E I G H T E E N
- Oliver -
“I thought those people were going to ask for your autograph,” Avery said, her heels setting an unhurried pace.
“Which people?”
“The couple that kept looking over at you from two tables away.”
I tried to picture them but came up short.
“Did you really not notice them?”
I really hadn’t. Dinner had been such a blur. I remember the meal being nice, but watching Avery enjoy it had been the main event for me. The way her perfect lips stretched around her dessert spoon. The way her eyes widened when she tried her first bite of steak. She’d been such a charming, enthusiastic date, it was like I’d never had the pleasure of taking a woman out before. I doubt I would’ve noticed if the place was deserted. My chest tightened at the realization.
“I was convinced they’d come over for how much they were whispering about you.”
“I don’t get approached very often,” I admitted, linking her arm. “It’s one of the perks of having a dubious reputation.”
“I see,” she said. “Do you think people are worried you’ll fly off the handle if they disturb you?”
“No. In this case, they were likely speculating how a brute like me scored the company of a beautiful woman like you. And since it would be rude of them to ask in so many words, they kept to themselves.”
She smiled but didn’t look over at me.
“Plus, part of the reason I’m a regular there is because no one hassles me.”
“I see.”
“Now if we’d been out with Rachael Ray or someone who’s renowned for being pleasant, interruptions would’ve certainly ruined our meal.”
She arched a brow towards me. “Really.”
I nodded. “We had coffee last time she was in town, and it was ridiculous. She can’t go anywhere without getting thronged by declarations of love and demands for selfies.”
“Sure you’re not jealous?”
I shot her a look. “Quite sure. I like my privacy and prefer to keep a low profile. So many celebrities claim they crave privacy but panic if they’re not on the front page of the tabloids. I can’t imagine a less peaceful existence. People assume that I like to make a scene because of my public persona, but I’m not an attention seeker in real life.”
“I suppose the way you picked up the tab is proof of that,” she said. “Neat trick, by the way.”
I inhaled the cool evening air, trying not to spoil the moment by getting caught up in thoughts of kissing her goodnight.
“You didn’t have to sneak behind my back and pay like that,” she said. “I would’ve happily gone Dutch.”
I balked at her. “You didn’t really think I was going to let you pay for that meal?”
“I thought you might let me offer?”
“Nonsense. Why should you waste your breath when there are far more interesting ways I could make you breathless?”
She pressed her lips together.
“Besides, I want it to be perfectly clear from the start that I’m not after you for your money.”
She laughed hard at that, sighing afterwards as if the chuckle had taken her by surprise. “Well, that’s good. You’d be in for the disappointment of your life if you were.”
I smiled politely, but deep down, it was hard to imagine her disappointing me.
“Though that begs the question,” she asked, lifting her brows. “What are you after?”
I spun her towards me, pulling her hips flush with mine in the middle of the path. Her breath hitched when she looked up at me, and I swelled as the soft sound passed between her parted lips.
“What do you think I’m after?” I asked, searching her caramel-colored eyes as my heart squeezed in my chest.
“I don’t know.” Her eyes fell to my lips as her voice dropped to a whisper. “Tell me.”
I leaned forward, the citrus scent of her dark auburn hair filling my nose as I brought my lips to her ear. “I want to pull your hair while I melt down your throat like an oyster.”
Her fingertips dug reflexively into my arms as my words sank in, and I could imagine being with her, could imagine how we’d fit together. I could imagine dragging the bridge of my nose along her jawline as I sank inside her, her warm breath whispering my name like prayer.
“I see,” she breathed.
I slid my hands around her lower back and pulled her against me, my face curling towards the nape of her neck. “I want to bury myself so deep inside you that you howl at the moon as you wrap your legs around me.”
The heat of her exhale hit my cheek.
I leaned back and lifted her chin, fighting the urge to slide my fingers into her hair and taste her lips. “I want to make you feel so good that letting me taste every inch of you is all you think about, so good you realize you’ve never truly been had by anyone else.”
“Oliver...” She said my name like a plea but didn’t pull away. Instead, she stayed still, lingering in the shadow of my body like a deer that doesn’t know which way to move.
I dragged a finger down the column of her throat and wished I had something more substantial than a nearby hedge to push her up against. “But not tonight.” I lifted my face to look at her, noticing her lips looked as puckered and bee stung as if I’d kissed them the way I wanted to. “Tonight, I’ve promised to be the perfect gentleman.”
Disappointment flashed across her shiny eyes.
“Can’t give it all up on our first date and risk you not respecting me in the morning.”
Amusement brightened her expression.
“Does that answer your question?”
She nodded slowly and swallowed.
“But to be clear…” I glanced at the people minding their business across the street before returning my attention to her. “I’m only treating you like a lady because I think it’s what you deserve. Not because I think it’s what you want.”
She feigned a scowl but didn’t argue. “Bit presumptuous,”
I turned sideways and offered her an elbow.
“I haven’t even agreed to a second date much less…”
“Shhh.”
Her surprised eyes spun towards me.
“We both know you’re going to go out with me again.”
“Oh yeah?” Curiosity narrowed her gaze. “How do you figure?”
“Because if you weren’t, you would’ve slapped me back there.”
Her cheeks bloomed bright red.
I wondered how soon I’d get to find out if she flushed the same shade all over.
“On that note, I’m going to say goodnight.”
“I’m more than happy to walk you home,” I reminded her.
“You already have.” She pointed across the street. “That’s my building.”
My stomach twisted. “Which one?”
“That one,” she said, confirming my fear. “With the curved canopy over the entrance.”
Fuck .
“I’d invite you up for a drink—”
“Better not,” I said. “Wouldn’t want to do anything that might make you change your mind about that second date.”
She licked her lips.
“Sometime next week?”
She set a hand on my chest and looked up at me and…
I couldn’t resist. I pressed my lips to hers and held them there, letting the pull between us intensify. But I didn’t open my mouth. Instead, I let the promise of more build until it was torturous, until the temptation to taste her was overwhelming. Then I pulled away, even though it drained me of every drop of energy and restraint I had left. And when I saw the sweet smile that spread across her face, I knew I’d done the right thing. “Goodnight, Avery.”
Her lashes were heavy with lust as she turned to cross the street, and she smiled over her should twice before disappearing into her building. Our building.
Talk about a bad surprise.