CHAPTER FOUR
brYCE
Things were going so well. Avery’s tension had been easing. She was engaging more, and I had to go and ruin things. I tunnel a hand through my hair, trying not to grip it in frustration. “I’m making you nervous. I’m sorry.”
Her pale blue eyes peek at me from behind the waterfall of her silky blonde hair and something in my gut twists. She’s like a doll, beautiful and so fragile.
I joked about my Nonna whacking me with a spoon, but I can still feel the dull sudden sting of it across my knuckles when I reached my dirty hands toward the row of priceless dolls that were lined up on her bedroom dresser.
Avery is like those treasured relics of my Nonna’s childhood, precious and to be cherished.
And far sturdier than probably she even knows.
The key is to not to overwhelm her and let her come into that knowledge on her own.
“I am nervous,” she admits, pushing her hair back and giving me an unobstructed view of her features.
Features I’m all too happy to gaze at. Our chats and messages weren’t enough for me.
I wanted, no, needed, this. To be in her presence and able to interact with her and see the adorable scrunch of her nose as she laughs and the way her fingers give away her anxiousness a moment before the shadows gather in her eyes.
Someone or something hurt this woman. I can’t heal her.
I have my own wounds that still ache, but I do hope she lets me in enough to know that hurting her is the furthest thing from my mind.
And that in time, and with her trust, she’ll learn she can be open with me and that I’m eager to be there with her every step of the way.
I reach across the table, stopping short of touching her, and lay my hand palm up and open in invitation.
“I’m nervous too,” I confess, letting my ever-present grin fall.
“I like you, Avery. I enjoyed connecting with you these past two months and I’ve been damn impatient to meet you in person and see how much that connection can grow.
I’m not looking for a good time. I like to think I’ve made that clear already.
I’m looking for a serious relationship.”
Her luminous eyes grow even wider, the black pupils eclipsing the icy blue of her irises and in them I see the stripped down, vulnerable man that I am gazing back at me.
Her chilled hand sliding against mine brings a relief so profound that I feel the ache of it clear to my bones. “I like you too,” she says softly.
I savor this moment for what it is, hopefully the beginnings of something special.
Our server appears as if by magic beside the table, bearing a tray of steaming plates.
The nostalgic smell of Timballo engulfs me and for a moment I visualize Avery in my parents kitchen and the rightness of it cements my desire to form a relationship with this woman.
Giving Avery’s hand a slow squeeze, I release her.
It takes her a moment to realize we’re no longer alone and a flush of embarrassment creeps up her pale face. The steaming dishes are set in front of us, and then it’s just the two of us again.
I wait for her to dig into her food, watching her face closely as she takes her first bite.
Her eyes close and the bliss that spreads over her face has blood rushing to my cock.
When her tongue comes out and slowly glides along her upper lip, dipping into the corner to get the speck of red sauce clinging to it, I moan.
Quickly, I stuff a loaded bite into my mouth to help muffle the noise.
Avery’s eyes open slowly, and she smiles as she chews. Grabbing her napkin, she swipes it along her lips and says from behind it, “Very good.”
“Yes, yes, it is.”
We eat in silence for several minutes and I enjoy the quiet company of a woman I’m very enamored of. It feels premature to be this taken with someone I just met, but we’ve had months of conversations leading me to this mindset. And somehow, I owe it all to a simple game.
“To think we met over bingo.”
Avery pauses mid-bite, a slow smile curving her lips up as she places her fork down on her plate. “I never thought I would meet anyone that way, either. I joined for fun.”
“At twenty-four, I wouldn’t have wasted my time playing online bingo.” Open mouth, insert foot. I briefly close my eyes and pray I haven’t offended her. “Avery, I didn’t mean it like it came out.”
Her lips are pinched tight and then a little giggle sneaks out of her. “It’s fine,” she says, waving a hand at me and covering her mouth with her other one. “You probably already figured out I’m not much like other women my age. I’m not into clubs, partying, or even going out much.”
I already surmised as much. Hearing it out loud makes me a little sad. I’m not as actively socially as I used to be, but I was hoping to take her dancing soon. The thought of her body pressed against mine is a damn exciting one.
“What about a small restaurant bar that has dancing?”
An expression crosses her face that I can’t decipher, and her gaze drops to her plate. “Maybe,” she mumbles.
Our server comes over at that point and we both decline dessert. She places the bill next to my water glass and collects our plates.
Avery leans over and digs in her purse, extracting her wallet. I frown at the sight of it and snatch up the bill. “My treat, of course,” I say, frowning.
“No, I should pay my half.”
Is this a brush-off? I thought we were enjoying ourselves.
“You can get the check next time,” I offer, testing the waters, though I have absolutely no intention of letting her pay for a thing.
I haven’t divulged how lucrative my former career was.
It’s not something I just blurt out to anyone, but I wouldn’t have to work for the rest of my life if I wanted.
Besides being older, and better off financially, you can just call me old-fashioned, but when I ask a woman out, I fully expect to pay for everything.
Something I’ll have to make known to Avery and hopefully she’ll accept that with more grace than the suspicious frown she’s currently shooting my way.
“I guess,” she says, dropping her wallet back into her purse.
After settling the bill, we walk through the rapidly filling up restaurant, my hand against her stiff back.
Out in the parking lot, some of her stiffness fades and it reminds me again how she doesn’t like crowds. Definitely something I’ll have to keep in mind when planning fun activities for us.
Avery goes over to navy blue pickup truck, and I quirk my eyebrows. “Interesting ride.”
Stepping away from me, she leans against the driver’s side door, her fingers tangling in the straps of her purse. “It was actually my older brother Aiden’s. He gave it to me when he upgraded to a newer model.”
“Nice guy.”
“He is. For a brother.” She smiles, her shoulders jerking up in a quick shrug. “Well, thank you for dinner, Bryce.”
Her tongue darts out to lick at her lips again and heat explodes in me once more. I step closer, being careful to keep my hands to myself so she doesn’t feel pressured or caged in.
She’s taller than I am, something that I’m not bothered by in the slightest when all I can think about is her long legs wrapped around my hips. The only issue might be when she wears heels and I have to lean up to kiss her.
I don’t have to lean up too far now. Angling closer, I careful feather my fingers along Avery’s jaw, marveling over her soft skin and relishing the slight tremor going through her at my touch. “Us getting to know each other is like a dance. We can go as slow or as fast as you want,” I murmur.
Her lips part and she sways closer. “Maybe I want to go fast for once,” she says, and then her lips are on mine.