Chapter 16 #2
“So how can I be of service? Need me to come in and pick something out with you?”
“If . . . if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.”
“Thank you, and I’m sorry. I know dates don’t usually start this way.”
“It’s okay. I’ll be right in.”
“Okay.” The line goes quiet and I leave my phone behind as I step out of the car. My Honey calls to me from an open doorway as soon as I walk into the house and knock on the wall by the front door.
I’m not anywhere near prepared for what I see when I make my way to where he is.
He’s standing in front of his open closet in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs and two different colored knee-high socks.
I take my time admiring every inch of him, and when he turns around, his hands fall in front of him. “Raf?”
“I’m right here.” I inch closer, fingers grazing the inside of one of his arms as soon as I’m standing right beside him. “I thought I was supposed to get you to take your clothes off for me after I wine and dine you.”
He lets out a lighthearted laugh that makes my heart soar. “Yeah, and I think you’re supposed to hear me coming after that too, yet here we are.”
A laugh flies past my lips. “We’re just all kinds of out of order here, huh?”
“Yeah, and that’s perfectly okay with me,” he chirps.
“Me too.”
“What are you wearing?” He turns his face to me, sliding his fingers up my arm and to the center of my chest. My heart beats so fast I think it might escape my ribcage.
“A black sweater and dark blue jeans. Why? Should I take my clothes off too?” I waggle my brows—even though he can’t see me—and he slaps my shoulder playfully.
“No . . . I mean, we will come back to that later, but no. I wanted to make sure I didn’t over or underdress. I’ll wear a sweater and jeans too. My black jeans and green sweater.”
“Good choice.” His breaths stutter as I lock my fingers in his and lead them to one of the hangers in the closet. I help him find the jeans next, and when I’m about to give him privacy to put his clothes on, he grabs my wrist, shaking his head.
“Stay. I’d like to keep talking.”
“Yeah. Sure.” I park myself on the edge of the bed, grabbing his Kindle off the nightstand.
He has one with the audiobook option and was last listening to some omegaverse romance.
Whatever that is. Letting my curiosity get the better of me, I click on the screen and my eyes nearly bulge out when they graze over the top paragraph.
One man slips his fingers inside the other’s pants, and when he pulls it free after making him writhe against him, his fingers are covered in slick.
He calls him his omega over and over, and the man practically melts each time, his hole growing wetter.
My jeans grow uncomfortably tight and I turn off the device, tossing it back on the nightstand.
“What do you think?” he asks, catching me off guard as he spins around, lifting his arms.
“You look great.” I jump to my feet, sauntering his way to sweep flyaway strands of hair behind his ear. “And now you’re perfect.”
His mouth opens and closes. I study each twitch of his lips and tensing muscle in his face.
“No one’s perfect.”
“I used to think that too, until now.”
He lets out a snort. “Are you always this smooth?”
“No.” I skate my nails up and down his cheek, fingers slipping around his neck to lightly squeeze. “I can be rough too.”
His Adam’s apple bobs and he leans into my body more, lips inches away from mine. “Not many places stay open past nine here, so we better get going before all we have to choose from is fast food.”
“Good idea.” I tuck more hair behind his ear, resisting the urge to press a kiss to the tip of his wiggling nose.
“After you,” I say. “I parked right where the sidewalk ends.”
He nods. “You’ll be right behind me?”
“No. I’ll be in front opening your door to help earn me first-date points.”
“That’s the only reason?” Amusement fills his eyes.
“The only one. Just because you’re fully capable of opening your own door doesn’t mean you should always have to.”
“What if I want to open your door sometimes?”
“Do you?”
His face lowers and he slowly shakes his head while looking back up. “Not really. Is that bad?”
“No, Honey.” I cup my fingers around his chin. “Nothing bad about that. I prefer opening my own anyway.”
“Shouldn’t I prefer to open my own too?”
“Not necessarily.” I slide my fingers down the center of his neck, loving how I’m causing his pulse to kick against my skin. “I’ll gladly open your door for you anytime. Not because you need me too but because we both like it.”
His breaths come out uneven and he points his eyes at his shuffling feet. I lift his chin. “Hey, don’t get embarrassed by what you like. You’ll never have to do that with me.”
“I’m not even sure what I like.”
“I think you know more than you realize. You only need to be given the option to choose instead of going along with what someone else wants all the time.”
“We should go. Or else we really will be doing everything the wrong way around, and you’ll have helped me get dressed for nothing.”
I laugh against his lips, earning me a light whimper that goes straight to my cock.
“Nothing about anything I do with you could ever be wrong.” My lips drag toward his ear and a shiver runs through him, causing his eyes to roll back.
“And if you keep having those reactions when I touch you, we will go without eating for way more than just tonight.”
A smile ghosts over his lips and he presses his ear to me, practically purring. “Who needs food anyway?”
I laugh, nudging my nose into his hair. “I actually think I might if I want to be able to keep up with you later.”
He rubs his face against me like a needy cat. “From what I hear there’s nothing to keep up with.”
“That was from the wrong person, and I can’t wait to show you just how wrong he was. But first, let’s go eat and see ourselves a giant-ass Christmas tree.”
“You mean the one that looks like a Christmas tree?” His eyes crinkle with humor.
“That one exactly.”