27. Ariel Cambridge
Chapter twenty-seven
Ariel Cambridge
One entirely too long of a goodbye hug later, I ditch Cohen and walk outside on a mission to find Brock.
I saw him leave as Cohen took care of the check.
I only feel a little bad for playing eye-tag with Brock most of the night, considering Cohen used our date as a way to plan the future I didn’t know we had together.
After not seeing Brock in the immediate vicinity of the restaurant, I turn and start walking down the sidewalk toward my car.
My face morphs into a scowl as I close in on my parking spot.
There, in a pitch black suit and matching aviator sunglasses, is Brock.
He’s leaning against my driver’s side door, smirking like the villain he is.
“Thanks for ruining my date,” I say as I stop in front of him and cross my arms. I pop my hip out too, for an extra dose of sass. He deserves it.
“How did I ruin your date?” One brow arches over his sunglasses.
“You called me and frustrated me and distracted me,” I accuse him.
His smirk grows more devious. “I distracted you? How so?”
My face heats at the silken tone he’s using.
There’s something about him tonight that is throwing me off more than usual.
Maybe it’s the fact that he looks like a Hollywood star straight out of an action film.
The ones I always had a crush on growing up.
Or because the inability to see his eyes through his dark glasses makes him more mysterious.
Whatever the reason, it’s annoying me. And so is he.
I step closer to him and snatch his glasses off his face.
“The sun is almost set. You don’t even need these.”
He chuckles. “Are you sure that’s the reason? Or is it because they’re distracting you?”
He holds out his hand for me to give them back. In a move that is half-panic, half-childish delusion, I throw them in a nearby bush.
“Go fetch,” I say with a smile.
“So now I’m a dog?”
“If the muzzle fits.”
He laughs. “If I am one, I guess I should watch out. Your boyfriend might try to force me into a costume.”
I go to smack his shoulder, but he catches my wrist. He gives me a look that asks, “What now?”
With a frustrated growl, I try to hit him with my other hand, but he catches that one too.
“Let me go, you jerk,” I grumble while he shakes his head, a smile still on his lips.
“You stole my sunglasses and then attempted to assault me. I think I’m entitled to a little punishment.”
“What did you have in mind?”
His eyes dip to my mouth so quickly that I question whether it happened at all.
“Tell me what really went wrong on your date.”
I try to pull my hands out of his. “While we’re like this?”
“Yes. That’s your punishment. Take it, or I think of something worse.”
“Let me go, or get a stiletto to the shin,” I counter through gritted teeth.
“Fine.” He laughs and lets me go. I ignore the fact that I immediately wish I would have stayed where I was.
“I think something is wrong with me,” I say and lean against the car next to him.
“That much is true,” he says. I roll my eyes and bump into his shoulder. “But what do you mean?”
“Cohen is a doctor who runs marathons for fun and travels to vineyards for vacation.”
“So?”
“So, I should like him. It shouldn’t weird me out that he was taking charge and making plans for the future–”
“What kind of plans?” Brock cuts me off.
“To go on vacation together. To train for, and then run, a marathon. I think there was something about him meeting Sutton and me meeting his grandparents? I don’t know,” I groan.
“Sounds a little fast.”
“Yeah, but shouldn’t I want that?” I sigh. “It’s actually all Sutton’s fault. She got in my head about this whole spark nonsense. When I didn’t feel anything right away for Cohen, I probably wrote him off too soon. Either that, or I’m broken. Maybe both.”
“You’re not broken.” Brock wraps an arm around me. I lean into his side. The familiar, clean scent of his cologne soothes me, as does the strong warmth of his body.
“Then why can’t I find the one?” I murmur.
“Maybe it’s just not the right time yet.
The love of your life could be in a terrible relationship right now and has to get out of it first. Or maybe he’s living in France waiting for you to walk past his bakery and make him change the trajectory of his life.
Think of Shaw and Sutton. They knew each other for years , but it was never the right time, until it finally was. Now, they’re disgustingly happy.”
I smile and tilt my head to look up at him. “I didn’t know you were such a romantic.”
He grins down at me, his caramel eyes sparkling in the fading sunlight. “You don’t know everything about me.”
No, but I’d like to. The thought makes my breath hitch, and our proximity has my heartbeat increasing to concerning rates. It wouldn’t take much for us to kiss right now. If Brock tipped his head ever so slightly forward…
I shift my gaze back to the ground where his black dress shoes are planted next to my heels. It occurs to me how much we look like a couple. It’s not hard to match when wearing black, but we look like we just got done with a date.
“Come on,” Brock says and tugs me forward.
“What? Where are we going?” I ask as he walks us down the sidewalk.
“You’ll see.”
He slides his hand down my arm and intertwines our fingers. Liquid warmth fills my body like a sip of coffee in the morning.
“Is this the part where you tell me to just trust you?” I joke. I would, but he doesn’t need to know that.
“No, this is the part where I take a page from your book and abduct you,” he says with a smile as we get to his car.
“You’re not supposed to tell someone you’re going to do that. Takes the surprise element out of it.”
“You’ll have to critique my methods from the car. I want to get there before they’re packed.”
I narrow my eyes in suspicion. He opens the door for me.
“It would be very easy to just go back to my car right now. I don’t think you’d be able to stop me.”
“It would also be more boring.” I roll my eyes at his words and slide in. He ducks his head inside close to mine. “Also, if you think I wouldn’t immediately catch you and throw you over my shoulder, you’re mistaken.”
He pulls back and shuts the door. I fan my face. Why do I wish I would have tried to run away now? What is wrong with me?
Brock gets in the car. I busy myself with buckling my seatbelt and situating my purse in my lap.
“Ready?” he asks.
“Yet another mistake. You never ask the person if they’re ready to be kidnapped.”
“I can’t be a gentleman?”
“I’m pretty sure the words kidnapper and gentleman can’t coexist in the same sentence,” I say wryly.
“Fair enough. Since you came willingly anyway, maybe we can just call this an adventure?” he suggests.
I toy with the handle of my purse, hiding a smile. “Adventure it is.”
My phone buzzes as Brock pulls out onto the street. I take it out of my purse to see that Cohen messaged me.
Cohen: I had a great time tonight. I’d love to see you again. Maybe we can get coffee this week?
Cohen: Also, here’s a few links about the differences between fitness trackers. Let me know if you have any questions!
“Text from the doctor?” Brock asks.
I sigh. “Yeah. He said he had a great time. Is it weird that he texted me so soon after the date?”
“If I was on a date with someone like you, I’d have texted the second you walked away.”
I bite my lip. He said someone like me, not me. My silly racing heart needs to realize that, along with the thousands of other reasons we can’t be together. All of which are blurry in my brain right now.
“I think I’ll reply later.” I slip my phone back in my purse. “He deserves more than a quick text after he planned out our whole future.”
Brock chuckles. “Maybe you’ll change your mind, too. Spending the evening with me might make you see how great he is.”
I doubt it.