"Asshole," I grumble, forcing myself to lean back in my seat.
The sound of his laugh is one I’ll never get tired of.
Aiden quickly swaps our plates. I dive into my waffles, trying to ignore the sudden fluttering in my stomach. I tell myself it's because I drank on an empty stomach, and not because the boy sitting next to me is giving me the most fun night of my life—a night made up of a stuffy networking event and diner food.
I stuff bite after bite in my mouth, the silence between us a comfortable one. I shoot hesitant glances at Aiden as he hums happily and eats more and more egg off his plate.
"Good?" I find myself asking after a few minutes.
He nods and turns to me with the brightest smile I've ever seen. And the sight of it is enough to remind me just how pure Aiden really is—how pleased he is with the simple things in life, nothing complicated about it. Just give him some good food and a partner he can have fun with and he's the happiest person in the room.
It's enough to make my heart ache for more of him. To want to be closer to him.
Because of that, I find myself sliding my leg over his, pulling us even tighter together than we already are. I feel his curious glance, but I'm already distracted and digging into my waffle for another bite. I stab into a piece with my fork and lift it to his lips. When he cocks his eyebrow and gives me a curious look, I whisper, "I won't tell your coach, I promise."
That seems to placate him because he leans forward and slowly tugs the bite off of my fork with his teeth, his eyes never leaving mine.
"Delicious," he murmurs.
And at the sound of that word leaving his lips, at the look in his eyes, it feels like the most natural thing in the world to lean in and press my lips to his. He lets out a quiet hum and kisses me back, his mouth laying a claim to my own in a way that only Aiden could do. In a way that makes me sigh happily and throw myself further into the kiss.
Eventually, he pulls away, looking like he's forcing himself to do so. He presses a quick peck, then another, to my lips before he's able to fully straighten in his seat. But even then, his face is only inches from mine.
"Finish your waffle so I can take you home," he murmurs.
"What about your French Toast?"
His pupils darken as lust flares in his gaze. "I'm suddenly much more interested in a different kind of dessert," he says in that deep voice, his eyes trained on my lips.
A shiver runs through me and I do nothing to hide it. I let him see how much he turns me on, how close I feel to him after tonight.
It doesn't even occur to me that not going out to restaurants was one of my first rules for Aiden. It's been the easiest way to distance myself from guys I've been with in the past, since dinner dates were the most obvious way to expedite a relationship. But whether it's not the same thing tonight or because Iwantto further my relationship with Aiden, something has me fully embracing this date and reveling in the pleasure of it.
Aiden must also realize the severity of the situation because he doesn't make a joke or ask if I want to split the bill. He just throws his card down and pays the waitress without a single glance at me.
"Let's get out of here," he murmurs, then takes my hand and pulls me from the booth.
I follow him without any comment, letting him tug me through the diner and out the front door. And when we get out onto the sidewalk, I find myself stepping closer to him, and weaving my way under his arm so he has to throw it around my shoulders. Which he does without question. Actually, he does it with a pleased smile on his face.
And whether it's the culmination of tonight or the warmth I enjoy pulling from him, I bite down on my lip to smother my smile and curl in tighter to his body.
Unfortunately, the second we turn the corner toward Broad Street, all of the warm feelings in me immediately evaporate.
"Dani?"
When I come face to face with my ex-boyfriend, everything in me freezes. My spine straightens where I stand and I automatically take a step away from Aiden, putting as much distance between us as I can.
"Matt," I say in a breathless voice. "What are you doing here?"
He glances at the diner we just left. "Late night at the office, I was just—"
"No, I mean what are you doinghere," I correct bluntly. "In Philly."
He gives me a startled look, blinking in confusion. "I moved back here six months ago. After I graduated."
"Oh," is all I manage to say. “Okay."
“Um, how are you doing?” he asks me in return.