Chapter 25 #2
His thumb pauses and he looks at me expectantly. “When you said this dinner doesn’t have to mean anything? What if I—well, what if I want it to mean something?”
Tyler studies me for a moment before he speaks.
“This night can mean whatever you want it to mean. If it’s a dinner between two friends who happen to have a child together…
well, I’m fine with that. And if it’s a date between two people who want something more…
” He pauses, brows raised. “I hope I’ve made it clear how much I’d like that. ”
Overcome with nerves for at least the tenth time today, I drop the topic before I can say something I can’t walk back from and grab a chip from the basket, chasing it with a gulp of margarita.
Tyler orders the molten lava cake because he remembered my love of sweets, and we share it, polishing off every last bite.
A smile is permanently plastered to my face when we walk to his car, my arm looped through his.
Tyler’s reaching to open the door for me, when I notice a dab of chocolate on his chin.
“You have chocolate right there.” I point to the chocolate, and he runs a thumb in the vicinity I’m pointing, but he doesn’t get it. “You missed it. Here.” Stepping closer, I swipe my forefinger across the side of his mouth, the chocolate now on my finger.
Before I know what’s happening, Tyler’s circling my wrist with his hand, pulling me closer, his smoldering gaze landing on mine. Bringing my finger to his lips, he closes his mouth around it to suck the icing off.
“Oh,” I breathe out in one lazy syllable.
“I wonder, Jo. Do you taste this sweet?”
As a woman who is usually so verbose, words simply fail me right now. Tyler smirks at my speechlessness, opens the door for me, and I get in, my mind going a mile a minute. What the…what was that? It seems Tyler brought his A-game tonight and everything about it is working.
The drive home is quiet. I’m pleasantly fuzzy headed, not only from the heavy handed Margarita, but I’m also still reeling from that comment.
Soft music plays from his speakers and I close my eyes, smiling when “I Was Born to Love You” by Ray LaMontagne comes on.
Reaching forward, I punch the volume button to turn it up.
I can feel Tyler glance over at me, but I refuse to look at him.
When we turn into my driveway, neither of us makes a move to get out, both content in the cozy bubble of his SUV.
Shifting in my seat, I finally face him. “Thank you for tonight, Tyler.”
Tyler squeezes my hand, letting the pad of his thumb trace circles across my skin. “Glad you had a good time. You deserve it.”
Tyler walks me to the door, hooking my pinky with his on the way. When we get there, I turn to face him, pressing one hand to his chest.
“So, are you the kind of guy who kisses a girl on the porch?” I ask, voice teasing.
He steps closer, gaze searing into me. “Only if she wants me to.”
The way he says it, low and sincere and a little tentative, melts something inside me.
And god, do I want him to. I want his lips on mine the way they were last week.
Before a dose of reality hit and I tucked tail and ran.
And that’s the reminder I need that whatever is happening has to go slowly, because I know how easily I spook.
Rising up on my toes, I press a soft kiss to his cheek. “Good night, Tyler.”
For several seconds, Tyler stands there with this look on his face like he wants to say more, do more.
“Night, Jo,” he finally says and spins to head for his car.
When the red glow of his taillights is finally out of sight, I slip inside and close the door behind me, leaning against it to steady myself. I exhale a long breath I didn’t know I’d been holding and grab my phone to text my girls.
Tyler licked chocolate from my finger.
A trio of bubbles appear and disappear for a few seconds. I knew they’d both be shocked, so I wanted to drop that tidbit in there nonchalantly, despite the fact that I am chalanting left and right.
Penny
Excuse me, he did what?
Cassie
Nope. I cannot unsee that text. Ladies, this is my cousin. Basically my oldest brother.
You created this chat for girl talk. I don’t make the rules here. Yes, you guys. He licked icing from my finger.
Cassie has left the chat.
Penny
I’m adding her back.
Cassie has been added to the chat.
Cassie
I’m putting my phone down. I have things to do.
Things to do, meaning Liam.
Cassie
Ok back to the icing incident. He literally had my finger in his mouth.
Penny
yeah well, you’ve had parts of him inside you, too.
He also asked if I taste as sweet as the chocolate.
Cassie sends a GIF of the little girl from Look Who’s Talking Now, with her angry little face, flinging a hairbrush.
Penny
So you gonna let him find out?
I don’t know what I’m doing.
Penny
I give it a week. Also I think Cass is ignoring us.
Cassie
oh I’m here, just trying to bleach my eyeballs.
but if I’m forced to take part in this discussion, my money is on less than a week. Get to it, Josie.