Page 33 of Chasing Xander
Her mouth dropped open, and he laughed. She’d been shocking him all damn night. It was about time he returned the favor.
He got out of the car, then jogged around to open her door. Leaning down, he held out his hand. “Coming?”
Chapter Eleven
Kylie snapped her mouth shut, took his hand, and got out of the car. He couldn’t be serious, could he? He didn’t really take every girl to bed and nowhere else? If that’s what he did, then why was he ushering her into a restaurant right now instead of into his bedroom? The urge to ask was on the tip of her tongue, but she wasn’t sure she wanted the answer.
Xander opened the restaurant door for her, then put his hand on her lower back, guiding her inside. His hand was warm even through the shirt she wore, and she instinctively moved closer, slowing her stride so he had a reason to keep his hand there longer. They found an empty booth in the back.
“I’m going to go use the restroom.” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”
She rushed into the bathroom and locked herself in a stall. Her heart wouldn’t stop racing, and she couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t made a move on her yet. There was no denying the spark between them. Christ, if it were any stronger, they’d both ignite in flames.
She took several deep breaths. She was overreacting. They’d only met each other a few days ago, and she didn’t really expect him to profess feelings for her or make some romantic gesture.
Shaking her head, she did her business. Her thighs were red and sore from her wet jeans rubbing against them. She gently touched her skin and winced. There was no way she could keep her jeans on a moment longer. Removing them completely, she freed her belt and wrapped it around her midsection, effectively turning Xander’s too-large shirt into a minidress. It wasn’t fashionable at all, but the burning on her legs was already dissipating. And once she put her black heeled boots back on, it wasn’t so bad. It looked sort of chic.
She twisted around, glancing at her backside.Please don’t let my ass be hanging out.Frowning, she tugged at the hem. Walking around a frat party in Xander’s shirt was one thing, but to be wearing it out in public, without a bra? She was sure to get a few dirty looks. Scooping her wet jeans from the floor, she folded them and left the stall. She washed her hands and fixed her ponytail, then returned to the table.
Xander glanced up at her, then did a quick double-take, his gaze working up her bare legs, over her hips and breasts until his eyes met hers. She glanced down at herself, then back up at him. His intense stare had her shifting nervously on her feet. Maybe taking off her jeans was a bad idea.
“Wow,” he said after a moment, shaking his head. “You look… You weren’t kidding about getting out of those jeans, were you?”
She laughed, and a bit of the tension left her body. “I couldn’t take it anymore.” She slid into the booth and set her jeans on the seat. “I’m much more comfortable now.”
“Trust me, comfort is not what I see when I look at you in that.”
Heat erupted on her neck and face, but before she could respond, a waitress approached.
“I’m Mandy, and I’ll be your server tonight.” She placed two menus on the table. “Can I start you off with something to drink?”
Xander smiled at Mandy. “I’ll take a glass of orange juice with lots of ice, please.”
Mandy scribbled on her notepad. “And for you?” she asked Kylie without looking up.
“Coffee.”
With a nod, Mandy left.
Xander put his hand on Kylie’s arm for a brief second before trailing his fingertips down her bare skin. His gaze followed the path of his fingers. She sucked in a breath and resisted the urge to rub her arm where he’d touched it. He took her hands into his, caressing her knuckles with his thumbs. How could he turn a simple touch into something so hot and intense?
“You have such soft skin.” He averted his gaze from her hands up to her face.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
He gave her hands a gentle squeeze. “How’re you feeling?”
She tilted her head. “Uh, I’m okay…why?” That was an odd thing for him to ask. Was her face pale or something?
He shrugged. “You said you’re not a drinker, and you had a couple of shots. Just want to make sure you’re doing okay. I really don’t want you to think I was trying to get you drunk just so I could get you into bed.”
“I feel fine.” She smiled. “And don’t worry. I really didn’t think you were trying to take advantage of me. I was only teasing when I said that.”
“Good, because I want you sober when it happens. It’s an event you’ll want to remember.” He winked.
“You’re awfully sure about things.” So was she, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. Yet. For once, taking care of her drunk father and ill grandmother had worked in her favor, limiting her freedom to do what all her friends had been doing. At least now, when she finally lost her virginity, it would be with someone who knew what they were doing and not her high school boyfriend who knew less about sex than she did.
“I’m confident.” He flipped her hands over and drew circles on her palms.
