Flirt.
I look back down at the menu to avoid combusting.“What are you thinking of getting?”
“The steak looks good,” he says.“Or the lasagna.But I had a burger for lunch, so… probably pasta.”
“Lasagna,” I echo.“You said that was your favorite.”
He pauses.“You remembered?”
“Yeah,” I say softly.“Of course.”
His gaze warms, and for a second, I forget we’re in public.It feels like the air between us is thick and charged.
The server arrives, saving me from drowning in his blue eyes.We order lasagna for him and chicken piccata for me.Once the server leaves, I take a sip of my wine to steady myself.
“So,” I say, setting my glass down.“You said you’re headed back to Virginia soon?”
He nods, resting his forearms on the table.“Yeah.I’ve got about a week left here this time.Then back for training and… whatever comes next.”
“Deployments?”I ask quietly.
“Maybe.”Shadows darken his eyes for a second before they’re gone.“It’s unpredictable.Comes with the job.”
I twist the stem of my wineglass between my fingers.“Is it weird, starting something with… with someone when your life is so… mobile?”
His jaw flexes.“Do you think it’s weird?”
“I don’t know,” I admit.“I’ve never… started something before.”
He stills.“Never?”
I shake my head, cheeks heating.“You’re my first date.Like… real date.Ever.”
He blinks, stunned.“Seriously?”
“Don’t sound so shocked,” I mutter, staring at the little candle instead of his face.“I’ve been kind of busy keeping my life from falling apart.And no one’s ever seemed… worth the headache.Or they felt like boys, not… men.”
There’s a long pause.I risk a glance up.
Ledger is watching me with a look so intense and focused it makes my heart beat against my ribs.
“I feel honored,” he says quietly.
“What?”
“That you’d spend your first real date with me,” he continues.“I know I’m not… the easiest option.”
“Neither am I,” I say wryly.“I come with debt, a leaky roof, a co-dependent dog, and a small business that likes to flirt with bankruptcy.”
His lips twitch.“Daisy.”
“What?”I ask, suddenly defensive.“It’s true.”
He leans forward, his voice low and steady as he says, “You also come with a legacy business that your family built that you’re still fighting for.A home you love so much you’d rather take in a random stranger than lose it.A best friend who knows she can call you for anything.And a dog who thinks you hung the moon.That all sounds pretty incredible to me.”
Emotion stings my eyes, hot and sharp.I blink up at the ceiling, willing it away.
“Stop,” I whisper.
