CHAPTER FIVE #2
He was right. You can’t ever go wrong when there is pasta involved.
“Did you make this?”
Look at you asking questions and shit.
She was killing it. Not a stutter in sight.
“Yeah,” Wade said as he took his seat opposite her. “I actually really love to cook. I don’t do it as often as I’d like...mainly because it’s not as fun cooking for one.”
“You can cook for me anytime,” she declared as she took in the sight of cheesy delicious goodness and began filling her fork.
“Oh, yeah?” Her eyes shot up, just as she’d shoved a huge amount of pasta in her mouth. His voice had dropped an octave again. It was back to the scratchy sexy pitch from the stable. “Does that mean I’ve already earned a second date?”
“What?” she muffled as she tried her hardest to swallow quicker.
“You just invited me to cook for you anytime .” He chuckled. “I take it that means the date is going well?”
Of course. Multi-layered meanings. She was bad at spotting sentences that could have multiple interpretations.
You’d think someone so anxious would think before she spoke, over-analyse everything she said, but no.
Riley did the opposite. Especially when she was trying her hardest to speak in full sentences.
She usually went with the mantra all words are better than none.
This time she finished chewing before she spoke again. “I, um, I...” Damnit. It was going so well. Suddenly, she remembered the letter. Picking it up, she was about to start reciting it when Wade interrupted.
“You brought notes again?”
She nodded.
“Can I?” His hand stretched across the table as she hesitated. “Please?”
She gave in. Paper passed; she waited anxiously as he read every word. But she didn’t need to worry. When his eyes met hers again, all his features had softened.
“Thank you for sharing this with me,” he said, passing her back the paper. “I don’t want to ever do or say anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, darlin’, so promise me you’ll tell me if you ever feel that way?”
“Sometimes it’s hard to say it,” she whispered, her gaze dropping to her plate.
“I get that. Maybe we should come up with a sign then, like, if you bite your lower lip then I know you need to get the fuck out of wherever we are.”
That made her giggle. A full-blown girly giggle. Her eyes were back on him now and she was forgetting to be nervous. “Does that mean I get a second date?” she teased, throwing his earlier comment back at him.
Wade’s throaty laugh was glorious. And she couldn’t help but feel proud she’d caused him to convulse.
I’m a goddamn dating master.
By some miracle, Riley was actually starting to relax. Enough to dig back into her dinner and even instigate a new conversation.
“I actually love to cook, too,” she said in between bites.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. My dad taught me. He’d take me fishing every Sunday, then we’d go home and cook what we caught. He made the best smoked trout.” The thought of those Sunday’s still brought a smile to her face.
“Well, I know what we’re doing on our second date now.”
“What?” Her head tilted with the question.
“I’m taking you fishing. Then, we’re gonna come back here and make us some smoked trout.”
“Really?” she squeaked, not at all hiding her excitement.
“Really.” He was giving her that look again. The one from this morning. The one that made her heart jump. “You know, we’re going to be building a restaurant on-site. It’s going to be in the old red barn.”
“You are? That’s so awesome. Are you going to do farm to table?”
“Farm to what now?”
“Farm to table,” she repeated. “It just means you use what you have here on the ranch, like meat from your cattle, fish from the river, freshly grown vegetables...that kind of thing. It’s pretty trendy right now, and slightly hipsterish, but I think it’s a cool concept and it can actually keep food costs down. ”
After that, conversation got so much easier.
Mostly because for once, she had so much to say about food.
They talked more about the benefits of setting up a farm to table restaurant and she told him all about the article she’d read about the sustainability aspect of it.
She fully geeked out when they discussed the environmental impact and at one point she might have even offered to be the chef.
She was only half-joking. But still, she mentally congratulated herself for making Wade laugh again. On purpose.
It was the perfect night. They talked about food. They ate food. And she had the best view in town. Wade’s dimples.
The date was going so well, she forgot to try and pretend to be normal. Her freak flag was flying all over the place, but Wade either didn’t seem to notice or didn’t care. She was obviously hoping for the latter.
Before she knew it, the date was over. She’d done it.
She’d made it through dinner and enough orange juice to inflict some serious heartburn on most people.
And she was okay. More than okay. Nerves were still bubbling beneath the surface as they walked toward her trailer but there was something else simmering too.
Anticipation. And it only got stronger as they came to a standstill under the dimly lit walkway.
Despite the chill in the air, she was burning up, and she had no doubt a crimson flush was creeping up her neck.
This is where you throw yourself at him.
That was her plan. Or at least that was what she’d told herself. But Riley was beginning to realize that it had one major flaw. She could barely move let alone fling her body anywhere.
Being glued to the gravel didn’t seem to matter though. Not when Wade had no problem getting closer. So close she was worried he could hear how fast her heart was pounding.
“You’re biting your lip, petal.” His gaze darkened. “I’m trying to decide whether you want me to kiss you or get you the fuck out of here.”
This was it. Time to be brave.
Her mouth opened and for a second nothing came out. When she did speak, her words were hurried. So fast out of fear she’d change her mind.
“I don’t want you to get me the fuck out of here.”
He got the message. Loud and clear. Because within mere seconds, Wade’s head dipped, and his expert lips captured hers with ease.
This was nothing like when Tommy Anderson smacked her lips and ran away in fifth grade. Her one and only kiss. And it certainly wasn’t like in all those rom coms she watched, when the couple exchange sweet smiles before tenderly embracing under the starlit sky.
This felt so much different. Dangerous. Overwhelming. Riley’s neck stretched back as Wade pushed her mouth wider. As his tongue slid inside, a noise she didn’t recognize vibrated down her throat. Was that her?
She didn’t have time to care if it was as his hand went from cupping her cheek to fingering her hair. He was directing her, angling her, so he could get deeper. Every swipe of his tongue making her insides heat as more sounds filled the night. Charging the air and making her body shake.
Too soon, he pulled back. But he wasn’t done with her. His teeth clasped her lower lip as choppy breaths warmed her skin.
“Fuck,” he hissed.
Oh no. Was that a good fuck, or a bad fuck? Riley’s lust drunk brain cells started to wake. As the haze cleared, she was left feeling self-conscious. She’d never done this before, what if she was bad at it?
“You taste so goddamn good.” Wade tugged at her lip. Pulling her into him again. A moment later, his mouth was back to covering hers.
It was a good fuck!
There was no time to celebrate. Not while she was trying her best to keep her balance as Wade’s big body was propelling her backward. It was only once she was up against the door that she started to relax. Her brain embracing the fog as a wall of hard muscles pressed into her.
One hand was still in her hair, moving her to his will, while the other was on her hip, holding her in place. She was surprised at how good it felt. To be at his mercy. To let him do what he wants. Take what he wants.
Imagine what he’d be like in bed.
It was hard not to imagine as their kiss turned more urgent. And everything began to pulse. It made her feel brave enough to touch him. Her hand went to his side, her fingers tentatively digging into the fabric of his shirt as she got her first feel of what was underneath it.
Lord almighty.
“Whoa!” a deep voice called out.
They both startled. Wade jumped back a full step before turning to see who was there.
“Uh,” the voice coughed. “Uh, sorry boss, I didn’t mean to—” Riley turned to see her trailer neighbour Lance. He was one of the many ranch hands that helped keep the place running.
Her gaze darted between the two men; by the looks of it, she wasn’t the only one feeling ridiculously awkward.
“It’s fine, Lance.” Wade nodded before clearing his throat. “I was just dropping Riley home.”
And kissing the hell out of me.
Lance nodded back. “Great.”
Apparently, they were all pretending she hadn’t been pinned up against her trailer door moaning into the boss’s mouth. Well, that was just fine by her.
“Anyway,” Wade went on, “it’s getting late. I should get going. Early morning and all that.” Boo! “Lance,” Wade offered the man a chin lift before turning to her. “Riley.” He smiled. “Y’all have a good night now.”
She watched him quietly as he turned to leave and couldn’t help but feel disappointed. It was her first ever kiss and instead of doing it again, she was left standing with Lance. The teenage ranch hand who was definitely gawking at her.
“Um. Night,” she squawked before hurrying inside.
Riley didn’t get far, immediately slumping back against the door. “What now?” she mumbled to herself.
She had no fucking idea.