Chase made another suggestion. “How about a slice of cheesecake with strawberries? We’ll share it.” The same dessert they shared that night.
She nodded, and the waitress went to fill the order. She stared across at Chase. “Trying to re-create the night we hung out at the bar.”
“Reminding you that everything good we had that night you can have again.”
“Obviously we both agree that night was...”
“Amazing,” he supplied.
“Yes,” she agreed.
“I know I’m not the safest bet because of what I put you through the last nine months, but I swear to you I’ve changed. And I’ll prove it to you. I just want to do that while we’re seeing each other because life is short and I screwed up the last nine months instead of showing you how much I wanted us to be together.” Chase polished off the rest of his dinner while she watched him, taking her time to really look at him.
She believed he really meant to make a go of them, stay clean, and rebuild his life.
The waitress dropped off her iced tea and the cheesecake. She took a sip, then blurted out, “I’ve missed you.”
Chase went still, his gaze locked with hers. “I missed you, too.” He sighed. “I’m really tired of missing you.”
She gave him a shy smile, then tucked her hair back again because she’d automatically let it fall forward to cover her face. She held his gaze and took a chance. “We should spend more time together.”
He smiled and chuckled under his breath. “That’s a great idea.” He’d been asking her for that since he came home, but she’d been holding him off, protecting her heart.
It couldn’t get broken if she didn’t put herself out there.
She also couldn’t have what he was offering if she didn’t.
She pushed her drink across the table, slid out of the booth, and sank into the seat next to Chase, who scooted over just enough to give her room to sit.
Their thighs touched. He draped his arm around the back of her, leaned in, and kissed her on the side of the head. “I like you close.”
She took a sip of her iced tea and admitted, “You make me a little nervous.”
He hugged her to his side. “You’ll get used to me, because we’re going to spend a lot of time together from now on.”
She turned her head and looked at him, his face inches from hers. “You make me want... a lot of things.”
“Name it and it’s yours.”
Forever came to mind, but she went with the most demanding urge inside her. “Kiss me.”
The arm banded around her back tightened. His other hand cupped her face. He slowly leaned in, watching her as he drew closer until his lips touched hers in a soft caress that made her sigh and lean into him.
“You taste like heaven.” And with those whispered words against her lips, he took the kiss deeper, his tongue sliding along hers.
She went willingly into the fire, knowing most of the people in the bar were probably watching them. She didn’t care. Chase showed her with one kiss what he’d been saying to her for days. He wanted her and he didn’t care who knew it.
Chase broke the kiss before their clothes caught fire. “Damn. I may have to thank Hunt for being an asshole.”
Which reminded her that she’d left her toddler at home with a stranger. “I need to get back to Eliza.”
Chase didn’t release her. She didn’t really want to leave him.
“Hunt is acting like an ass, yes, one hundred percent, but he’ll be putty in Eliza’s hands. He loves kids. Always has. So stay a few more minutes. We’ll share dessert and pretend we don’t want to go next door and get our same motel room again for the night.”
She leaned her forehead to his. “You are more tempting than dessert.”
“I’m sweet and naughty in a whole other way.”