Page 20 (1/2)

"You look fking fantastic," I say, purposefully dragging rows even wider and the air suddenly becomes denser

I draw her in and eer in the crook of her neck I can hear her breatheidiot

I slidethe way With a slow hiss of breath I say, "Hi there"

"Hi," she says with that innocent voice that always see need to take her Which is what I want to do right now, right here

"Pizza?" she says, pulling away just as ers start to circle around to her hips

Fuck! I need to play it cool Don’t chase her away now Rechanneling ood I’reat place and we can even walk" Her voice tapers off and she see okay?"

"Just a crazy day Glad it’s over"

I straighten and look in her eyes "Want to talk about it?"

She stiffens "No Not now"

I nod and grab her hand to lead her out of the courtyard We eat and end updown Sunset for a bit afterward Just as the sky turns dark we head back to her place with coffees to sit in the courtyard

"So, what happened at work today?" I ask

"Oh, really it’s nothing Tate has s nexther decaffeinated coffee with so ar I doubt it even tastes like coffee

"I thought you were going to quit soon"

"I was planning on it at the end of the year but haven’t really gotten e I’ll have the potential to h them I really want to impress them"

"I don’t doubt you will"

"Tate is just such a er that so hs "I wish I could some days"

"He’s such a dick-wad, I wish you would"

She shakes her head "You don’t even know him Why do you dislike him so much?"

"I don’t have to know him I don’t like the way he treats you or the sadness I see in your eyes when you get off the phone with him And besides, he has the hots for you"

"No, he doesn’t We broke up over a year ago"

My eyes shoot out ofout of the chair "Are you fking kidding ether in displeasure "No Just because I date someone doesn’tYeah, I guess I already know that I look up into the night and stare at the stars, taking deep calrabs o Isn’t it still early?"

Her hand slides to rab it "Yeah, it is but I took to the surf at sunrise"

"Really? I’d love to join you" She takes my hand in hers since I wouldn’t take hers, and electricity jolts o as best I can and grin at her "Don’t you have Ivy’s release party?"

"Yes, but not until later"

"Are you sure? You’ll have to get up really early"

She nods "I’ atate I turn around "The ," I clarify