He parks the car and glances over at me as he gets out. “Wait here.”
“Um, okay.” He comes barreling around the front of the car to open my door. His hand reaches for me, and as my hand slides into his, I’m overcome by the tingles in my palm spreading up my arm.
Eyes are only on me. I place my hand on his bicep and squeeze. He’s strong, yet gentle. I can’t ignore the prickles through my body.
With him still holding my hand, we stroll to the entrance. He opens the door with his other hand, never letting mine go, like it is meant to be there, intertwined.
The hostess walks us to a corner table. The bright orange and black walls, with light tile flooring, give me happy, fun vibes. The floor-to-ceiling windows, which let in all the bright sunlight streaming into the dining area, illuminate the orange booths and scattered tables throughout the room. The table she leads us to is private, but the buzz of everyone around us is full of energy.
He pulls out my chair, and I slip into it. At the loss of his touch, I wipe my hand on my shorts, but it does nothing to wipe away the tingles in my palm. As I lift my head to meet his eyes and see the fire raging in them, my breath hitches under the intensity of his stare and the pull of his lips into a sly smirk. As he reaches over the table, the waiter lays the menus in front of us. Kai glances over at me with an eyebrow slightly raised. “I hope you brought your appetite because this place is the best around.”
“Did you bring me here to see what my favorite foods are?”
He points to himself with an innocent smile. “Me? Why would I do that?”
The smile on his face gives him away, and I can’t help but grin back at him. He’s cute. No, he’s very handsome, and all I want to do is run my fingers through his hair and down the back of his neck, lingering there. Shaking my head of these thoughts, it can’t be like that. I’m leaving soon.Right?It’s what I do, so I guess, yes.
“You seem innocent, but I’m not falling for the act,” I say, wagging my finger at him, teasing.
“I know you’re gullible.” He winks at me.
Laughter erupts between the two of us. I haven’t laughed this much in a long time, never mind with a guy. I don’t cozy up to guys; I try to keep them at arm’s length. I’ve seen my mom struggle way too many times with my dad. He’d leave, then come back, and she’d take him back over and over again. The cycle continued throughout my high school years. I vowed I’d never let a guy take advantage of me or hurt me like he hurt my mom. Honestly, that’s probably why things went sideways with my high school sweetheart, Sam, while we were in college.
Wrestling with these thoughts isn’t helping my mood, and I need to shake them off. I’m here with Kai, and it’s comfortable. Too comfortable. Too close.
“Yeah, something like that,” I say as I let out a small snort. My hand clasps my mouth shut.
He reaches over the table and takes my hand off my mouth. “It was cute.”
His hand lingers on mine, and I want him to keep it there. I’m thoroughly embarrassed. All my adult life, I’ve buried those little snorts that come out when I get excited because people made fun of me. It hits my heart; my chest is full of three little words spoken in a soft, caring tone.
Who is this man?
He surprises me by ordering something called Rattlesnake Pasta. It rolls off his tongue like he’s ordered it a hundred times before—penne pasta with crispy chicken. I see on the menu that it has a couple of chili peppers next to it. I don’t like spicy food. Not for me. I ordered baked scallops and shrimp with mashed potatoes and broccoli.
“Seafood?” he asks, gazing at me, waiting what feels like a long few seconds for me to respond. My tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth.
Why is my mouth dry?
I reach for my water, and his eyes never leave my face. Putting the cold glass to my lips, I gulp down a few sips. So thirsty. I finally feel like I can speak. “If there were lobster on this menu, I’d be having it.”
“Oh, okay. See, I knew I would find out some of your favorite foods. So, tell me, Ava Sinclair, what are your plans while you’re here in Saxville?” he asks while clasping his hands together and resting them on the table.
I sip my water. “Well, Logan mentioned the breakfast truck isn’t by the courthouse anymore. The guy was getting older and decided to retire. I think it’s a great opportunity to park there and see how things go…at least for the month I’m here.”
“We do miss Hank, but you’re much prettier.” He smirks at me.
“Well, thank you.” I flash my widest smile as my cheeks heat.
The food comes out, and I’m starving. We eat quietly with a little small talk. Once we are finished, he asks if I want dessert. I’m stuffed, so we opt to take a walk.
As we walk onto the sidewalk, he guides me to the inside. Not saying a word, this is how it’s supposed to be. A couple of times, our hands glide over each other’s, and each time we both look at one another, wanting this time together to last.
Without thinking too hard, I hook my pinky finger around his. We slow to a snail’s pace, and he glances at me like he is memorizing my face. Bouncing from my eyes to my mouth, heat pooling in my belly, and my heartbeat thumping between my legs. His crystal blue eyes see through my walls, my defenses lowering ever so slightly. The comfort I feel with Kai is on a different level. I shrug and break our staring contest to look ahead of us, knowing his eyes are on me as we walk.
Squeezing his pinky with mine, he glances over and says, “Should we head back?” It sounds like he’d rather be here with me than anywhere else, but it’s getting late.
I hesitate for a split second. “Probably. I promised a movie night with my sister.”
