He told me all about his business, his cat, his sister and his nephews and I had to admit, I hadn’t enjoyed learning about an Alpha since… Wow, I couldn’t remember the last time I was invested beyond sex. Did that make me a bad person?
Did it make me a bad person that I really wanted to climb Mackenzie Weaver like Mt. Everest and jump his bones? I bit my lip and tried to keep my thoughts from straying into the red zone, but damn it. I blamed the pheromones, or maybe my own hormones. Could it be both?
“It’s getting late,” Mac said, glancing down at his phone.
“Yeah,” I agreed, but I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Not yet. “You wanna come back to my place?” I wasn’t sure what I expected. Maybe for him to kiss me right here and now, then fuck me senseless?
Instead, he smiled gently and squeezed my hand atop the table. “Sorry. Nothing against you, but I don’t mess around on the first date. It’s just how I am.”
I couldn’t help but feel disappointed though, my smile feeling fragile as I nodded and agreed. When we stood to leave thecoffee shop, though, Mac wrapped his arm around my shoulders and leaned in close, his breath tickling my ear. “Let me walk you back to your car?”
I swooned. “You’re so sweet. Thank you.”
The walk back was frigid with the wintry wind snagging at my borrowed jacket, but if the cold bothered Mac, he didn’t let it show. His arm slid down my back and without hesitation, he took my hand in his and laced our fingers together. His smile was hopeful. “This okay?”
“It’s perfect.” I sighed. And what was even more perfect was the sweetly chaste kiss he dropped on my lips when we reached my car. My heartrum-pa-pum-pumpinglike the little drummer boy, I let myself enjoy these last few moments together. “Thanks for the wonderful night,” I murmured, savoring the tingle of peppermint on my lips.
His grin was dopey. “Thank my sister.”
“Whatever.” I nudged him with my shoulder. “Can I get your number? Maybe we can catch lunch sometime?” I held my breath, warning myself not to get my hopes up, but he was the one who kissedme. Surely he expected something more than a once-and-done.
“If you’re okay with starting slow, sure. It’s been awhile since I’ve dated. I’m a bit rusty.”
“Hardly.” I held out my phone and he put his number in my contacts list, then handed it back. “Thank you again for tonight. I think this was just what I needed.”
Mac’s smile rocked my world. “I think so too.”
CHAPTER 4
Mackenzie
It started with a single text.
I had no idea what I was doing and I was pretty damn sure I’d end up fucking things up, but damn. This was the first guy that’d made mefeelsince Ronnie, and I’d thought Ronnie was The One. I knew it was premature to hope that our not-quite-relationship would blossom into something permanent, but there was something about Nathaniel that made me ache in the best of ways.
“Just run with it,” Marina told me. “See where it leads you. Worst case scenario, you keep looking.”
But I didn’twantto keep looking. I wanted Nathaniel. I wantedmore.
We texted every day, from sunrise to sundown and sometimes late into the night. His messages ranged from uncertain to full-blown flirtatious, and our conversations had taken a naughty turn more than once. For the first time in four years, I touched myself thinking of someone specific.
I touched myself thinking of Nathaniel.
After work on Friday afternoon, I asked him out.I want to take u somewhere fancy tonite. What do u think?
;) I think that’s a grand idea. FYI I’m not a fan of seafood -shudders-
No seafood. Got it. Pick u up @ 6?
Can’t wait!!
I went about my day feeling more than a little bit giddy. I might’ve even danced through the house on my way to take a shower. I wasn’t sure what it was about Nathaniel, but knowing I’d get to see him again in just a few short hours had my heart damn near skipping beats.
Thirty-six years old with a schoolboy crush. Who’da thunk it?
I called around to a couple of high-end restaurants in Destiny, asking about reservations. Booked, booked and booked. Well shit. “Should’ve thought about thatbeforeyou asked him out, dummy,” I grumbled to myself while thumbing over my phone screen, scrolling through a list of possible eateries.
Right when I was about to give up, I found a place that had open reservations. The receptionist sounded downright chirpy when I asked to reserve a table for two. Unfortunately, I’d never even heard of the place before Google suggested it, and the reviews were iffy. Lots of three stars. I had to remind myself that sometimes, people could be assholes online, hiding behind a mask of anonymity. I needed to give this place the benefit of the doubt and hopefully, their food wouldn’t suck.
