My nerves kicked in, so I scrolled mindlessly through my social media profiles that I neglected recently. The comments on older posts of people asking where I was distracted me from my sweaty palms. I no longer cared as much about driving my followers mad with my voice. I only cared about driving her mad. I still loved my career, but Raven was at the forefront.
The click of heels on the paved pathway drew my attention. I glanced up and damn near stopped breathing. She stood a few feet away, and for a moment, I was paralyzed by the sight of her. She was wearing a long-sleeved black evening dress that came to a halt mid-calf, and her hair was in a half bun with the rest flowing over her shoulders. The dress hugged every curve of her body, and I was at a loss for words, my dick hardening at the thoughts running through my head. She was my own personal goth queen, and I wanted to skip dinner and go straight to dessert.
Her lips curved into a smile, and I snapped out of the trance she put me in. Picking my jaw up off the ground, I jumped to my feet and closed the distance between us. When I held out my palm, she brought her hand up in offering. I grasped her delicate fingers and dropped a featherlight kiss on her soft skin.
“Raven,” I breathed. “You are the most beautiful woman to ever walk the earth. I’m in awe of you.” Her blush was apparent even in the darkness. “Do you remember this spot? You probably don’t since you were in the middle of your workday, but it’ll always be special to me.”
Her voice came in a whisper. “I remember.”
My heart skipped. “You remember seeing me here?”
“Of course, I do,” she scoffed.
I beamed down at the gorgeous woman I would have on my arm for the evening. “Obviously, this might be a bit forward of me, considering everything that’s already happened between us, but, may I?” I tilted my head toward her so she understood what I was asking.
She gave a slight nod, and I rested my hands on her perfect hips and ducked to take her mouth with mine. She tasted like heaven.
Like she was mine.
It was torture to pull away, but I wanted to make the reservation since we wouldn’t be guaranteed a table if we missed it. She peered up at me with heavy-lidded eyes. “As much as I would like to have you for dinner, we’re going to be late if we don’t go now.” I laughed.
“Why delay? We can go back to my apartment right now, and you can have me all night.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
I groaned and turned away from her, biting my fist. After I did a few math equations in my head, I turned back to her. “You’re going to have to stop talking that way, or I’m going to do exactly that, woman. You, in that dress, with that mouth? I’m already on edge as it is.” I jerked her to me, pressing my groin against hers so she could feel me. She drew in a sharp breath.
“Be a good girl, and let me take you on a proper date, all right?” I growled in her ear. “Let me treat you how you deserve to be treated. I want nothing more than to take you back to your apartment and fuck you until you can’t remember your name, but no matter how much of a slut you are for me in private, out here you’re worth the entire world. Understand?”
Her chest heaved against mine as she bobbed her head in agreement, her voice absent at my words.
“Good.”
Releasing her, I offered my arm. With a smile she took it, and we began walking the few blocks to the restaurant. A comfortable silence stretched between us, and I never wanted to lose the feeling.
As we strolled through the trees, Raven rested her hand on my elbow, drawing her body close to mine.
“How old are you, Ryan?” she asked.
I hoped my answer wouldn’t be a deal breaker for her. “Twenty-five. You?”
“Thirty-two. Is that all right with you?” There was a hint of unease in her voice.
I lifted her hand for a kiss. “None of that matters to me, darling. As long as it doesn’t matter to you.”
“It doesn’t. At first I was nervous, but it was silly.” The sounds of the city enveloped us until Raven spoke again. “Tell me something about you that no one else knows,” she purred as we stepped onto the sidewalk at an intersection.
I gazed down at her, and in the bright streetlamps, I could see that she had foregone her usual heavy eye makeup for a more subtle look. My pulse quickened at seeing her like this. It probably wasn’t something she did often, but her feeling comfortable enough with me to venture outside her comfort zone made me long for her even more.
We crossed the street when the walk sign appeared. “That’s not too difficult. I’m sort of a recluse so not a lot of people know much about me. You know more about me than most people.”
She glanced over at me as we walked along in the mild breeze. “I’m interested to know even more,” she murmured.
My stomach flipped, and I couldn’t help the smile thatcrept onto my face. I pondered my answer before continuing, deciding to leave the heavy stuff for later. “When we were texting the first night, I wasn’t honest. You asked my favorite food, and I lied. It’s not tacos, although they are second. Not a soul on the planet knows that my favorite food is actually Oreos.”
Raven abruptly came to a halt on the sidewalk in front of a bank.
“There’s no fucking way.” She stared at me like I had just grown a second head.
I tilted my head. “What?”
