I laugh. “Have you spent some time on this?”
He shrugs with one shoulder. “I don’t shy away from romance.”
Lucky me. “I am dazzled by your wit.”
His free hand disappears under the table and lands on my knee. His caress is gentle, but potent enough to send a shock through my center, all the way to my heart.
His head tips sideways. “I am taken by your hazel eyes.”
I will my heart rate to slow, but it’s no use. It is soaring, galloping, cartwheeling down a hill. “Then I guess it’s settled.”
Gabriel smiles. His teeth are nearly perfect, save for a lower tooth that turns in slightly. I like this imperfection, so tiny it shouldn’t be termed as such. “I like your name.”
I point to my chest. “My name?”
“A-very. A Very.” He looks playful. “A Verysmart and beautiful woman sits across from me.”
“I’ve never thought of my name that way before.”
“Do you hate it? I don’t have to say it like that.”
I shake my head quickly. “No, no. I don’t hate it.” I like how he has already created an inside joke for us.
“I have to get going,” he says regretfully, glancing at the watch on his left wrist. “My dad bought a new couch, and I told him he could use my truck to pick it up.”
“That was nice of you.” My chair glides along the tile floor as I push away from the table. “Are you close with your parents?” I ask, ducking my head into my purse strap and arranging it across my body.
Gabriel’s mouth opens, then closes. He spends a few seconds thinking, then says slowly, “Yes.”
I want to ask him more about that, but we’re short on time, and maybe it’s too heavy of a topic for a first date. Perhaps dysfunctional families are more third date material.
We walk from the coffee shop, his hand settling lightly on my lower back. I love the warmth, the gentle guidance, the heat ofhis hand through the cotton of my shirt. We get to my car, and I lean my back against the driver's door. He’s close enough that I can reach out and take hold of his shirt. He stays that way, towering over me, gaze locked on mine.
I want him to kiss me. I’ve never been this attracted to anybody. All of him calls all of me to attention.
He steps closer, sliding a hand into my hair, his thumb tracing the shell of my ear. My head tips into his touch.
“Gabriel.” My whisper is an invitation, and he knows it. He closes the distance at the same time I close my eyes. I know what’s coming, and every inch of me is ready for it.
It’s not a short I-just-met-you kiss. He lingers. His lips are perfect, and I melt against him. When his tongue pushes against the seam of my lips, I open willingly. His sweet caramel coffee flavor mixes with my bitter cold brew. I moan quietly, unable to keep myself from making the sound. He smiles against me as our foreheads press together and we share a breath. I am astounded, floored, unequivocally knocked sideways.
“Can I see you again? Soon?” Gabriel asks. His tone is urgent.
This feeling of being wanted is good. Really, really good. “Absolutely,” I murmur.
He puts a few inches of space between us. “I’m off tomorrow, too. Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?”
I nod. “Just tell me when and where and I’ll be there.”
Gabriel shakes his head. “I want to pick you up. Where are you staying?”
“My dad’s house. I’ll send you the address.”
He places a second kiss, short but sweet, at the corner of my mouth. He doesn’t walk away until I climb in my car. I drive home, my fingertips traversing the trail he blazed across my lips.
A kiss that promised a million more.
SESSION FOUR
