Page 13 of Koda's Love

“Koda,” she dragged my name out. “February 29this literally my birthday too.”

Adrenaline shot through my body because I’d been thinking that there was a reason why I was so drawn to her the other night. It had to be a sign of something; I just wasn’t sure of what.

“It’s fate that we met.”

Kristen returned with our food, and we took a moment to bless it before we ate. The waves crashed in the background as we ate. Every so often, we would lock eyes, and she would blush. Avalon thoroughly intrigued me.

“Maybe it is. This food is so good,” she said in between bites.

Avalon ordered sriracha glazed seared scallops and grilled asparagus with creamy risotto. I ordered grilled lamb chops with honey-glazed carrots and rice pilaf.

“I’m glad it’s to your liking. Not sure if it will ever be a factor, but I wanted to let you know that I’m allergic to eggs. That was another reason why I wanted to eat here.”

I could already tell Avalon wasn’t like other woman I dealt with, so I knew I had to change up the way I talked a little. I couldn’t be as abrasive as I would have been with someone else.

“That’s good to know, just in case.”

“Just in case we see each other again after this.”

“Maybe.” She smirked, and I chuckled.

We shared more stories about ourselves as we continued to eat. I told her about being an uncle, and how I liked to walk my brother’s dogs sometimes. She told me about growing up with just her father. She didn’t say anything about her mom, and I didn’t ask. I figured if it were something she wanted to share, then she would. She also shared how she didn’t like tomatoes.

“The best part of the night is about to happen,” I informed Avalon as I stood.

I reached for her hand, then helped her out of her seat.

“I want to show you something.” I led her toward the edge of the building on the side that faced the beach. “I also want to ask you about helping me plan an anniversary party for the hotel. We can exchange numbers and go over everything another time.”

Her eyes lit up when she said, “I would love to.”

“Thank you. For now, I wanted you to see the sunset.” I held her hand in mine as we stood far enough from the edge, but close enough to see people on the beach and the waves in the water.

I stared at the side of her face as she looked at the sky changing colors. It started out orange, then shifted from pinks to deep purples.

“This is beautiful, Koda.”

“Breathtaking from where I’m standing.”

Avalon’s gaze shifted to me, and I watched the rise and fall of her chest. She was affected by me as I was her. I didn’t want to move too fast, so I just winked at her and squeezed her hand.

We stood in the same spot for a while until the sun went completely down. Afterward, I walked her to her room. While on the elevator, we exchanged phone numbers.

“Thank you for tonight, Koda. I really needed this,” Avalon said when we reached her suite.

“You’re welcome. I wanted to see you smile, and I did. The sadness in your eyes isn’t as prominent as it was last night, so that means I did my job.”

She put her head down as she bit her lip. I had already spotted the way her cheeks slightly rose.

I placed my finger under her chin and lifted her head. Her dark eyes bore into mine, and the way my heart thumped in my chest needed to be studied. I never had a problem making a move on a woman, or ending the night with my dick buried down her throat, but I didn’t want that with Avalon. Well, I did, but not in that way. I wanted to take things slow, and if we ever crossed that bridge, I wanted it to mean something. I could tell she was a woman who deserved and commanded respect.

“I’m going to let you get out of here. I don’t think you told me when you were leaving, so if I don’t see you again before you do, I really enjoyed my evening with you. I hope the hotel was to your liking, and you’ll be hearing from me real soon.” I said fuckit and took a chance to place a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth.

“Thank you again for everything. I look forward to hearing from you.” She pulled her room key out of her bag, then put it up to the door. The door beeped, but she didn’t seem to be in a rush to open it.

Our gazes were locked on each other for a few seconds, before Avalon finally said, “Good night, Koda.” She unlocked the door again, and this time, she pushed it open.

“Good night, Avalon.” I waited until she was inside and closed the door before I headed up to the penthouse.