Page 89 of Fall I Want
Zane blocks me from view. “I don’t like anyone looking at you like that.”
I turn to him. “Jealous?”
“Mm. No. I know who you belong to.”
I meet his eyes and I swear they darken. “Already staking claim?”
“Fuck yes. I absolutely am.” He’s confident, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like the thought of that, of him taking ownership of me. Is that the champagne talking?
I grin, turning back to the fountain, and we finish watching the water and light show. It goes off every hour when the weather is nice. As a kid, I remember begging my parents to drive me to the mountaintop so I could watch it. It’s comparable to the one at the Bellagio. One day I’ll visit Vegas.
“Do you want men lusting after you like that?” he asks.
“After my dry spell, I don’t mind. It’s somewhat empowering, but I know it won’t lead to anything.” I turn and face him. “I’m kissable, just not fuckable enough. Everyone chickens out.”
He focuses on me. “I actually love to hear that.”
I groan. “It’s been two years. I thought by now I’d have found someone who wants to spend time with me. I’m convinced I’m unwanted.” My truths spill out.
He eliminates the space between us and tucks hair behind my ear. “Your feelings are valid, but I don’t think that’s true.”
“I’ve tried.”
He narrows his eyes. “Have you? If I recall, I had to threaten you with jail to befriend me. I can’t imagine how you’d act had I mentioned wanting to date you. Actually, I can. I bet you would’ve told me to get fucked.”
A small smile touches my lips. “Probably.”
“You’re fucking adorable.” He boops my nose, then wraps his arm around me. “Let’s go inside.”
There is an unexplainable spark with a deeply rooted sense of understanding.
“Tell me one of your secrets,” I say as we stroll down the sidewalk that leads to the five-star restaurant.
“Hmm,” he ponders, glancing over at me. “You’re the first person I’ve ever shared a soul connection with.”
“A soul connection,” I repeat. “That’s one way to describe it.”
There is an invisible rope that always pulls us together. The odd sense of familiarity, like I’ve always known him. We’re strangers, I remind myself. Perfect strangers.
“It’s undeniable,” he admits. It’s not one sided, even if I try to convince myself otherwise.
Butterflies flutter in my belly when he steals a glance. I don’t know what to say, so we stroll in the comfortable silence.
Ground lights illuminate the path toward the restaurant and it creates a romantic ambience as music plays overhead. Muffled chatter surrounds us as couples walk in and out of the building. The lodge requires reservations months in advance, and most people who dine here come for special occasions.
Flames dance in the large lanterns on both sides of the entrance. When we’re close, a man in a tuxedo opens the door and we’re escorted inside. The room is low-lit, and a woman dressed in black greets us. Her eyes slide up and down Zane. I don’t like the way she lusts over him, and I fully understand his earlier reaction when the roles were reversed.
“Hello,” she says with a brow arched at him. She acts as if I’m invisible and looks straight past me. “Reservation?”
“For Alexander.” Zane’s tone is flat. Unamused.
“Alexander,” the woman repeats, returning to the podium to open a leather-bound book. She speaks to him like he’s a tourist.
Over the years, I’ve only eaten here a few times. Two-hundred-dollar meals aren’t something I can afford on my barista budget, but the food is well worth it.
“Zane Alexander,” he snaps with annoyance in his tone, and I see recognition flash in her eyes as he gives me his full attention. I smile as he twirls a strand of my hair around his finger. “You’re so pretty.”
Moments later, when she approaches, her attitude is pleasant, but he’s stand-offish and pretends like she doesn’t exist. He makes her wait for two solid minutes before acknowledging her.
