but a liar
isn't one of them.”
Gabe focuses his brown eyes on me.
“Then you would have no problem going on another date with
me?”
He's challenging me. That's what his
response is. A challenge. I narrow my eyes at him and remove my
hand from his.
“Now, you're just hurting my feelings,
Ryan,” he jokes.
“No.” I want to ask him why. Why does
he want to go out with me again when he clearly felt so terrible
about the first one? It doesn't even make sense!
“No?”
“No. I don't want another date.” And
to drive it home, I add, “I probably should have mentioned that I
have a one date only track record that I'd like to keep.” It's a
dumb thing to say, but I want him gone, and I'm hoping that will
help.
“One date only?” He
questions.
Is he just going to repeat parts of
what I said? “Yep. I have a long list of first dates and zero for
second dates.”
“And you want to keep that?” He says
skeptically.
“Precisely.”
Gabe seems to think about this for a
moment. “Fine. Then you would have no problem hanging out with me
again?”
“Why the hell would I do that?” It's
out of my mouth before I can help myself. “I mean, no thanks. I
wouldn't want to tarnish that shiny armor of yours.” I smile
sweetly. Then I get up and go to my door, opening it so there's no
doubt of what I want.
Gabe runs his hands down his thighs
and then stands. Finally! He walks over, coming to a stop in front
of me. His head tilts as he looks at me like I'm a puzzle he can't
solve. I think he's about to walk on out, but instead, he steps
forward, cups my cheeks with his hands, and kisses me. Without
meaning to, I relax into him as he gently parts my lips with his
tongue. God, he's a fantastic kisser. Our mouths move slowly, like
not a thing in the world exists more than savoring this
moment.
And boy, is it worth savoring. For
what seems like a lifetime, I'm lost in him with no hopes of ever
being found again. But then Gabe pulls away after a final kiss. I
can't find it in myself to open my eyes yet. My lips are buzzing
from the lovin' they just got, as is the skin surrounding my mouth
thanks to his facial hair, and my body is still paralyzed in place
by his hands.
Gabe's breath fans out over my mouth
as he softly says, “You look beautiful right now.”
My eyes pop open immediately. The
corners of his mouth lift in a smile. In a whisper, I become
completely honest with him. “No one has ever said something like
that to me.”
“What? How you look after a
kiss?”
I shake my head. “No. Well, yeah, that
too, but I meant the beautiful part.”
Gabe's smile falls. Oh, fuck. I
shouldn't have said that. Stupid, stupid, stupid girl! He's
probably going to think I'm weak or something because no one calls
me beautiful. That is so not the case, and I need to make sure he
understands that. Before I can recover, he kisses me softly just
once.
“Well, they should because you are,”
he mumbles against my lips. He strong gaze bores into me.
“Absolutely beautiful.”
My muscles are tense, waiting for him
to laugh and add that he was joking. I've never been told that I'm
beautiful. Hot or sexy, sure. Beautiful? No. My grandmother used to
tell me that I was, but that was a long time ago. She was old and
probably thought all little girls were beautiful. That hardly
counts. Gabe holds my eyes, letting me absorb what he said. For the
first time in my life, I ask him to do something that doesn't
include sex. The funny thing about it is that my question
embarrasses me more than if I had of outright asked him to sleep
with me.
“Would you like to spend the night?” I
ask quietly. “No sex, though.”
Gabe grins. I was really expecting a
frown or a confused look, but I'll take a grin. “Only if I get a
second date.”
I laugh, finally able to release some
of my tension. “Okay, sure.”
He drops his hands from my cheeks and
removes my hand from the doorknob before closing and locking the
door. Like the confident,
isn't one of them.”
Gabe focuses his brown eyes on me.
“Then you would have no problem going on another date with
me?”
He's challenging me. That's what his
response is. A challenge. I narrow my eyes at him and remove my
hand from his.
“Now, you're just hurting my feelings,
Ryan,” he jokes.
“No.” I want to ask him why. Why does
he want to go out with me again when he clearly felt so terrible
about the first one? It doesn't even make sense!
“No?”
“No. I don't want another date.” And
to drive it home, I add, “I probably should have mentioned that I
have a one date only track record that I'd like to keep.” It's a
dumb thing to say, but I want him gone, and I'm hoping that will
help.
“One date only?” He
questions.
Is he just going to repeat parts of
what I said? “Yep. I have a long list of first dates and zero for
second dates.”
“And you want to keep that?” He says
skeptically.
“Precisely.”
Gabe seems to think about this for a
moment. “Fine. Then you would have no problem hanging out with me
again?”
“Why the hell would I do that?” It's
out of my mouth before I can help myself. “I mean, no thanks. I
wouldn't want to tarnish that shiny armor of yours.” I smile
sweetly. Then I get up and go to my door, opening it so there's no
doubt of what I want.
Gabe runs his hands down his thighs
and then stands. Finally! He walks over, coming to a stop in front
of me. His head tilts as he looks at me like I'm a puzzle he can't
solve. I think he's about to walk on out, but instead, he steps
forward, cups my cheeks with his hands, and kisses me. Without
meaning to, I relax into him as he gently parts my lips with his
tongue. God, he's a fantastic kisser. Our mouths move slowly, like
not a thing in the world exists more than savoring this
moment.
And boy, is it worth savoring. For
what seems like a lifetime, I'm lost in him with no hopes of ever
being found again. But then Gabe pulls away after a final kiss. I
can't find it in myself to open my eyes yet. My lips are buzzing
from the lovin' they just got, as is the skin surrounding my mouth
thanks to his facial hair, and my body is still paralyzed in place
by his hands.
Gabe's breath fans out over my mouth
as he softly says, “You look beautiful right now.”
My eyes pop open immediately. The
corners of his mouth lift in a smile. In a whisper, I become
completely honest with him. “No one has ever said something like
that to me.”
“What? How you look after a
kiss?”
I shake my head. “No. Well, yeah, that
too, but I meant the beautiful part.”
Gabe's smile falls. Oh, fuck. I
shouldn't have said that. Stupid, stupid, stupid girl! He's
probably going to think I'm weak or something because no one calls
me beautiful. That is so not the case, and I need to make sure he
understands that. Before I can recover, he kisses me softly just
once.
“Well, they should because you are,”
he mumbles against my lips. He strong gaze bores into me.
“Absolutely beautiful.”
My muscles are tense, waiting for him
to laugh and add that he was joking. I've never been told that I'm
beautiful. Hot or sexy, sure. Beautiful? No. My grandmother used to
tell me that I was, but that was a long time ago. She was old and
probably thought all little girls were beautiful. That hardly
counts. Gabe holds my eyes, letting me absorb what he said. For the
first time in my life, I ask him to do something that doesn't
include sex. The funny thing about it is that my question
embarrasses me more than if I had of outright asked him to sleep
with me.
“Would you like to spend the night?” I
ask quietly. “No sex, though.”
Gabe grins. I was really expecting a
frown or a confused look, but I'll take a grin. “Only if I get a
second date.”
I laugh, finally able to release some
of my tension. “Okay, sure.”
He drops his hands from my cheeks and
removes my hand from the doorknob before closing and locking the
door. Like the confident,
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