Page 24 of Rebel Heart
Over the last seven years, I’d watched as my brothers and sister found happiness in their romantic lives and fell in love. While I didn’t live in their relationships and know exactly what they experienced with the people who had now become their spouses, I had to wonder if it felt anything like this at the start for them. Sure, they’d all had their individual challenges to overcome, but was the honeymoon phase of it so good that it made them capable of working through the tough stuff?
Of course, this was only my second date with Beau. It wasn’t like we were walking down the aisle any time soon. At this point, it was far too early to tell, but I couldn’t ignore the excitement I felt about him possiblybeing the guy for me. And if he was, I wondered if it would always feel this way.
Beau returned with our food, setting mine down in front of me. “I grabbed the typical condiments, but if there’s something different you want, just let me know.”
“This looks perfect. Thank you.”
For a few minutes, the only thing that existed was the food. I couldn’t speak for Beau, but it had been hours since I last ate anything. After getting in a couple of bites and easing those hunger pangs, I said, “I’m sorry if I’m being rude. This is so good, and I was hungrier than I thought.”
He rested his hand on my forearm and squeezed. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Did you not eat enough today?”
I tipped my head from one side to the other. “I guess not. I had that cupcake hours ago, and I cut my lunch short because it was so busy at the bakery. And after I got home, I didn’t want to eat and ruin my appetite. Plus, I guess I was also a little sidetracked today.”
Curiosity washed over his expression. “Oh? By what?”
“If I’m honest, I’ve been getting lost inside my head ever since the day of the demo.”
Pride leaked into his features, and his mouth quirked with a smile. “Any particular reason why?”
I rolled my eyes. “Like you don’t know.”
“I don’t want to assume anything. Perhaps you’ve got a sudden affinity for attending skatedemos.”
“Well, that might be true, but I’ve been spending too much time thinking about what you did to me.”
Beau scooted closer and leaned in. “What exactly did I do to you?”
His mouth wasthis closeto mine. I was tempted to attack and get my first kiss from him today. Instead, I whispered, “You know precisely what you did, Beau. I haven’t stopped thinking about how good it felt.”
He held my stare, the weight of his attention commanding. “You enjoyed having me kiss you?”
I lifted a fry to my lips. “More than I’ve enjoyed anything in a very long time.”
Beau’s burger was clutched in his hands, and I was beginning to think the bun might not survive much longer with how tight he was gripping it. “So, why didn’t you demonstrate how much when I showed up at your place to pick you up tonight?”
My tongue darted out to lick my lips. Beau’s eyes dropped to it, something dark and intense swirling in them. “I guess I thought you were the kind of man who took charge in a situation like that. But perhaps I didn’t do enough to tease you since the last kiss. Or maybe you just didn’t enjoy kissing me as much as I enjoyed kissing you.”
Beau dropped his burger in the basket, wiped his fingers on his napkin, and drove his hand into my hair. When that hand settled at the base of my skull, he urged me the remaining distance in his direction and captured my mouth in a bruising kiss.
Just a few seconds in, one thing became clear. Beauliked kissing me as much as I liked kissing him. And he certainly knew how to take charge.
I let out a soft moan, forcing Beau to tear his mouth from mine. “Do you feel better now?”
I smiled against his lips. “For now.”
He chuckled, released his hold on my hair, and returned to his food. “After we finish here, I was thinking of taking you for a ride on the bike. The drive from your place to here wasn’t nearly long enough.”
Still in a bit of a lust-filled fog, I managed to perk up. “I’d love nothing more.”
“Good. Then eat up, so I can make that happen.”
I saluted him. “Yes, sir.”
Beau poked me in the side. “One minute, you want me to take charge, and the next, you’re throwing out salutes? You really are a rebel, aren’t you?”
I didn’t answer.
Instead, I did as he asked and ate my food.
