Page 15 of The I Do Over

Okay, that was a slight exaggeration, but…he wanted Maddie to know exactly what her actions caused—for her to understand the ramifications of her words.

Basically, he wanted her to see what a mess she’d left behind and how he overcame it.

Maybe then he could have some peace.

Swallowing hard, he turned his head and glanced at her. If she moved another inch, she’d fall off the damn bed. He couldn’t believe how ridiculous she was being, but rather than call her out on it, Knox stood and stretched. It felt completely natural to be naked with her and he simply walked around picking up his clothes and getting dressed. When he looked at the clock, he saw it was almost six and, as if on cue, his stomach growled.

“I’m thinking of ordering dinner,” he said casually as he slipped his shirt over his head. “What are you in the mood for?”

Maddie had rolled off the bed and had her back to him as she put her clothes back on. “Oh, uh…that’s not necessary. I have to go and check in at the hotel and I’ll just grab something there, but…uh…thanks.”

He waited until she was fully dressed before stepping in front of her and surprising her with a searing kiss. When he lifted his head, he grinned at the dazed look on her face. “Don’t run out the door, Mads. Not after what we just shared.” Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. “I think there’s obviously still something there and…I don’t know…maybe we need to sit and talk some more about it.”

This time she pulled up and gave him a cautious look. “Just talk, right? We can’t do…” She motioned to the bed. “You know…that again,”

“Seems to me, under the right circumstances, we could easily end up back here.” He placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. “And it would be because it’s where we both want to be.”

“Knox…”

Taking a step back, he walked over and got her glasses and gently put them back on her face. “There. Perfect.” Then he took one of her hands in his and led her out of the bedroom and back down the stairs. “Have dinner with me, Maddie.” And because he knew he was going to have to do a little more to convince her, he added, “It’s the least you can do after all this time.”

He heard her groan and knew he had her.

In the kitchen, he let go of her hand and grabbed his phone off the counter. “So what are you in the mood for? Pizza? Chinese? Mexican? Greek?”

“I’m really not hungry,” she replied and Knox caught her glancing toward the front door.

“Personally, I could go for some burgers, but they never travel well,” he said, ignoring her comment. “Hey, remember that little burger shop we used to go to after school? The one over on Jenkins? Man, they had the best cheeseburgers.” Smiling at her, he added, “And you used to love their fries.”

Smiling, Maddie shook her head. “I still do.”

“Wait…that place is still there? Seriously? The guy who owned it was like eighty when we used to go there!”

“Well, he passed away several years ago, but his kids and grandkids are running it now,” she explained. “They haven’t changed a thing—the menu is still the same and sometimes I wonder if it’s the same booths that were there back then.”

“Damn, that would be wild, but I guess retro stuff is still pretty much in, right?”

She shrugged. “I guess. Either way, the food is still greasy and salty and now it’s a guilty pleasure.”

Knox noticed the way she blushed after saying the word pleasure and had to fight the urge to point it out to her.

But back to dinner…

“So come on. What should we get?” He scrolled through the delivery app to see what looked the most appealing.

Maddie came over and stood beside him as they looked at their options. “What about sushi?”

He shook his head. “Nah. I think I need something with a little more substance. Between the softball game earlier and then…” He winked at her. “If I thought it would travel well for delivery, I’d get a steak.”

She laughed softly. “Okay, then. Pizza’s always good.”

“That’s what I’m leaning toward.” He scrolled to the restaurant he preferred. “You still like pepperoni and mushroom?”

When she didn’t respond, Knox glanced over at her and saw the stunned look on her face.

“Mads?”

“I can’t believe you remembered that,” she said quietly.

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