Page 70 of Rock Me All Night
The server leaves. I take a long sip of my water. I stare at the ocean—it's only thirty feet away—to avoid the look in his eyes.
"You really like sashimi," he says.
"Yes."
He laughs. "You okay, Meg? You seem a little out of sorts."
I bring my gaze back to him. "I'm fine." It's a lie. I'm not fine. I'm crumbling. His eyes are beautiful and they're filled with affection.
"I'm not cute," I say.
"We'll have to agree to disagree there."
"Fine. But I'd rather you not keep bringing it up." I cross and uncross my legs. This seat suddenly feels uncomfortable. I don't want to amuse him. I want to affect him. I want to matter to him.
He lowers his voice. "What's so bad about being cute?"
"It's what you say about your little sister. Or about someone who is clueless and totally uncool."
"No," he says. "It's the girl who blushes when you compliment her, who tries to prove she's a badass by ordering enough sashimi for three people."
"I'm going to eat all of it."
He smiles. "And that—you get defensive about everything."
"I'm not defensive." That isn't helping me prove my point. I give up. "Fine. You're right. I'm adorable and clueless and awkward and you're sexy and suave and in control. Should I keep going?"
He lowers his voice. "It's not a competition. I like you the way you are."
"But…" I bite my lip. I'm not helping my case. "Okay."
"We're friends." His eyes find mine. "I want you to enjoy this as much as I do, Meg. If calling you adorable really makes you that miserable, I'll stop. But I'd rather not. I love watching you blush."
I swallow hard. "Okay."
"You sure?"
I nod. There's something about his voice when he calls me adorable. I hate feeling cute, but I love the sound of his voice when he says it. I'm affecting him. Maybe I'm not driving him mad with lust. Maybe I don't have him under my spell. But I am affecting him.
"I don't think you're amusing," he says. "I think you're funny. Charming in a unique way."
My cheeks flush.
"You have a beautiful smile. It's rare. Makes me feel like I've won a prize when I can get you to smile."
His expression is sincere. Does he really think that much of me? His words aren't at all casual. They're the words of someone with deep affection. They're the words of a lover, not a fuck buddy.
I clear my throat. "You really think we're friends and not just two people hooking up?"
He nods.
"So you'd tell me if there was anything I needed to know about you? Anything you usually keep secret."
He raises an eyebrow. "You getting at something?"
"Just… you've been pushing a lot about Rosie. I thought that maybe you'd been through something like that."
"My uncle died last year."
