Page 44 of SIN Looks Good On Us!

"Go ahead."

"Does it ever get exhausting? Everybody being scared of you?"

I hadn't expected that question, not from her, not on a first date. Most people who knew my name but didn't bother asking how I felt about carrying it.

"Sometimes," I admitted. "Depends on the room I'm in."

"And right now?"

"Right now, I'd rather you not be scared of me at all."

"I'm not."

"I know. That's what I like about you."

She held my eyes a second longer than either of us probably meant to. I caught her blushing and she knew I peeped it. The waiter handed me the check. I signed it and left it on the table.

With her hand in mine, I walked her out to the valet a few minutes later. The humid night air had cooled off some, and she wrapped her arms around herself while we waited for them to bring her car around.

"Thank you for dinner," she said. "Even if this whole situation is completely insane."

"You keep saying that like it's a bad thing," I smiled.

She laughed. "It's a lot of things. Insane just happens to be one of them."

For a second, neither of us said anything. We just looked at each other while the noise from the valet, cars pulling up, and people talking, faded into the background. It was just us.

I took one step closer. She didn't move, didn't flinch, didn't look away. My thumb brushed across the back of it before I lifted it to my lips and pressed a slow kiss against her hands. Her breathing hitched her throat.

When I looked back up, she was already watching me. Those pretty brown eyes searched mine like she was trying to figure out exactly what the hell I was doing to her.

"Goodnight, Kaior."

She swallowed hard.

Yeah, she was in trouble.

"Goodnight, Jokah."

Right then, her car pulled up. Neither one of us moved for another second. Then she smiled, climbed inside, and looked back at me before she pulled off. I stood there watching until her taillights disappeared into traffic. Mission accomplished.

Hulk walked up beside me, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You good?"

I looked over at him and smiled.

"I'm great."

"How did it go?" He laughed.

"Better than I expected," I admitted. "Didn't think she'd let her guard down that fast."

Hulk nodded.

"She still got a wall up."

I smirked as we started toward the truck.

"Yeah, but she ain't building it anymore."