Date Night
Dahlia
Why did I even expect Vex to call? I canceled our date yesterday. Then I shoved him out the door early this morning to go to work.
Putting groceries away is a pain, but my fridge has been bare for way too long. Living on ramen and toast isn’t really a balanced diet. Though a salad and roll from the market is only slightly better.
Vex could have called.
Maybe I should call him.
Would he think that’s too brazen… or needy? Am I going to be a clingy girlfriend?
Vex with a girlfriend sounds weird.
He’d say something like you’re my woman. I giggle.
Why didn’t he even call? Just to check on me.
Don’t think about that.
Tonight, you’re going to eat dinner and read a book. Then you’ll go outside and work until you collapse.
Don’t think about Vex .
Or maybe I’ll sleep tonight, and not need to bother anyone. This book is really good. I’ll just read in bed until I pass out.
While munching on the leftover popcorn that Vex brought over. I could skip the salad altogether and just have popcorn for dinner in bed.
Alone.
You’re never alone when you have a good book.
That’s a plan. It’s a terrible plan, but all I’ve got.
Why did I buy so many groceries? There’s no way I’m going to eat half of these. Though the bread will not go to waste…it will go to my waist.
Don’t start getting punny.
A knock sounds at the door.
Who could that be? I didn’t invite anyone, and Max doesn’t usually show up until after eleven and only when the back light is on.
It must be Hope with some sort of drama. I set my milk on the counter and walk to the door.
What is Vex doing here?
He fills the doorway. On any other man, the custom suit would look debonair. On Vex, it does nothing to hide the lethal power that radiates off his massive body. I could stare at him all day.
“Evening, Dahl.”
“What are you doing here?” I mentally slap a hand over my mouth. You were literally complaining about not seeing him two seconds ago.
“We made plans for tonight.”
“But I canceled them.”
“Then you spent the night in my arms, which means it’s back on.”
A fiery blush spreads up my face.
“So right now, your only choice is where you want to spend the night. In my bed or yours.”
My mouth falls open, and I gape at him for a long while. “I…Um…We can’t…I’m not…No matter how sexy—” Can I just die now?
The naughty smirk that spreads across his face makes him even sexier .
All possibility of speech is lost.
“You don’t need to worry. Even if you ask me to kiss you today, I won’t.”
What? Why? “You won’t?”
“No, Dahl, I won’t. Tonight is all about getting to know each other. Now you can relax and let me in before the ice cream melts.”
“Ice cream?”
Vex lifts his hands that are filled with grocery bags. “We’re having sundaes for dessert.”
Why doesn’t he want to kiss me? I mean, it’s one thing for me to tell him that I don’t want to kiss him, but why is he here if he doesn’t want to kiss me? “We are?”
“As soon as you stop thinking about kissing me and let me inside, I’ll make you dinner. Then we’ll watch a movie and eat our ice cream before bed.”
Why aren’t you thinking about kissing me? “You’ve made a lot of plans.”
“I always have a plan.”
Do any of those plans involve kissing me? “Why don’t you want to kiss me?” Death would have been a smarter choice than the words I just uttered.
Vex practically drops the bags as he takes a step forward until he’s looming over me.
To hide from the intensity of his gaze, I drop my eyes to the ground.
A calloused finger brushes against my chin, then lifts it until my eyes meet his. His eyes burn with an intensity I’ve never seen before. “When I close my eyes, I dream of kissing you. When I open them, all I think about are your lips. Never doubt that I want to kiss you.”
“Then why won’t you?” the foolish question slips out of my mouth.
“Because you were hurt just a short time ago, and you need time.”
“I do?”
“Yes, you do. Now stop tempting me.”
But I don’t want to stop. I want you to kiss me. I want you to ravage my lips like a man in a romance novel.
“Dahl, you don’t play games like this with a man like me. ”
Games? I’m not playing games. He’s right though, I’m not ready to kiss him even though I want to. “Fine.” With a step back and a shift of my body, I move out of his way. “Though you should know, I like mushy ice cream.”
The fire fades away and a soft smile flits across his face. “Is there anything you don’t like?”
“Bubble gum and rum raisin ice cream.”
“Does anyone like bubble gum ice cream?” He grabs the bags off the floor.
I reach out to help him, but he gives me an eyebrow raise and walks towards the kitchen.
“You didn’t need to buy groceries.”
“Oh really? You’re telling me inside those two small bags is something more than snacks?”
“There are veggies. I’ll have you know I planned to have a salad for dinner.” At one time. But popcorn sounded tastier. To prove it, I take it out of the fridge.
“You store the food you plan to eat now in the fridge and leave the rest of the stuff in the bag?”
Why did a perceptive man have to be the one that saved me? “I planned to eat it, eventually.”
He sets the bags he brought on the counter and goes to mine. “There isn’t a single other fresh vegetable in here.”
I lean over his arms since his shoulders are too high up and pull out a bag of frozen veggies. “These are just as good.”
“And easily forgotten. How do you stay alive?”
It’s not like I’m starving. “Tea and cookies mostly.”
“And is that what you were planning on having for dinner?”
What does he think single women do? Spend hours cooking four-course meals for themselves. “Leftover popcorn.”
Vex shakes his head. “You need to get used to eating vegetables and actual meals.”
“Oh and are you going to cook them for me?” If he thinks I’m going to be one of those girlfriends who cooks every meal and cleans up after her boyfriend—
“Some of them. And when I don’t feel like cooking, we’ll order in.”
What? “You know I can cook.”
“I’m sure you can.”
“Why are you so sure? I could be one of those women that burns everything she touches.”
Vex starts unloading the bags like he lives here. “You make some amazing cookies.”
Oh yeah, that’s right. I brought him cookies. “My apology apple pies are even better.”
“You have an apology pie?”
Doesn’t everyone? I shrug. “Too bad I won’t ever make you one.”
“With as feisty as you are, I can guarantee we’re going to fight.”
“And you expect me to be the one to apologize?” Men!
“Some of the time.”
Aww. “Do you know how to make apple pie?”
“I’ll figure out some way to apologize.”
His naughty wink makes my entire body shiver. A kiss from him would be—Think about something else. Anything else! “What are you making for dinner?”
“Chicken teriyaki and stir-fried vegetables with rice.”
That sounds amazing. “Wow.”
“Don’t be too impressed.” He lifts marinated meat out of the bag. “I got some help.”
“Still impressed. How can I help?”
“If you have a rice pot, you can make that while I run to the car to grab the last of the bags.”
There’s more? But I don’t dare ask what, because he might tell me. “Of course, I do. I have every kitchen gadget known to mankind.”
Vex is back before I can turn on the rice. He flips a garment bag over the back of a chair.
“What’s that?” I stare at the bag like it’s a roach in my kitchen .
“Clothes for the weekend.”
The weekend! The weekend. “You’re staying the weekend.”
“Yes.” He walks over to the sink and washes his hands. “There was no specification as to how long our date would last.”
Date.
Weekend.
Bag of clothing.
“You aren’t even kissing me, and you’re planning to stay the weekend.” The circuits in my head melt down even as my heart lifts.
“Who knew my sweet Dahl would be so obsessed with kissing?”
I’m not obsessed. Fine, maybe I’m slightly obsessed, but it doesn’t make sense. The lack of sleep must be messing with my head. “You brought clothes to stay the weekend with me for the longest date known to mankind and have no plans to kiss me. We’re just going to get to know each other.”
“That sounds about right.” He sets a deep frying pan on the stovetop and turns the flame on high.
Can I handle this?
Yes.
No.
Maybe.
Sleeping next to him for three nights sounds divine.
What are we going to talk about? “I’m boring.”
Vex chuffs but doesn’t turn away from the pan as he pours oil onto the hot metal. “I’ll let you know when I’m bored.”
“Just wait. You’ll see. I’m a homebody.”
“A sexy homebody.”
Rather than think about that response, I take some of the berries he bought and wash them. They’ll make an amazing compote on the ice cream… unless he got a weird flavor. “What kind of ice cream did you get?”
“Chocolate custard. ”
“Perfect.” I head to the pantry to get a few extra ingredients. “Do you need anything from the pantry while I’m there?”
“Is it as empty as your fridge?”
Hardly. “A well-stocked pantry is the sign of a good homemaker.” Did I just quote my mother to Vex? I duck into the pantry without waiting for a response.
Why would I even say that? Do I want Vex to think of me as a good homemaker? I’m about the farthest thing you can get from being a homemaker of any kind. That infers I want a family…
A family…
My chest gets tight.
What are we even doing?
I’m playing house with a murderer. I’m obsessed with a man that I can’t ever have a future with.
Is that why I finally allowed myself to feel something? Because I know there will never be anything more than a few fleeting moments with the sexiest man I’ve ever met?
It might not even get that far. Vex wants to get to know me. He’s going to find out just how boring I am. There’s got to be something I can do to make myself a little less boring.
Spicier.
In books, spice means… If I did that, I’d become the person they all called me…
My body starts to tremble as their vile words echo through my head along with the pictures they put up everywhere…