“It was a day and a half, tops.” I smiled, welcoming the shift to a lighter tone after the heaviness of our morning. Sadness lingered in Jules’s eyes, but she seemed determined to leave the past behind her. “We still have some time left.”
“How reassuring.” She bit into her sandwich, chewed, and swallowed before adding hesitantly, “I’ve been thinking about what you said at Bridget’s wedding…”
My pulse quickened. “Yeah?”
“You might be right.” She didn’t look at me, but pink crept over her cheeks. “About there being a difference between what something is supposed to be and what it actually is.”
The quickening turned into a roar. Warmth glowed in my chest and filled some of the cracks that had formed over the years.
“I’m always right.” It was all I could do to suppress a grin.
I’d never wanted an exclusive relationship. It came with too many expectations, and honestly, I’d never liked anyone enough to go on more than three dates with them.
Lusted for, sure. Liked? No.
But with Jules…fuck, I didn’t even know how it happened. I liked her, even when she pissed me off, which was half the time. Our arguments lit me up more than my conversations with anyone else did, and when we actually talked, she was the only person I felt like who got me. The only person who saw past the doctor, the playboy, the adrenaline junkie, and every other mask I wore to hide the messy imperfect pieces underneath.
I swallowed the odd lump in my throat while Jules rolled her eyes and smiled. “Always modest.”
“That too.”
Her smile widened, and our gazes lingered for a moment before her expression turned serious again. “So, what does that mean for us?”
Good question. I had no experience with the whole relationship thing, but…
“It means we should probably go on a date.” My grin exploded at the way her eyes widened. “Don’t look so shocked. It’s a date, Red. Not a marriage proposal.”
“Obviously,” she huffed, though the nervous look in her eyes remained. “I’ve been on dates before.”
My smile slipped at the reminder.
Of course Jules had been on dates before. That didn’t mean I wanted to think about it.
A ribbon of possessiveness unfurled in my stomach, and it took all my willpower not to grill her for the full name, number, and address of every guy who’d ever fucking touched her.
“Not with me.” I rubbed a speck of sauce from the corner of her mouth. My thumb lingered on her bottom lip, and dark satisfaction flared through me when her breath hitched. “When I take you out, it’ll be the best damn date you’ve ever had.”
“Your ego truly knows no bounds.” The breathlessness of her voice erased the sting of her insult.
I leaned forward and replaced my thumb with my lips. “Let’s make a bet, Red.” My mouth brushed over hers—not in a kiss, but in a promise. “I bet after our date, you won’t even be able to think about another man.”
The last part came out as a low growl.
Jules audibly swallowed. “You’re setting very high expectations, Chen.”
My smile returned. “Don’t worry. I never set expectations I can’t meet.”