“First,” he said, “we’re coming back to the nightstand buddy.”
Because that sounded fun and he was intrigued.
“Second, I’m not going out there.” He tilted his head toward Cassidy.
“And third, I don’t want to talk about Cass. I want to talk about you. How was your day, Molly?”
“It was fine, thank you for asking. But this won’t work because you’re not going over there only because you want to stay and argue with me. That’s the wrong reason for not going over there. You’re ruining your entire life by staying here with me. To argue.”
“Or maybe…” He leaned forward across the table, maintaining eye contact the whole time. He touched her hand, careful not to make her jumpier than she already was. She let him, but she made a strangled sound in her throat.
“Maybe,” he continued, “I’m making the choice I want to make because it’s the right choice for me. And I hope to God it’s the right choice for you, too. You ever think about that? Think about how all these guys you’ve set up with other women missed out on you. You took that away from them. You think you gave them a gift, but you kept you from them. Maybe they met nice ladies and it ended up working out…” But there were so many buts here…
Molly frowned.
“And maybe you did something good for them. Something altruistic,” he continued as he moved his thumb along her knuckles. “But maybe they wanted you. Maybe they would’ve been just as happy with you.”
The column of her throat moved like she was trying to swallow a whole helping of emotion.
He stood up. Not to go to Cassidy, but to move into the booth next to Molly.
Probably, he should’ve clarified that before making any
movement, because her eyes went wide and there was a definite edge of fear glossed there.
So he wasted no time striding around the table to slip into the booth next to her. She made room for him. He angled his body toward hers. Reached for her hand and linked their fingers together.
She let him. She even squeezed his hand.
“Now.” He leaned in to her earlobe. “I want to hear all about that first point of yours. The nightstand one.”
She choked on a laugh, and her neck flushed red. “I don’t think we’re at that stage of our date yet.”
He trailed his index finger along her jawline. She leaned into it. Leaned into him. Let him take her weight.
“We’ve handled a lot of heavy tonight. Maybe we should get to that stage,” he suggested.
“Maybe.”
“Or, perhaps, we have something to work toward, don’t we?” he asked, resting his cheek against the side of her hair. Letting her take just a little of his weight, too.
“I guess we do.” She looked up, and there may have been a room full of people in that coffee shop, but the only one who mattered to him held him still with big brown eyes and full parted lips.
“Are you going to steal my nose again?” she asked. “Or tease me again with a maybe kiss?”
He held back a chuckle. “No. I’m going to kiss you. You good with that?”
Better to be sure before he went all in.
She nodded, but she asked, “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” He moved in. “I’d appreciate if you didn’t fix me up with anyone else. Please.”
The “please” was added mostly because he didn’t want to be an asshole about the whole thing.
“I promise not to set you up with anyone else.” She turned her face fully toward him.
So he kissed her, soft. Mint and ginger tea and Molly.
