Chapter 5
He’s kissing me.
He’s kissing me.
He’s kissing me.
The press of Griffin’s lips to mine is sweet, like my snickerdoodle hot chocolate. For a man who comes across as charismatic and confident, he’s surprisingly tender in the way he’s treated me the whole day—especially now.
His mouth moves against mine, slowly nipping and exploring as if he’s a modern-day Indiana Jones trying to chart a map of my lips to find hidden treasure.
Griffin’s scruff brushes against my cheek, tickling my skin. I always thought I preferred clean-shaven men, but I’m fully team five-o’clock shadow now.
My hands slide up to his chest, and his heartbeat pulses beneath my palm. The rapid rhythm matches my own.
If I told my friends that I was kissing a man I just met, they wouldn’t believe me. I don’t do this kind of thing. I’m slow to trust and quick to provide reasons why someone isn’t right for me.
It may sound crazy, because I don’t even know this man’s last name, but I think I know more about him than any guy I’ve ever dated.
So, it doesn’t technically feel like I’m kissing someone I just met.
But it does feel like I’m kissing someone I’d love to spend a lot more time with.
It’s an unusual but good feeling. There’s a comfort there that I only have with my family and closest friends.
A small gasp escapes my lips as he deepens the kiss. My fingers clutch the collar of his jacket, and he tugs at my waist, pulling our bodies flush together.
Someone across the street lets out a wolf whistle, and Griffin groans as he reluctantly pulls back. I giggle and press my forehead against his chest to hide my blush, feeling like a teen being caught making out under the bleachers at a high school football game.
“I love the sound of your laugh.” He gently tilts my chin up until my eyes meet his.
We stare at each other for a moment. I can’t get over how beautiful his eyes are with the snow falling around us. They’re like a bright blue sky that brings you immediate joy after days of thunderstorms. I’m usually a cloudy-skies girl, but his eyes may have me changing my tune.
Griffin smiles down at me. It looks genuine and unforced, like he couldn’t hide it if he tried. “Hi.”
The whispered word makes me giggle again. I’m not a giggly girl either. Giggles and being a realist don’t typically go together, but around him, I guess that’s what I’m reduced to.
My stomach growls again, and it’s his turn to laugh. “Let’s get you fed, beautiful.”
He holds my hand as we walk the rest of the way to his car and then opens the passenger door for me.
“What a gentleman.” I smile up at him.
“I’ll be sure to tell my mom and Granny they raised me right.”
Once Griffin gets in the driver’s seat, I say, “All the women of the world thank them.”
He places his hand on the back of my seat to back out, but pauses to shoot me a playful grin. “I only need one woman to know how much of a gentleman I am.”
I suck in a sharp breath. “Is that so?”
Griffin leans over and kisses me softly on the cheek, his scruff tickling my face again, as he puts the car in reverse. “Mm-hmm.”
The low rumble of his voice sends a shiver racing from my head to my toes.
“Cold?”
I nod, unwilling to reveal that he’s the reason for my shivering. Mr. Hottie certainly doesn’t need the ego boost.
He turns the heat up and drives out of the parking lot, carefully maneuvering onto the main road coated in a dusting of snow.
I wrap my arms around my middle while my thoughts run rampant, trying to process everything that’s happened in the past day. It’s felt like a whirlwind, but I think it’s one I don’t want to forget.
Griffin nudges my arm with his elbow, pulling me from my thoughts. “What are you thinking in that beautiful mind of yours?”
The truth slips out before I can think twice about it. “I never kiss on a first date, let alone someone I just met.”
“Neither do I.” He laughs. “Well, I guess, except for now.” I glance over at him and watch as his grip turns white-knuckled on the steering wheel. His voice is softer as he asks, “Do you regret it?”
I take a second to think it over. “No, I don’t.”
“Good. Me neither.” He smiles. “It doesn’t feel like we’ve only known each other for a day, does it?”
“Not at all.”
Griffin surprises me by taking my hand again. He pulls it to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to my skin. “Thanks for letting me make up for my massive flub yesterday.”
“I’d gladly let you do it again if it means I get an endless supply of those snickerdoodle hot chocolates.”
“I’ll give you as many as you desire.”
My heart thumps. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“I only make promises I can deliver on.” Griffin rubs my thumb before settling our clasped hands on my leg. We sit in comfortable silence for the remainder of the short drive.
I’ve already been vulnerable enough with him that I know he has the power to break my heart, so I hope he’s being honest right now. Otherwise, I’m in for a world of hurt.
Griffin, ever the gentleman, drops me off at the door while he parks the car. I step inside and pull out my phone, shooting a quick text to Daisy to let her know where I am.
ME
Girl, the date has been amazing! He just took me to Wings and More for dinner. If you could pick me up from here later, that would be great!
Immediately after I hit send, my phone screen goes black. Shoot. I knew I should’ve charged the battery this morning, but I wasn’t expecting this date to last the whole day. Hopefully, she got the message. If not, I’m sure Griffin wouldn’t mind dropping me off later.
The chime above the front door rings as Griffin steps inside, shaking snowflakes from his brown hair. He smiles as he moves to my side and speaks to the hostess, who seats us immediately at one of the few available tables.
The restaurant has a fun, farmhouse vibe with red-and-white gingham picnic tablecloths and galvanized decor on the tables and walls, giving the place a rustic charm. If how packed it is in here is any indication of the quality of the food, I think I’m in for a delicious meal.
Griffin orders a platter of sticky honey wings for us to share that he swears will leave me never wanting to eat another flavor of wings, along with fries and Dr. Peppers.
My heart warms. He remembered my favorite drink. “You’re a good listener.”
He grins. “It’s not a McDonald’s Dr. Pepper, but I hope it’ll do.”
Our food is delivered in record time. My stomach grumbles again when I behold the giant stack of wings. “These smell amazing.”
“They are.” He picks up a flat, and I do the same. It’s not exactly the kind of food I’d usually pick to eat on a first date, but Griffin makes me feel like I don’t have to worry about getting sauce all over my face and fingers. “Bon appétit.”
I take a bite, and my taste buds instantly go wild. It’s sweet from the honey but has spicy notes that provide just the right amount of heat, followed by the tang of vinegar.
“Perfect, right?”
I answer him by finishing off that wing and grabbing for another.
Griffin smiles. “This is my favorite place for a reason.”
“Is it where you take all your dates?” I dive into my next wing.
“You’re the first girl I’ve ever brought here. Well, aside from my mom and Granny.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Really?”
“You act like I’m a player.” He frowns. “Truth is, I’m always onto one thing or the next, and I’ve never made time for dating.”
“So this is where you would take all your dates.”
“Only the special one.”
His word choice doesn’t go unnoticed. He didn’t say he’d take the special ones here, just the special one. As in, a singular person. From the way his eyes sparkle when he looks at me, there’s no question that he’s referring to me.
There he goes again, saying things that make me think of a potential future with him—this guy I just met but feel inexplicably drawn to.
To avoid all my confusing emotions, I grab a few fries, dipping them in ranch before shoving them in my mouth.
Griffin laughs a full-belly, eyes-crinkling laugh. “You’re truly something else, Mallory.”
I finish chewing and narrow my eyes at him. “Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
He shoots me a crooked smile. “Oh, it’s definitely a compliment.”
I sip my Dr. Pepper, hoping it will cool the blush tinting my cheeks. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.
Once we’ve finished most of the wings and fries, I lean back in my seat. “I think if I eat another bite, I’m going to need to be carried out of here.”
“I can help with that.” He winks.
I roll my eyes. “Nice try.”
“It was worth a shot.” Griffin waves our server over and gets the check, never even giving me a chance to offer to pay.
“Thanks for dinner and the hot chocolate.”
“It’s my pleasure.” He signs the receipt, and I move to stand, but his next words keep me rooted in place. “Before I forget, I have a question for you.”
He sounds serious, and my heartbeat picks up speed. Is he about to ask me to be his girlfriend or—gasp—his wife? Okay, I’m kidding about the last part, but everything else about my time spent with this man has felt fast, so I have no clue what to expect here.
“Yeah?” I squeak out, sounding just as anxious as I feel.
“Can I have your number?”
I sigh in relief. “I think I can manage that.” He pulls out his phone, glaring at the black screen. “I’ll have to put my number in your phone, since mine is dead.”
I grimace. “My phone died right after we got here.”
Griffin looks around the table before reaching down and grabbing the small paper napkin that his drink was set on, along with the pen he used to sign the receipt. He extends them both toward me. “Problem solved.”
I write down my number and hand it back. “This is so old school.”
“I know. It feels like I’m back in middle school, having you check yes or no to being my girlfriend.”
“Whoa, slow your horses, Griff. Let’s start with my number,” I tease, pushing to my feet.
Griffin crosses the table to my side. He leans in so his breath is a whisper against my ear. “Trust me, this is only the start, beautiful.”