Page 18 of The Best Bad Decision

He stopped, not moving away and not agreeing. It took a few long moments for him to process his options but nothing in his body language said I needed to worry. When he finally licked his lips, he let out a quiet breath he probably thought was subtle. “I think twenty minutes should work unless you change your mind.”

Interesting.

“No, I know what I want but we don’t have to be on the same page with it.” Deciding to push just a bit, I ran my hand down my chest and trailed my fingers over the bulge in my pants before letting my hand fall to my side. “I’m well-versed in taking care of myself, but I think you’d be good company if you’re interested.”

It was a subtle invitation coming from me, but my adorable neighbor was wonderfully proper in the cutest way.

Clearing his throat, he stood straighter and his hands jerked at his sides. “I’m interested. I just…”

Curious to see where he was taking the conversation, I gave him the faintest nod and waited for him to be able to continue. It didn’t take as long as it probably felt like. “I think I need to ask a few clarifying questions before we get to that point.”

“Suits are sexy but so are brains.” My response had him rolling his eyes and looking a bit steadier. “I welcome any questions and will do my best to answer them appropriately while we’re at dinner.”

Atlee jolted slightly like he hadn’t thought about that aspect and his gaze went distracted as his mind churned. “Yes…how about…”

I loved how quickly his brain worked when sex wasn’t involved.

“How about we do that steakhouse down by the river? It’s on the more casual side but there should be a lot of privacy.” Focused on me again, he blinked a few times. “Will that work for you?”

“I think that’s a wonderful option.” It was on the more romantic side too, but I wasn’t sure if he was intending it that way. “And depending on how long dinner takes we could wander down the river walk?”

Even more romantic, but his easy nod didn’t give me anything to go on.

“Sure, that sounds perfect.” Shifting, he glanced toward the stairs. “I’ll be back in about twenty minutes.”

That reminder had a faint grin peeking out from his usually neutral expression, and I couldn’t help giving him a wicked one in return. “I’m looking forward to it.”

And to finally hearing the questions he’d been dancing around on our last couple of dates.

He probably wasn’t seeing it the same way I was but he nodded slowly as he headed for the yard and didn’t look panicked. “Me too.”

So he was curious?

Not horrified?

Confused?

Atlee was the cutest kind of straightlaced but that also meant he played his emotions close to the vest. It had to be part personality and part environment. His mother was definitely the boys don’t cry kind of mom that made me have to work at biting my tongue, but I wasn’t sure how that would affect him now.

If boys didn’t cry, could men submit?

Neighborly Interlude 4

Elaine

“What are they doing?” Betty frowned. “I’m missing something.”

She was always missing something because her husband kept dragging her out of the house. “I think we both missed something. Casimir said it was a fast twenty minutes but Atlee was only gone about ten. I don’t know how he even changed clothes that quickly.”

He was the type to take his time getting ready for a date.

“Casimir’s just being difficult and being deliberately vague. Every time I run into him, he says he’s had a nice day and just walks off like he has something better to do than make small talk.” Betty huffed. “He’s messing with us because I didn’t tell him about the Smith’s oldest getting dragged to CPS.”

That was odd so I couldn’t blame Casimir.

“I don’t know how they thought he was a teenager.” Somehow gossip had gone very wrong with that one. “Do you think that new family over on the corner called? They’re odd.”

Some people just didn’t understand the difference between good gossip and completely inaccurate rumors.