I look down, fully expecting Brooke to be smiling, but she’s not. She’s looking around and taking everything in. But more than that, she looks nervous. The only time that I’ve ever seen her look nervous was that first night when we were dancing around each other, and that didn’t last very long.
Her fingers are tight where they’re wrapped around mine. I didn’t notice her grab my hand, but I like the way this feels. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I simply enjoyed something like holding hands.
Anton takes us to a table by the windows that overlooks the beach and the ocean, and I help her sit. I wait until Anton takes his leave before I ask her, “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.”
Rolling my eyes, I lean across the table and capture her hand. “Earlier this afternoon I was just thinking about how you’re one of the most vibrantly honest people that I know. It’s what makes you such a brilliant actor. But it also makes it incredibly easy to tell when you’re lying. That, and I deal with people who are trying to lie to me on a daily basis. So what’s wrong?”
Brooke blushes again and pulls her hand away. She looks down at her fingers, fidgeting with the ring that she’s wearing. “I just feel a little out of place. I’ve never been here before, and I’m wearing a dress that cost like twenty dollars at a thrift store.”
“Could have fooled me.”
She smiles, but it fades fast. “I took the bus here. And I don’t mind…I just…I’m not used to this.”
It takes a fraction of a second to make the decision. I raise my hand and a waiter appears. “Get Anton for me?”
Our host appears, immediate concern on my face. “Is everything all right?”
I nod. “We decided we want a little change in scenery. Can you call ahead to Marco?”
“Yes.” The man grins and looks between the two of us. “He’ll have everything ready for you two. I’ll have your car pulled around.”
Brooke looks at me with wide eyes. “We don’t—I didn’t mean that we have to leave.”
“I know.” I take her hand and pull her to standing. “But there’s another place that I like just as much. It’s not far from here, and I think you’ll be more comfortable. Not that I don’t want you to experience the food here—it’s amazing—but for our first date I don’t want you to feel awkward.”
“Feels a little weird to call this our first date, given this week.”
“True. But who cares if we did it backwards? Now we don’t have to spend hours of small talk just to see if we have good chemistry.” I lean close. “We already know that we have plenty of that.”
I love the little shiver that goes through her.
The place I’m taking her now doesn’t even have an official name. It’s a hole-in-the-wall place that looks more like a door that leads to a shady mob hangout than one of the best barbecue joints in the city. The Oteros are known for their Italian food and restaurants, but they have a fascination with barbecue that doesn’t exactly fit their brand. Nevertheless, this place is something they only tell their best customers about.
It’s dark and smoky and there are only about five tables. It’s absolutely perfect.
Brooke looks at the entrance when we get out of the car. “Is this the part where you kill me?”
“Only after you try the food. Though it’s so good that you might die first.”
Her comfortable smile is back, along with the glimmer in her eyes. Marco is ready for us, and he pulls me into a hug to slap me on the back. “It’s been a long time. I swear to God, Malcolm, if you’ve been eating someone else’s barbecue.”
“Never. I’ve just been busy.”
“You’re never too busy to eat. Come on.”
At least he doesn’t give me a hard time about Brooke. When we sit down at the table, there’s already a full spread. Pulled pork. Bread. Wings. A sampling of their best. I love the look on Brooke’s face, and when she bites into the pork and moans, the sound goes straight to my cock.
“Better?”
“Much better,” she laughs. “And this is definitely the best barbecue that I’ve had in L.A. But I’m from Georgia. So if you want to know what true glory tastes like, you’re going to have to come with me and try some real native BBQ.”
“Done.”
We both freeze. She said it as a joke, but my agreement wasn’t one. It was instinctual, and completely earnest. Brooke smiles though, cheeks pink. “Okay. We’ll have to…put it on the books.”
I’m getting caught up in this woman so fucking fast that I can’t breathe, and I don’t ever want to stop. She’s a breath of fresh air off the Pacific. Bright sunshine and warmth: she’s everything that I’ve wanted and everything that I thought I had—