Rhodes

Chapter Ten Darn Meddling Friends

Rhodes

With how we parted last, I don’t imagine Mila is going to be mad at the fact they set us up, but nerves still shoot through my body as I get out of my truck and spot her car.

There’s a lot at stake tonight with this dinner, and somehow I know this is about to be the tipping point in our relationship. We’ll either walk out of here with plans to go on a real date or we’ll walk out of here as friends. Either way, this is it.

When I spot them, Mila’s back is to me, her face tipped down at her menu as Jagger grins and Remi looks like she regrets this decision already. “Fancy seeing you guys here,” I joke, pulling out the seat next to her to sit. “Hi, Mila.”

“Rhodes,” she gasps, snapping her gaze toward Remi who pretends to be very interested in the ceiling. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“These darn meddling friends of ours,” I joke. “I didn’t know you were coming either.”

“I’m sure,” she says quietly, but she really doesn’t seem mad at all. I’ve seen this woman angry before. “We already ordered drinks.”

“I ordered an extra one for him when I said I was going to take a piss,” Jagger admits a little too excitedly. “Are you blushing, Mila Tequila?”

“Me? Why? Are my cheeks red?” she asks, like we can’t see how flustered she is. “I’m fine, this is fine.”

Fuck, she’s so damn beautiful. “Just a little pink, must be the lighting.” I wink at her, reaching over to squeeze her hand quickly.

The change in her body language is instant. She goes from tense and all deer-in-the-headlights to relaxed and open, telling me I’m definitely making progress with the ever-frozen Winters.

“I’d blame it on the alcohol but I haven’t had any yet,” she jokes. “Are we expecting anyone else? Adrian, perhaps? Jagger’s mom?”

“It’s best to always expect Adrian in random ass places, but Jay’s mom is busy tonight.”

Jagger rolls his eyes. “She hung up with me because you were calling. I didn’t get to ask what she was doing tonight.”

“Yeah, she has a hot date too.”

“She told me about it,” Remi says. “You really should call her more, Jay.”

“Fuck, you too?” It’s nice to see someone else in the hot seat for once. “Yeah, alright. I’ll call her. I thought she was fine hearing my whole life from you two.”

Our drinks come out then, giving Mila an excuse to lean across me to grab hers. The scent of her perfume fills my nose and makes me a little feral, though I manage to keep my hands to myself as she sits back down a little closer to me this time. “No margaritas tonight?” she asks.

“I’m always down for those, but this will do for now.” Naturally, I rest my hand on the back of her chair so everyone here knows she’s mine. “How was your pizza yesterday, sweetheart?”

Her eyes meet mine as she sucks in a little breath, giving away just how much she likes that pet name. “It was delicious. I tried to come thank you at the gym but you were already gone for the day.”

“Yeah, I bring my bike on Fridays and take off early for a ride. You should come with me sometime.”

Mila’s tongue darts out to play with her lip piercing. “That sounds fun. Do you have a helmet for me?”

“Yeah, I have a spare. I’ll be sure to bring it.” More like I’ll get her a new one she’ll love. “Have you ever gone for a ride?”

She shakes her head slightly. “No. Weird, huh? I know I seem the type, but I don’t know how to ride myself and I’ve never known anyone who had one other than you two.”

“Well, good. I’m glad I’ll be your first.” Our waiter stops the conversation from going further, but I have no intention of letting that deter me from asking her out on a real date before the night is through. Once our food is ordered, we drink a little more and listen to Jagger and Remi argue about who backpacks more, but I’m only half paying attention. I’m subtly watching Mila from the corner of my eye, noting the way she keeps shifting closer to me and trying to sneak glances my way.

She’s different tonight. Maybe it was the pizza, the real conversation, or the fact that I haven’t tried to sleep with her for a while, but I’m glad for it no matter what. It feels more like a straight shot now than an uphill battle.

I might have gotten here on my own eventually, but I find I’m grateful for the couple across from me for making it happen. Even if Mila and I never end up being more, I feel like we deserve a shot. Maybe I’ve lost my mind, but I sit in front of her house almost every night now and I still haven’t seen a single thing I don’t like about her.

Especially tonight.

“How did you two meet?” I ask Mila and Remi, pleased when Remi lets my girl handle it.

“We met in school. Jordan, too. The three of us kinda did our own thing and ignored the rest of the student body.”

“I doubt they ignored you. No way the guys weren’t all over your little friend group.”

Jagger laughs like he knows something I don’t, and based on how he looks at Remi, I’d guess they were nerds.

“We weren’t always this hot,” Mila confirms. “Definitely this standoffish, though. Turns out high school dudes looking for easy lays don’t like that in a lady.”

“That’s because they’re insecure,” I admit. “It takes a while for us to get to a place where we can handle a woman like you.”

“You sure you’re there?” she quips. “I have my doubts about you.”

“Only one way to find out.” I lean in a little closer and ensure we don’t break eye contact. “Go on a date with me. A real one... just us.”

For a second, I think she’s about to say no — but Miss Winters smiles widely and doesn’t even try to hide it for once. “Yeah, okay. Yes. Let’s see what you”re made of, giant.”

“Fuck, I want to kiss you. Too bad I’m being a gentleman tonight.”

I ignore the dumbass smiles on Jagger and Remi’s faces, focusing on the waiter as he drops off our food. But the second he walks away, Mila grabs my face and pulls me into a kiss.

It’s the kinda kiss that makes me realize she’s never actually kissed me before.

It has me melting into her the second our tongues meet, and suddenly no one and nothing else matters but this right here. I reach up to hold her face there and deepen it, breaking it only when Remi clears her throat.

Mila’s face is a little more flushed now, but she looks... happy. “Sorry guys. Eat your food and quit looking at me like that.”

“It’s your smile, they can’t help it.”

Jay chuckles. “What is it about Mila that has him talking so much? Would you guys even believe it if I told you he was the quietest one in our group?”

“This guy?” Mila asks. “He won’t even shut up during sex. No way he’s the quiet one.”

Fuck, have I really been talking that much? Based on the way all three of them laugh, I’d say I have been. “I didn’t talk the whole time we had sex.”

But thinking back, I absolutely the fuck did.

“Whatever you say.” Mila’s hand slips under the table to squeeze my thigh. “I kind of like it. I like knowing what you’re thinking.”

“Well good, because I can’t seem to stop telling you. Maybe it’s because I want to know what you’re thinking but you’re way more mysterious than I am.”

“And you used to be the one that everyone said was mysterious. Oh how the mighty fall,” Jay teases, making me roll my eyes at him before I reach over to squeeze her thigh back. I can feel she’s wearing fishnets under a tight leather miniskirt. It takes everything not to slide my hand up it.

What is it about this woman that makes me feel so goddamn turned on?

“Eat up, Mila. I have a feeling you skipped lunch today.”

“I skip lunch almost every day, that doesn’t count,” she argues. “And suddenly I’m not that hungry anymore.”

She hisses when Remi kicks her under the table. “Bad Mila. Eat. Be horny later.”

Pulling my hand away, I slip it back on the back of her chair and then ghost my fingers down her spine. “I know you don’t like being told what to do, so how about you eat your dinner for me?”

The way she squirms just turns me on more. “I think I can do that. It smells good, so...”

She drops her eyes as her blush gets deeper, then pretends like the steak she ordered is the only thing real on planet earth.

God, she can be good when she wants to be.

I can’t wait to have more time with her. To have a night where we’re not in a rush and I can show her who I really am, how good she can feel.

Fuck, it has me hard under the table. I have to adjust it with my other hand in a way that isn’t obvious.

“Maybe we should skip dessert,” Remi suggests. “Mila has a ton of ice cream in her freezer.”

“Does she? Does she go for the fruity flavors of ice cream too, or is it just froyo?”

“Mint all the way with ice cream,” Mila announces. “But chocolate will do if I’m out of mint.”

“That’s one of my favorites too.”

It’s not — actually it kind of tastes like toothpaste, but if I can get her to share some with me I might change my mind. Pineapple froyo grew on me like I knew it would, and suddenly I want to know all her favorite things so we can share them. Ugh, who even am I?

“So maybe Mila should invite you over to have some,” Remi pushes. “Right?”

My girl meets my eyes, nodding slightly. “Do you want to? Tonight?”

Hell fucking yeah I do. “As long as it still means we’ll still have our date.”

“You’re not getting out of that,” she laughs. “I’m curious what you have in mind.”

“I have a whole lot in mind, and you won’t be able to guess any of it, so don’t even try.”

I tease her with my fingers again so she can’t overthink it, prompting her to shove about half that steak into her mouth all at once.

At least it finally seems like she’s as desperate for me as I am for her.

I even manage to get her to share a bite with me before we’re all thoroughly fed, but convincing her to let me get the check proves to be even harder. She really is as hard-headed as she seems. “Just let me. I’m a gentleman, remember?”

Fiery Mila opens her mouth to argue again, then shuts it abruptly. “Okay. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. So should I follow you home?”

Like I don’t know where you live.

“Yeah. I’ll meet you out front in a few, I just need to pee first and so does Remi.”

It’s a very pointed statement that has Remington standing with a smile, linking arms with my girl as they walk away.

When Jay and I meet each other’s gazes, it’s obvious we were just drooling over their asses. “Goddamn, we’re lucky bastards.”

“You can say that every damn day and it’ll always be true,” Jagger agrees. “Listen, I’ve never seen Mila like that, so you’re in. Just don’t fuck it up.”

I tend to do that often with her, so I don’t argue with him this time. “Should I pretend I don’t already know where she lives?”

That initiates a sharply whispered conversation we’re both glad the girls can’t hear — one where I admit I’ve been stalking her and manage to convince him to keep his mouth shut about it — but when they return and Remi squints at us both like she wants to know what we were talking about, I have a feeling he’ll cave.

No turning back now. “Alright, Mila. Lead the way to our ice cream.”