Page 33 of Back to You
That surprised me. “Wow, that’s almost blasphemous. Your mom’s tomato soup was the bomb.”
“And her triple-cheese grilled cheese?”
“You’re making me hungry,” I told him.
“We’d better get going then, huh?”
Dane was right. Their tomato soup was better than Mrs. Fisher’s by far. It was in a league all its own. It was thick and rich and super creamy. They could’ve canned that shit up, slapped the word “signature” on the label, and sold it for big bucks. I would’ve been first in line.
We both got large mugs of soup and grilled chicken BLT paninis with thick slabs of applewood bacon and fresh tomatoes. Even the lettuce was perfectly crisp. My sandwich gave a satisfyingcrunchwhen I took my first bite.
Our waiter was a freckled boy who couldn’t have been a day older than fourteen. He was super polite and all smiles. Dane and I exchanged a glance as he whisked our dirty dishes off the table and promised he’d be right back with the tab. We watched him hurry away.
“He’s gonna be a lady-killer in a few years,” Dane said around a soft laugh.
“Or a man-killer,” I agreed. “Cute kid.” He returned with the bill, which Dane snatched up before I could get a word in edgewise. I huffed. “You paid the last time.”
“And I’m paying this time.” Meeting my gaze, he flipped open his wallet and handed his Visa card to our waiter. I opened my mouth to argue. He pointed a finger at me, not unlike the way his mom used to do when we kids would get ourselves in trouble. “Let it happen, Hols. I’m the one who took you out, after all. Maybe you need to up the ante and start planning our next date.” He laughed under his breath.
I kicked him lightly in the shin. “Maybe I will.” He couldn’t stop me from tipping the boy a generous amount of money, though. When our young waiter returned with the receipt, I handed him a twenty dollar bill. “For you,” I said, and his eyes went round as saucers. “Thanks for the great service.”
His face exploded into a huge smile. “Oh, wow. Thank you so much, sir!”
“You’re welcome. You did an awesome job.”
I swear he beamed all the way back to the front counter.
“Aww, Hols. You just made his entire day.” Dane wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek, and the frustration I’d felt only minutes ago was washed away like a warm summer’s rain. I tucked my face into his shoulder, smiling against his shirt, and let him lead me back out into the cold.
“You have a choice,” he announced when we got into his car. That little black box sat on the dash, taunting me. I was dying to know what was inside. I glanced at it, then back at him. His smile grew. “We can go see a movie and then stop for chocolate-dipped strawberries before going home…or we can say fuck it and skip right to the sexy part.”
My heart thumped. “Hmm, I dunno. It’s hard to beat chocolate-dipped strawberries,” I teased.
“Is that your final answer?” Our gazes locked and I could physically feel the sparks that shot across my skin. He lifted a single brow, blatantly questioning my decision. “Well? Tick-tock. How about I give you a little incentive.” Without breaking eye contact, he grabbed the gift box and placed it in my lap. “Go on.”
I tugged the ribbon loose, but when I looked back at Dane, his smirk told me all I needed to know. I groaned, my face growing warm. “Oh, sweet Jesus, did you buy me a fucking dildo? Is that why I couldn’t open it in front of Gran?”
“Open it.”
I bit my lip. “Dane, I swear to god—”
“Just open it, Hollister.”
I cautiously lifted the snugly-fitting lid to find several things nestled in soft black fabric. It took me a minute to realize that it was a blindfold. Tucked beneath it were a pair of hot pink fuzzy handcuffs and a bottle of massage oil that smelled sweetly of peppermint. I held up the cuffs. “I didn’t know you were kinky.”
“I’m not kinky. Curious,” he insisted. “Only if you’re up for it. Either way, you’re getting a massage. So what do you think? Would you rather have a dildo?” His grin was wicked. “Because that can totally be arrang—”
I clapped my hand over his mouth with a laugh. “Shhh. Stop talking and take me home.”
He did.
We tumbled through the bedroom door, unable to keep our hands off each other. I grasped his face in my hands and kissed him deeply, and he replied by sticking his tongue down my throat. I swallowed my gasp, then grabbed a handful of his hoodie and wrestled it off over his head. He squirmed out of the sleeves and met my lips once more, and for a moment, I held my breath.
Then, with a devious smile all my own, I exhaled and murmured, “Is this the part where you tell me what to do?” I lifted my gaze to his. His blue eyes gleamed with warmth, the flicker of a flame that was moments away from igniting and burning the house down around us. I bit down on my lower lip and took a step backwards. Time came to a standstill.
“Naked. Now.”
The bite of his words punched a thrill through me. I snagged the neck of my t-shirt and pulled it off, then kicked out of my boots, leaving my clothing in a pile on the floor. Dane stood motionless. His attention was locked firmly on me. I popped the button of my jeans and pushed them down my hips until I wore only my black briefs and crew socks.
