Page 8 of Where There's Smoke…
“How did you know?” I ask as we park near the restaurant on the premises.
“Did I know what?” she asks, turning to give me her full attention.
“That this is my family’s place.”
“Oh, shit, really?” she asks genuinely shocked. “I mean, I knew your family was the Savoies, but I didn’t know y’all weretheseSavoies.”
“Well, I mean, this is technically my aunt and uncle’s business, so it’s not really a full family business,” I admit. “However, my brothers work here, and I spent a lot of time here in the summers growing up.”
“First date and I get to possibly meet your family?” she smirks. “I feel special. How many other women have you brought here?”
“None, including you,” I laugh. “Youbroughtmehere, remember?”
“Those details don’t matter,” she waves me off, and I can’t help but laugh harder. She smiled at me, probably feeling accomplished. “You’re really gorgeous when you laugh. I mean, you’re always gorgeous, but I like seeing you give in to joy. It looks good on you.”
My hands shoot up to my cheeks, and I press my palms against them in an attempt to soothe the warmth that I am feeling. She had a way with words that made me feel like I was the only woman in the world. This may be the first time we had been hanging out since meeting, but she had me ready to give her whatever she wanted the second she asked me for it.
“You’re smooth, Phoenix,” I chuckle as I pat her cheek. She leans into it and smiles at me. I brush my thumb against her cheek. She was so damn good looking. My eyes travel to her lips, and I suddenly want to kiss her. I sigh and start to pull my hand away, but she stops me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I just like how you touch me,” she replies, and my heart almost stops. She takes my hand in hers and kisses it lightly. “Come on, Sweets. I’m ready to get to know more about you over dinner.”
I nod as she lets my hands go. I’m frozen in place until she comes around and opens the door for me. I let her help me down from her truck and guide me into the restaurant. I stay silent as she talks to the hostess, and then we’re led to a booth in a secluded part of the restaurant. My mind was all over the place, and I almost forgot how to breathe as her words replayed over and over in my head.
“I just like how you touch me.”
My breathing quickened as I thought about what it would be like to actually touch her in the way I wanted to. My hands slowly running up and down her muscular arms and wrapping around her neck as she fucked me into tomorrow. I could feel my fingers clinging to her back as she made me stumble over my words, kissing me along the neck and gifting me with release after release. Shit.
“You good, Sweets?”
My head snaps up, and I see her looking at me with an amused expression.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I quickly reply, picking up the menu and hiding my face. My heart was beating like crazy, and the longer I was around her, the wilder my thoughts were gonna get. I just knew it.
It’s been over five months since I’d gotten laid, and usually it wasn’t a problem, but that had changed drastically since running into her earlier this week. The number of times I’d reacquainted myself with my silicone friend who lived in my bedside table this past week was embarrassing. Especially because thoughts of this very attractive woman were what took me over the edge every time.
She had been crowding my thoughts this whole week, and I went into the bakery every day anticipating the day when she walked through the doors and smiled that beautiful smile at me. However, that day never came, and today, my anxiousness got the better of me. So, I decided to make her a cake and take it to her as an excuse to see her. When I asked Maddox if he knew where she worked, all he did was smirk and tell me that she was a firefighter. It all made sense.
So, I nervously made my way over around the time that I figured she’d get off. I knew that it might seem a bit stalker-ish, but I had to see her. There was something about her that I was drawn to, and no matter how much my mind told me to just let her come to me, my heart was impatient. And I’m glad it was because now I was on a date with her. A date that wasn’t originally the intention, but I’m happy it happened.
Heart - 1
“So, since you’ve probably been here hundreds of times, what do you suggest?” she asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. I look up at her. “I’ve never been here, but I heard nothing but good things about, well, everything. I heard their wine is fire, too.”
“Oh, yeah, it’s really good…the white one?”
“You don’t seem to be too sure,” she chuckles. I sigh, shaking my head.
“Honestly, I don’t know anything about the specifics of wine,” I admit. “All I know is that there are white ones, and red ones, and…yeah, I don’t know anything other than that. But they do taste great.”
“That’s fair,” she nods. “I’m no wine connoisseur either. Don’t laugh, but I’m more of a beer person. In the can specifically.”
“Oh, so you’re country for real?” I tease, and she nods. “That lil accent of yours isn’t for show, I see. You grew up on a farm or something?”
“Nah, but I did grow up here for the most part, and we lived down a dirt road. Fishing and 4-wheeling are in my blood, though.”
“Nice,” I nod. “I’m not an outdoorsy person. My cousin and brothers like to joke that I’m allergic to being outside. I have sensitive skin, so it’s easily irritated, especially if it comes in contact with grass or flowers or damn near any wild plant. Also, I have terrible allergies, so springtime is my enemy.”
“Damn, your parents must’ve had to keep you in a bubble or something,” she jokes but I don’t say anything as my throat tightens. She quickly notices the change in my demeanor and apologizes. “I’m sorry. I must’ve said something I shouldn’t have. I didn’t mean-”
