The bell above the door jingles as I push it open, and when Tatum looks up, our eyes meet and her whole face lights up. My stomach flips as she slides out of the booth and approaches me, rising on her tiptoes to brush a soft kiss against my cheek—a gesture she’s performed countless times over the years, but now, after our heated moment in her dorm room, it feels electric, charged with new meaning.
“Hey,” she says, her voice soft. “I was starting to think you weren’t coming.”
“Sorry,” I mumble, following her back to the booth. “Practiceran late.”
We slide into opposite sides of the booth, and I immediately pick up the menu despite knowing it by heart. Still, it gives me something to focus on besides her face, her lips, and the memory of how they felt against mine.
The waitress stops by, and we order our usuals—double cheeseburger and fries for me, grilled chicken sandwich and sweet potato fries for her?and when she leaves, a charged silence falls between us.
Tatum fidgets with her straw wrapper, rolling it between her fingers while I run my sweat-damp palms over the tops of my thighs. “So . . .” she begins, her eyes flicking up to meet mine.
“So,” I echo, forcing my hands steady. “I’ve been thinking about your proposal,” I say, unable to take it any longer.
Her cheeks flush pink as I hold her gaze. “And?”
“I’ll do it,” I say, the words coming out more abruptly than I intended.
Her eyes widen slightly, a smile spreading across her mouth that makes my heart stutter. “Really?” She bites her lip and shakes her head like she can’t believe it. “When you asked to meet and talk about it, I thought for sure you were going to say no.”
I laugh, trying to keep my expression neutral despite the riot of emotions churning inside me. “I’m not sure I know how to say no to you, Tatum.”
But even if I did, I’d still want this.
Because as much as I can pretend I’m only doing this for her, I’m doing it for me, too.
“What are you doing after this?” she asks in a husky voice that sends heat coursing through my veins. “We could go back to your place and . . .”
My body responds instantly to her suggestion, blood rushing south so fast it makes my head spin. The image of Tatum waiting for me in my bed flashes through my mind—her dark hair spilled across her pillow, skin flushed and warm beneath my hands.
I swallow down the thoughts, fighting against every primal instinct screaming at me to say yes. “No,” I manage, my voice rougher than I intended.
“No?” Her eyebrows shoot up, confusion clouding her features.
I shake my head, splaying my hands over the table as I lean closer. “If we’re doing this, we’re doing it on my terms. I’m in control here. It happens when and howIdecide.”
She curls her lower lip, and I’ve never found a pout so sexy. “Okay, so when?”
Fuck, she’s eager.
Not for the first time, I wonder if she’s going to be the death of me.
I shift in my seat, aching to relieve the growing pressure in my jeans. Maybe I’m making this too complicated. She wants me; I want her. It could be that simple.
But I know it isn’t. Not for me. Not when I’ve imagined our first time together a thousand different ways over the years, and none of which involved being her experimental rebound.
I arch a brow, a grin curving my lips. “So impatient. Haven’t you ever heard of the expression,Good things come to those who wait?”
Her cheeks flush, and my smile widens.
“This isn’t going to be some transaction we schedule between classes,” I say, dragging my gaze to her mouth. “You asked me to show you how good it could be, to replace the shitty experience you had, and that’s exactly what I plan to do. So, let’s get one thing straight.” I lean closer, my voice dropping. “When it happens, I’m in charge. You’ll do exactly what I say, when I say it. Understood?”
I hold my breath, waiting for her response, praying I didn’t overplay my hand. After all, Ethan was clearly a selfish asshole, and the last thing I want is for her to think he and I are the same, when we’re not. Especially when it’s clear he was motivated solely by his own pleasure. And I’m motivated by hers.
“Understood.”
“Good.” I lean back in my seat, mentally patting myself on the back for not scooping her out of the booth the moment she proposed going back to my place. “Because I don’t want this to be some fully planned thing where we’re both overthinking every moment. I don’t want it to feel forced or rehearsed or like it’s something you need to check off your list. I want it to happen naturally, when the time feels right. Otherwise, the second time for you won’t be any better than the first.”
Tatum brings her thumb to her mouth, chewing on her nail thoughtfully as she studies me. “You surprise me.”
