Chapter 29
Dane
“Come on, Cherry. What do you say?” I ask boldly, hiding the nerves I felt all the way here from the airport. “You deserve a night out for yourself.”
Halle plucks the flowers from my hand with a gruff tug and walks toward the kitchen, where she opens and closes cabinets. I manage to keep my eyes off her perfect ass as she bends over to pull out a glass vase from a lower cupboard. But just barely—the temptation is strong.
“Dane …” she says in that argumentative tone of hers, drawing out the syllables slowly. It dawns on me that she might say no.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever been turned down before. A jittery feeling unfolds in my chest. It’s the same swell of emotion that resided there when we played in the first round of the playoffs and were on the cusp of a loss.
When she swings back around, vase in her hand, I’m right there, grabbing the heavy piece out of her grip and setting it down on the counter behind her. Halle’s lips press tight as she grips the edge of the counter and I lean in, positioning my hands next to hers.
She sucks in a deep breath and I smirk, knowing that I’m getting to her. I duck my chin to meet her gaze. Her eyes blaze hot and bold, but hold an uncertainty, too. A nervousness.
“Do I make you nervous being this close to you, Cherry?”
“No,” she snaps, the flash in her eyes sparking with defiant intensity. There it is. There’s the girl I remember. “Why would it?”
I snicker, closing in further until I’m a breath away from her face. I inhale her sweet citrus and honey scent and tuck a loose lock of her hair behind her ear. I want to lean in and suck her earlobe between my teeth. I close my eyes and grip the countertop, digging my fingers to gain control.
“Because I think you want me to kiss you. To lean in and take your lips, kiss you so fucking hard you feel it in your toes.” My voice is husky and thick. My body hums with the electricity that sizzles in blistering sparks between us.
Halle presses a shaky hand flat against my chest and pushes. I concede and take a step back, but we still remain toe-to-toe.
“I’m not looking to be kissed, by you or anyone else.” She sidesteps past me and picks up the vase, depositing it on the small kitchen table. “And if you remember, I can’t go anywhere with you because I have a daughter at home to take care of.”
I lean my hip against the sink and shake my head. “I haven’t forgotten about Lenni. Which is why I’ve already lined up a babysitter.”
Halle’s head snaps back around so fast she could be in contention for a role in the next Exorcist movie. Her voice rises a few octaves. “You did what?”
She stalks toward me, and I can almost see smoke and sparks spewing from her body. It gives new meaning to the term smokeshow.
I cock my head, keeping my gaze leveled on her, a grin affixed to my mouth. I love it when she gets ruffled and flustered like this. Exactly how it was the first time I met her when she had cherry slushie spilled all over herself. It was the cutest and sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
I repeat myself and lift a shoulder. “I. Got. A. Babysitter. For Lenni.”
“You… why… who… gah! You are so infuriatingly presumptuous.” She raises her hands in balled-up fists, shaking them in the air between us.
I place both palms over her fists and guide them down, wrapping my fingers around her wrists to gently hold them between us.
“I’m trying to help,” I counter, letting go of her hands so they drop to her sides. “Since Nils and Helena’s nanny will be watching their kids while they’re at Cale’s with us, and I hear Lenni and Elise are besties now, it’s an easy win-win for Lenni to join them.”
This still doesn’t get the reaction I’d hoped for because Halle is still pretty mad. Her cheeks are flushed red, her lips pursed tightly, and there are two angry little grooves that have formed between her brows.
I can’t help myself. I reach out and smooth the lines down the bridge of her nose. She swats my hand away, and I chuckle.
“Ooh… I really like this side of you. Angry little tiger.” I curl my hand into a claw-like gesture.
She makes a face, and I reach for her wrist again.
“Come with me so we can sit down and talk.” I nod toward the other room, then let go of her hand and wait for her response.
“Fine. But I have a lot to say.”
“I’m sure you do.”
I gesture for her to proceed and when we get to the couch, and she plops down on the cushion. I take the spot next to her.
“Halle, stop being so stubborn.”
Definitely the wrong thing to say. Her head spins so fast it feels like something out of The Exorcist, and she glares at me haughtily.
I throw up my hands in defeat. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. Okay, I should’ve consulted you first…”
She touches the tip of her nose with a finger. “Bingo!” she interjects, tossing me a fiery look. God, what I wouldn’t give to see the heat in those eyes while she was naked and on top of me.
But I digress.
I tentatively place my palm on top of her knee and we both stare at it. Her skin is warm and soft. My fingers itch to caress the silk canvas of her leg.
I see a flicker of something flash in the pools of her teal eyes.
“I arranged it all beforehand because I knew you’d use it as an excuse not to go out with me.
But it wasn’t on a whim. Give me a little credit, here, Hal.
” I give her my boyishly charming smile and bat my eyelashes, going in for the kill shot.
“You already know Helena and trust that her nanny has been vetted. And Lenni will have fun playing with her new friend, Elise.”
And there it is. I see the moment she relents. Her entire body sags, the tension loosens from her stiff shoulders, and her facial muscles relax.
She avoids my gaze, so I lean over and look her in the eyes.
They are a shimmering sea of blue-green ocean.
“Well? Do you forgive me for being so—what did you call me? Infuriatingly presumptuous?”
Halle rolls her eyes and fights a smile that quirks up on the corners of her mouth.
Finally, she speaks. “I’m still mad at you. But I can forgive you, even though I think you only did it for your own benefit.”
I snort loudly and crash back into the sofa cushions. She shushes me, and I remember that Lenni is asleep down the hall. I still have a lot to learn.
“Oh please,” I whisper. “We both know you get the biggest benefit of all.” With my head pressed against the top of the couch, I slowly turn it toward Halle, offering her a cheesy grin. “You get to hang with me.”
“Gah! You are so full of yourself.” She smacks a palm over my chest, and I snag her wrist in my grasp. Then I raise her hand to my lips and kiss the top of her knuckles.
“But you love that about me.” I kiss her hand again and then turn to place a kiss at the top of her head before I stand up and walk myself to the front door.
When I turn around, I think I see something in Halle’s eyes I haven’t seen in a long time.
Longing.
And it gives me hope.
“Good night, Cherry. See you tomorrow.”