She smiles as we start driving and I feel like we’re off to a good start. There’s a slight tension between us, but it’s casual, not uncomfortable. This is just a new milestone for us. My mind clicking through our interactions like a slideshow, a thought occurs to me. “Hey, can I ask,” I say as we pull up to a stop light, “how’d you meet Kevin? I mean, you describe him as this meathead, but you don’t seem the type to be into meatheads.”
Kat smirks, looking down at her lap and blushing a little. “I guess it’s because of my background. I’ve always been the girl who was more comfortable with tech than people, but even in my area of expertise, I’m an anomaly. Somehow both an outsider of the boys club and intimidating because I’m damn good at my job? So I guess when Kevin approached me, it just seemed easy to go along with it. Until it wasn’t. Every guy I’ve let in has been like that, charming but on some level, just meh.”
“Well, I promise you one thing,” I reply as we start moving again, “I’m nothing like Kevin.”
“I would never think otherwise,” Kat says. “My past relationships, even with Kevin, were pleasant at first, but there was never any fiery passion. Not like how we seem to be.”
For some reason, that gives me a buzz of pride. “If you don’t mind me saying, I know what you mean. This isn’t how I usually feel either, especially on a first date.” I turn into the parking lot at Jordan Park, and we take in the view in front of us. Set aside by a wealthy businessman who wanted to have a little bit of immortality, the park’s built on his old estate grounds, complete with a pond, small river, miles of walking paths, and lots of other stuff.
As she scans, I look at her profile, long lashes brushing her cheeks as she blinks, the corners of her lips turned up in a bare hint of a smile. I want that smile, full watt and focused on me. My voice is quiet, soft as a cashmere whisper, “I’m glad you realized you deserve more, Kat.”
She blushes and looks over at me. “I’ve never really had this before. You make me feel so sexy.”
Inwardly, I shake my head. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it makes me want to show Kat just how sexy she really is. I lean across the seat, cupping her cheek in my palm and tracing her cheekbone with my thumb before meeting her lips with my own. She sighs, our lips parting as we kiss, stoking the fire that’s always burning just below the surface with her. With a groan, I pull back, trying to lighten the mood before I pull her into my lap right here in the parking lot. “Date. We need to . . .” I swallow, looking up at her from below the flop of hair that’s fallen in my face. Continuing, “We need to walk. The nerd herd does exercise, right?” I give her a saucy wink, and she takes the hint.
Kat mimes pushing up a set of glasses on her nose and snorts. “Uhh . . . is that where we get all sweaty? My heart rate is rising already.”
We get out of the car, and I have to give my cock a thump to get it to calm down so we can start walking. As we move along the sun-dappled path, I can’t help but keep looking over at her. Her bare shoulder is close to me, and all I want to do is kiss it, maybe lick the line of her collarbone. My cock starts to harden in my jeans again, and I have to look away before I start perving on her in public. “Derrick?”
I blink, and look at Kat, who’s giving me another shy look. “Yeah?” I ask, confused.
“I just wondered why you looked away,” she says.
Heat creeps up my neck, and I lean in to whisper in her ear. “This is supposed to be a first date, all polite and maybe a little romantic, right?”
“Right,” she whispers back. “Why?”
“Because I’ve spent the last two minutes thinking that you look hot as fuck in those painted-on jeans and pettable sweater, but I know you’ll look even hotter in those fuck-me pumps we left back at your place. Those heels and nothing else . . . maybe pinned back next to your ears as I watch you take all of me.”
Kat blushes and grins, and I move my hand to her lower back. “I’ve been checking out your ass in those jeans too, so I guess we’re both guilty.”
We move closer toward each other, and I can feel her hands sliding inside my jacket when music fills the air. I place the tune quickly, She Blinded Me With Science. “What’s that?”