I bite my lower lip. “I’m fine with sleeping naked,” I tell him, even though I hate sleeping naked, but I don’t imagine we’ll be sleeping much tonight anyway.
“It’s not that,” he says, and my hand moves to touch his beard. “It’s Saturday night,” he inhales, “and I don’t have Saturdays off very often, so I want to cook for you.”
“Okay, why do I have to leave?” I ask him. He grabs my hand and brings it to his lips.
“Because I want to cook for you and I have a couple of things to get to make it more romantic.” My eyebrows raise.
“You know how to be romantic?” I ask. He laughs and the hand touching his beard goes up and my thumb goes to his lower lip.
“Not even a bit,” he admits to me, “but I’m going to google the shit out of it.”
“What if I tell you I’m happy with just you trying?” I ask, not wanting to leave him just yet. I’ve been waiting for this moment for what feels like my whole life.
“Victoria,” he says my name.
“Why do you do that?” I ask him and confusion fills his face. “Everyone calls me Tori or at least after a couple of times they call me Tori.”
“I’m not everyone,” he retorts, and I can’t help but roll my eyes and smile at the same time. “Now get your things and come back in about an hour.”
“An hour.” I gasp, and he turns and walks me back down the hallway to the garage. “Go home, rest, pack a bag.” He kisses my lips. “You’re going to need it.”
“Hmm,” I snort, “I’m not putting out on the first date, Zane.”
“We slept together the first night we met.” He kisses my lips.
“And I learned from that mistake.” His eyes glare at me.
“It was not a mistake,” he growls. “The only mistake was you walking away from me.” He puts his hands to his chest. “You broke my heart.”
“Hey.” I point at him. “There is only room for one funny person in this relationship and it’s not you.”
He throws his head back and laughs. “Good to know.” He walks with me to the SUV and opens his door for me to get in. “One hour.”
“I might not come back.” I reach for the handle of the door to close it on him.
“I’ll find you,” he assures me, kissing me and then stepping out of the way for me to close the door. “One hour!” he shouts before walking back to the garage door opener, pressing the button, and I wait for the garage door to roll up and back out of his driveway.
I make it home in fifteen minutes when my phone rings. I look down to see Jaxon is FaceTiming me. I swipe across the screen as I walk to my bedroom. “Well, hello, brother,” I say. “It’s such a long time since I’ve seen your ugly face.”
His face comes into the screen, and he laughs. “Just making sure you made it home.”
“Why the hell wouldn’t I have made it home?” I ask him. My stomach flips, thinking if he had called me and I was at Zane’s, there is no way I would have been able to answer.
“Well, you’re you, and Coach doesn’t really get your type of humor.” I roll my eyes.
“Everyone gets my type of humor but you,” I tell him. “But I’m fine. I’m home.” I turn the phone around for him to see my room. “I’m going to take a nice long bubble bath, and I have a date.”
“With who?” he asks.
“It’s a threesome, really,” I say and he groans.
“See? You say that and people might believe you.”
“I can have a threesome, Jaxon. People love having polyamorous relationships.” His eyebrows go up. “Yeah, you’re right,” I admit to him. “There are just too many parts to make everyone happy.”
“I’m hanging up, and I never want to discuss threesomes with you again.”
“Then don’t call me back because the threesome is about to start,” I tell him and he groans. “Also, I am going on a hike tomorrow.” I make an excuse now, in case he calls me tomorrow and I’m with Zane, and I won’t answer. “I legit have a date tomorrow.”
