir. First time for us both, but you come highly recommended. Is there something on the menu that is your favorite?” Kellan asks.

I study him as the server reads off the specials and provides recommendations. Did he lie, or is this really his first time too? Did I read the situation all wrong?

“For you, miss?” the server asks.

“The steak special with truffle mashed potatoes sounds divine.”

“What kind of salad?”

“Caesar. Thank you.”

“Our Caesar comes with pine nuts on top. Is that okay?”

“Perfect.”

As he walks away, I give Kellan my full attention. “Highly recommended, huh?”

He nods. “The travel website says it’s the number one romantic date spot in the area. The reviews were mostly good.”

My stomach starts to ease. “How’d you get them to save the best table for you?”

He chuckles. “Pretty sure they say that to everyone. I know it’s a bit upscale and not like a place a college kid would normally eat at, but I wanted to plan something special so you know this was more than another first date. I didn’t want to take you somewhere we would forget. I wanted us to experience something together for the first time.”

There go those defenses falling as easily as they came up.

Thank God I didn’t say anything, otherwise, I would look like a bigger ass then I already feel.

“You’ve had a lot of first dates, huh? Any heartbreaks?”

I’m pushing my luck asking that. He hasn’t figured out that Clay is my brother, but he will. I’m worried that when he does, he will lose his shit. It could ruin whatever this is that we are starting. I can only hope that this doesn’t blow up in my face.

“If you would have asked me a year ago? I would have told you yes, but hindsight is twenty-twenty, right?”

“Oh, you are going to have to elaborate on that.” I give him a look like,come on, man.

He laughs. “Fair enough. I’d rather get the difficult shit out of the way anyway. Up until last year, I was what my best friend called a serial monogamist. I wasn’t a playboy who slept with lots of women then dumped them. I would date women for months at a time and then break up with them because they weren’t the right fit.” He cringes. “I know. It sounds so bad, and looking back, I was a terrible guy. I thought because I stayed with them, that made me better than a player, but the truth is that I only caused more hurt. I can see that now.”

“What changed?” I ask, but I know the answer.

Grace.

“My best friend did. She was my rock all through my life. I had this notion in my head that we would be together at some point, but I wasn’t ready for that, so I was out sowing my wild oats and all that. Then she met someone new, and it broke me. At the time, I thought it was because I was in love with her, but I know now that’s not the truth.”

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