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Chapter Twenty-Three

Chance

“Here’s your table, sir,” the hostess says, stopping in front of the U-shaped booth I reserved for tonight.

“Thanks.”

Carly slides in one side of the booth and I sit across from her as the hostess lays our menus down in front of us. When she leaves, I glance out the large floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the Mississippi Rover with the lights of Port Allen shimmering on the water’s surface. Thinking over what I have planned tonight, I can’t help but smile. Hopefully, Carly has never heard of this place and she’ll be surprised. When I originally asked her out, I wanted to wow her but now I’m just hoping to take her mind off Ivy for a while.

She spent all last night torturing herself with what-ifs and wondering what she could do to help her sister but we both know the truth. Until Ivy decides she’s ready to leave, there isn’t anything anyone can do. But when the time comes, I’ll be there to help and the club will be behind me one hundred percent. It kills me to see the pain in her eyes and I would move mountains for her but right now, I’m stuck and I hate it.

“This is nice,” she whispers, like she’s surprised I could plan such a nice date and I choose not to take offense, laughing as she opens her menu. We haven’t been on an official date until now, but she’ll learn I can be a romantic guy when I really want to be.

“What did you expect?”

She shrugs, glancing up with a gleam in her eye that I fucking love. God, this woman has me mesmerized. “Honestly? Pizza and beer.”

“I’m hurt, Princess. That actually hurt.”

She leans forward, her eyes zeroed in on my chest and I tilt my head to the side as I try to figure out what she’s doing. Finally, she leans back and shrugs again. “Doesn’t look fatal.”

I bark out a laugh, unable to stop myself and I’m greeted with her full smile – the one that takes my breath away every time – and my gaze trails down her neck to her chest. The dress she wore tonight hugs her tits tightly and I wish I had gone with pizza and beer instead, so we could be at her place right now. Naked. It’s been too fucking long since I’ve been able to get her underneath me. But that’s my own damn fault.

I pat the white button up shirt I wore tonight and smirk. “Yeah, but, at least, I dressed up for this.”

Her eyelids droop for a moment before she meets my eyes again. “Yeah, but I think I’d like it a whole lot better if you were dressed down.”

“Careful, Princess,” I growl, my jeans feeling a little tight. “That comes after the date, remember?”

With a sigh, she rolls her eyes. “Fine. I guess I’ll wait.”

What Carly and I have started out as just sex and call me crazy, but I wanted to give us a chance to really get to know each other before we jumped back in bed. I wanted to make sure we did things differently this time but honestly, it’s been killing me. All I can think about when I’m around her is slipping my hands up under her shirt or bending her over the nearest surface. And it doesn’t help when she’s just as intent on making me eat my words.

The waitress stops at our table, snapping me out of my daze. “What can I get y’all to drink?”

“A glass of moscato, please,” Carly says and the waitress turns to me, her smile changing as her gaze drops down my body.

“I’ll just get a beer.”

She nods. “Any preference?”

“Nope. Whatever is on tap works.”

“Would you like a glass of water with it, too?” she asks, batting her eyelashes and completely oblivious to the glare Carly is throwing at her right now.

“Nope. That will be all.”

She scribbles it down on her notepad before laying her hand on my arm. “Coming right up and I’ll be back in a moment to get your order.”

As soon as she leaves, Carly rolls her eyes and scoffs but doesn’t say anything and I bite back another smile. Is she jealous? This is new and I can’t say that I’m not enjoying it. She has nothing to worry about, though. How could any other woman steal my attention when I have her sitting in front of me?

“So, I was thinking we could try something a little different tonight,” I prompt and she quirks a brow at me.

“Oh? And what was it you wanted to try?”

“Well,” I say, rubbing my hands together. Why do I feel nervous all of the sudden? “I have questions for you and since you promised to stop fighting me, I’m hoping you’ll answer them.”

Her quick intake of air worries me. “I don’t know about that.”