Page 11 of Sinful Skulls
“For ambiance,” he says, tossing me a wink on his way back to the kitchen.
I sit forward and run my fingers over the black dahlias. He didn’t bring me bright colored flowers. I glance over my shoulder, but he’s busy filling our plates. I turn back, staring at them.
Does he see the darkness in me?
“Do you like them?” he asks as he sets two plates on the table.
“I love them,” I whisper.
He pushes the coffee table away from the couch.
“I thought we could sit on the floor.”
“Yeah, that’s perfect. Sorry I don’t have a table. It’s just been me. I’ve never needed one.”
Brody goes back to the kitchen to retrieve the wine he brought. It’s the same kind I served him that very first night. “The floor is better. I can sit closer to you that way.”
My butt lands with a little thud when I slide to the floor. He lowers himself to the ground beside me, stretching his long legs out in front of us. “I saw you admiring the ones in my tattoo,” he says when he sees I’m still staring at them. “I was going to buy you daisies, but you didn’t seem very fond of your name.”
“Oh, daisies are pretty too, but these make me feel a certain way. I’ve never gotten black flowers before.”
He shrugs as he takes a drink. “I like to do what feels right in the moment. Societal norms drive me nuts. How do the flowers make you feel?” He looks at me expectantly.
My cheeks warm, and I pat them. I grab my glass and start swigging like someone who’s been in the desert for weeks.
Brody reaches out and takes the glass from my hand. “Slow down. We have a long night ahead of us.”
I’m so nervous, I think I could cry. This is what I thought I wanted. No, it is what I want.
“Hey.” His knuckles brush down the side of my face. “Just eat. We’ll talk about this later. Relax.”
“Okay.” I offer him a small smile.
We slide back into easy conversation. I listen as he tells me about his club.
“We’re all a little rough around the edges, but I think that’s what I love most about them. They’re my family.”
“I’m glad you have people in your life who love you.”
His eyes soften at the corners. “How did it go with your parents?”
I shake my head. “They’re still worried about my leaving, but I guess that’s normal.”
“I think so. You’ll be halfway around the world.”
I pull my legs up and hug them. “My mom and I went shopping. She bought me a whole new wardrobe for the trip. And my dad …” I roll my eyes. “Here, I’ll show you.” I hop up and grab the box of books he gave me. “Look at all these books on France. I don’t know how he thought I’d travel with them.” I laugh, rubbing my temples.
Brody digs through them. “You’re not taking them?”
“No. They’ll weigh my luggage down. I did pack a few small ones.”
“Can I take a few?” he asks hesitantly.
My eyebrows rise in surprise. “Sure. I was just going to leave them for the new tenant. Take whatever you want.”
He eagerly begins to thumb through them.
“Um, do you like books?”
