15
BECCA
How exactly does one prepare for a first date with your boss? It was a mistake to Google it. I ended up in a death spiral of porn video ads and had to abandon my laptop. Why the fuck would people want to play a cartoon sex video game, anyway?
People are fucking strange.
“Crap,” I mutter, catching the time on my phone. He’s going to be here any minute, and I’m still in the same pink T-shirt and camo leggings I wore at work today. Maybe I should put in a bit more of an effort, but Kade’s already seen me in this today. I should be trying to pretty it up. Put my best foot forward and all that. But I don’t see the point. This is the type of outfit I live in. I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Plus, Kade was going to bring dinner here.
I’m stupidly excited to spend time with him. The tension of the last few weeks is finally broken. Now the hard work begins. Seeing if we actually like each other outside of the office. I know what it’s like to be attracted to someone you work closely with.
That’s how I ended up with my first boyfriend. And my third. They were both black belt students at the Dojo, and we spent a ton of time together. My first boyfriend, Josh, was a tall, gangly guy, and I was completely obsessed. We dated for an entire month. He ended up breaking up with me because he said he wanted to date a girl that couldn’t beat him up.
It sucked.
And for a long time, it made me wonder if I’d have to make myself smaller, both in body and personality, to get a guy.
I dated someone outside of the Dojo for a while before my third boyfriend, Matt. He was different. He loved how tough I was, and I loved how kind he was. Our relationship was comfortable, but when he went away to school, we drifted apart, proximity being the core of our relationship.
Even in our most intimate moments, no boyfriend has made me feel the way I feel when Kade’s just standing next to me. Like I’m totally and completely alive.
The knock on the door sets my heart racing. I take a deep breath, open the door and look my fill at him. He changed out of his dress pants into faded jeans and a plain black T-shirt. My eyes trace over the tattoos peeking out from his sleeves. I can’t decide which version of Kade I like best. The businessman or the mechanic.
Good thing I don’t have to choose.
I skim my eyes back up, landing on Kade’s face. His eyebrow is arched, and he’s smirking. I smile, not even a little embarrassed to be caught.
“You can’t blame a girl for looking,” I say. He laughs that same rusty-sounding laugh from this afternoon. It always sounds like he’s out of practice. I wonder why? He seems to have everything going for him. Money, work, friends. Other than once or twice with Micah, and early on with me, I’ve never seen him really relaxed and laughing.
“Can I come in?”
“Right! Crap. Come in.” I step back and hold the door open for him. He steps in, stopping right next to me.
He gently pushes the door closed, locks it, then turns those dark eyes on me. I watch him through my lashes as he slowly lowers his head to me, brushing his freshly shaven cheek against mine before pressing the softest, most gentle kiss to the corner of my mouth. My whole body shivers, and I stutter out a breath. I feel his smile against my skin before he pulls back. I think I even mutter something super sophisticated like “Woah.”
I briefly wish that I was someone who could play it cool. But I’m not. I never will be. If losing Dad taught me anything, it’s that life is too short to play games. Kade’s going to know exactly where he stands with me because I just don’t want to do this any other way.
I reach up and rub my fingers over his smooth cheek. His eyes close, and he tilts into my hand, his big chest deflating with his exhale. I like that this attraction goes both ways. But I’m in big trouble if this keeps up. We’re thirty seconds into this date, and I already want to see what other reactions I can get from him.
My cheeks flush as I imagine having him spread out under me, letting me touch and explore his powerful body. I want to know what spots make him moan and which ones make him lose control. I give his cheek a little scratch with my fingernails.
“Take your shoes off.”
He raises his brow again but toes off his boots without complaint, leaving him in plain black socks. He lines them up neatly next to mine. His shoes look massive next to my size elevens, and it makes me smile. I move into the kitchen on my bare feet.
“Can I get you a drink? I grabbed some beer and pop at the store.”
Kade’s eyebrows arrow down. “I didn’t think about…how are you getting to the store?”
“I took the bus a couple of times.” His growl interrupts me, and I shoot him a dirty look before continuing, “Micah lent me his car twice too.”
“I don’t like that you’re taking the bus,” he admits, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Lots of people take the bus, Kade. The stop’s not that far. It’s not a big deal.”
“Let me get your car—“
“Nope. We’re not discussing the car. When I have the money to fix it, then we’ll talk.”
