Begrudgingly, I slumped back into the seat opposite her. “I should have saved a sous chef.”
After Breeze and I shared a jar of pickles dipped in ketchup, our conversation returned to its earlier track. Thankfully, she was wise enough to keep the dialogue light and far away from the pity party I’d escaped from earlier.
“So, about your bucket list,” she began. “If you give me an hour, I can probably help you cross half the items off your list.”
Her smile put me instantly at ease. Instead of being embarrassed by my catalogue of preschool desires, I was strangely excited to tackle them. With Breeze. Although I had people to attend to my every need, the things I wanted to do couldn’t be attempted with hired help. I needed someone as dedicated to my mission as I was. “Yeah, okay. That would be cool. Thanks.”
Sweetpea wandered into the kitchen and stopped at my feet. He blinked up at me and I scooped him up with a confident grin.
Breeze’s mouth dropped open and I shrugged. “Little Dick and I came to an understanding. You just need to show him who’s boss.”
As if on cue, Sweetpea sunk his teeth into my hand. Not deep enough to break skin, but with enough gusto to let me know I was talking out of my ass. Obviously, he was still firmly in charge of our relationship.
“Dude, you’re such a slime ball,” I whispered shaking loose of his clutches. “You were supposed to be my wingman. Way to make me look bad in front of the lady.”
“Impossible,” she answered, her liquid eyes meeting mine. I held her gaze as if seeing her for the first time. Breeze was beautiful, and not in that plastic perfection sort of way that I’d come to expect, but in a lived in, comfortable-with-herself style that couldn’t be bought. This girl knew who she was and, coming from a guy who was still searching for his identity, it was an attractive quality.
Reaching over, I twirled a lock of her blond hair around my fingertip, examining the pink tips. I smiled because it was distinctive, and edgy, and exactly like the woman herself— a breath of fresh air. My eyes drifted up to meet hers and I was relieved to see amusement there.
“What are you doing, Bodhi Beckett?”
I’d never been the most playful guy, but I was in a mood tonight and nothing was going to squash it.
“Okay so, I’m just going to put it out there. I’m super attracted to you.”
Her eyes widened. “Seriously? Wow…so… do you think it has something to do with smoke inhalation or maybe survivor’s guilt?”
“No, I don’t think so. I’m just… like… into you.”
Breeze snagged her bottom lip between her teeth. “Huh, okay. Well that’s— shocking.”
“Is it?”
Those eyes of hers, so beautiful and expressive, grabbed hold of mine and wouldn’t let go. As we stared at one another, she turned my hand over and began tracing lines into my open palm. I was no stranger to foreplay, but it had never felt quite so innocent…. or so blazing hot. I was glad for the table between us because it hid the hardness brewing in my girly yoga pants.
“Where did you come from?” she whispered, her gaze still locked on me.
I wasn’t sure how to answer. Three hours ago I didn’t know she existed and now I was worried about how much time we had left. How could I have been sucked in so quickly yet not feel in the least bit confined? It was possible I was all worked up after our near-death experience, and this strange throbbing attraction was just a result.
“Wherever led me to you,” I replied, trying not to wince at my own words. I sounded like stage-Bodhi. But that was okay, because Breeze appeared to be swooning.
Still holding my hand, she stood and then pulled me to my feet. I barely managed to catch Sweetpea before he tumbled to the floor.
“Quick with the hands, I see,” she quipped as she led me to the bed.
I dropped the mutt on the mattress and then pulled Breeze flush against me, her back to my chest. The minute my lips brushed the exposed skin above her collar, she spun around.
“Wait?” Her palms landed flat on my pecs. “This…I can’t do this. I’m so sorry. I’m just all over the place with my emotions right now and as much as I want to be with you, I think it’s best to slow it down.”
Slow down?
My brows drew together as I tried to remember the last time I’d been brushed off.Never.I was the prize. The guy you bedded just to prove you could.
But Breeze was nothing like the women I hooked up with. She lived in the real world, with real life expectations. And standards. The girl was looking for a boyfriend, or at least something more than a one-nighter.
If I wanted her, I had to be on the same page—which I wasn’t. A relationship was never part of my master plan. But one look in her soulful eyes, and I couldn’t figure out why.
Plastering on a mask of indifference I said, “No problem. I get it. Plus, Little Dick and I are a package deal anyway.” The minute ‘Little Dick’ and ‘I’ were combined into the same sentence, I knew I’d just misspoken. “That didn’t sound right at all, did it? I meant—”
