70
Trust Me, Times Two
Tessa
Walking along the rain-soaked street, I couldn't decide if I should feel guilty or relieved that I was dragging Ryder along with me – except no dragging had been needed.
He was being a terrific sport, actually, which made me feel even more conflicted. With an awkward laugh, I said, "Some first date, huh?"
He gave me a sideways glance. "If this is a date, I'm doing it wrong."
Not the way I saw it.After breaking down the door, he'd done everything right. He'd left me breathless and then wrapped me up afterward, warm and steady in a way I hadn't expected.
Feeling almost shy, I confessed, "It didn't feel wrong to me."
"Me neither," he said. "But it was no date."
It felt like a brush-off, and my heart sank just a little. Still, I tried for a joke. "So, it was what? A one-night stand?"
At this, he stopped walking.
So did I.
Turning to face me, he said, "You're no one-night anything. What I mean is…" His voice softened. "I didn't even buy you dinner."
Relief and warmth flooded through me. "Oh." But then I remembered. "Actually, youdidbuy me dinner. We just didn't eat it, that's all."
He shook his head. "Delivery doesn't count. You know what this means, don't you?"
"What?"
He grinned. "I owe you a date."
A date. It sounded almost old-fashioned, but I loved the idea. With a smile, I asked, "What, dinner and a movie?"
"That's formeto know, and for you to find out." He reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze before we started walking, this time hand-in-hand.
We moved in silence until I recalled something that had confused me earlier. "Speaking of finding out, you mentioned something about a bet. What wasthatabout?"
"Sorry, that's top secret."
"Seriously?"
"Sure. I could tell you, but…" He let the implication hang, unsaid.
"But what?" I protested. "You'd have to kill me if I blabbed?"
"Nah. Where's the fun in that?"
I smiled. "So, are you gonna tell me or not?"
"That depends. Can you keep a secret?"
"Definitely."
He paused. "Even from your roommate?"
My steps faltered. "So this has something to do with Maisie?"
