“One of the brothers lives within walking distance.”
My brows furrowed.“But your clubhouse is on the Westside.He has to cross the ditch and the river.”
Most of the people who lived at the beach referred to the Intercoastal waterway as the ditch.The way Ryan grinned at my words, I knew I didn’t need to explain to him.
“Yeah, but his woman loves her place and he loves her… So he’s willing to make the drive – or ride, depending on the weather.”
I nodded.“That was another occupational hazard coming out again.I’m all the time thinking about where people work and the commute time around here.”
“I bet, but Vamp knows how much Killian and I love crab cakes and it’s not every day you find a place with good crab cakes and a variety of craft beers on draft.”
I leaned toward him.“But you didn’t order a beer.”
He matched my lean.“No, because I wanted to share the same drink as you.”
That was rather sweet.
“You’re blushing.”
I pressed my lips together, willing my blood to stop rushing to my face.“I’m just surprised how sweet you can be.”
A contemplative expression filled his eyes.“If it weren’t for last night, and learning you’re a vodka girl, I wouldn’t have even known that about you.So …I don’t know.I guess you can call it sweet, but I just like that we have that in common.”
“So do I,” I said in a quiet voice.
“Are you done?If you are, I’ll get our check because we have to go get dessert after this.”
“Dessert?Is that code for—”
“No.When I’m out this way, I always hit Whit’s.It’s fan-fuckin’-tastic, as Mickayla says.”
I popped another french fry in my mouth and washed it down with some water.“Ready when you are, big guy.”
No matter how quiet I tried to be, my exhale could be heard in the car.
“Are you in pain over there?”Ryan asked.Observant to a fault.
I felt stuffed to the point of borderline misery, but I would be all right with enough time to recuperate.
“We should have split the ice cream.”
“Custard.And no way.I’ll split plenty of things with a woman, but my custard is all mine.”
I aimed some severe side-eye at him.“Really?That’s the line in the sand for you?No woman gets to share custard with you?”
He rested his hand on my thigh.“Not on a first date.Sets the wrong example.”
I chuckled.“What example is that?”
“That I’m down with that kind of game playing.You don’t strike me as a woman who plays games.With three siblings, I know how to share and I decided a long time ago, I don’t share my ice cream.It’s better when a woman says she wants a full waffle cone as opposed to having to split it with her.”
I shot him a look as he drove us across the Fuller Warren bridge.“So itisice cream.”
“You know what I’m saying.Are you gonna survive?Or should I stop at Walgreen’s?”
“I’m good,” I said.
“What time do you have to be at work in the morning?”
