I gesture inside the apartment. “Come in.”
Her smile grows in comfort at that, and she steps past me into the entryway. But the moment she gets close to the kitchen, her eyes widen and her nostrils flare.
“What is that smell?” she asks.
Rubbing the back of my neck, I admit, “Uh… I was kind of going to apologize with a Santucci’s tomato pie. I had actually called it in right before you texted me.”
And then I watch as surprise, awe, and finally a full-blown smile blooms across her face.
“You did not,” she says on a breath.
I close the door with a relieved chuckle. "Would I lie about Santucci's?"
"I really hope not," she says, grabbing a paper plate from beside the pizza box. She pulls a square out with a pleased hum and immediately takes a massive bite. Her eyes close on a groan.
"Note to self: Santucci's gives you an orgasm.”
Her eyes open at that and she watches me for a moment as she chews.
"You give better orgasms," she says bluntly. When I let out a bark of surprised laughter, she quirks an eyebrow, a smile twitching at the corner of her lips. “What?”
I only shake my head and reach into the fridge for a bottle of water. “Nothing.”
She glances at the water and then down to her plate. “I feel guilty eating when you can’t eat. You really didn’t have to do this.”
I merely shrug and tell her, “I’m fairly certain good food is your love language, so I figured it was the best way to apologize.”
Fuck.Her eyes go wide at the L-word, and I instantly panic that I ruined this all over again.
“I-I didn’t—I just know you like good food. That’s all I meant. I was still wrong about last night, I shouldn’t have gotten angry at you after what happened. I ruined our night and I never—”
“Aiden,” she cuts me off. “It’s okay, I promise. I appreciate the gesture, really. You’ve gotten me food plenty of times before; this doesn’t have to be a big deal.” She puts her slice back on her plate, then takes a second to wipe her face with a napkin so she can give me her undivided attention. “You were right to be upset last night. And I’m sorry I hurt you with what I did—I never should have reacted that way.I’mthe one that ruined the night.”
She swallows and glances away, and suddenly the look of nervousness appears on her face again.
“But this won't work if you want more, Aiden," she says quietly. Her gaze shifts back to mine, and it's tired—almost sad. "I like hanging out with you. A lot. You make me laugh, and you're fun, and exciting, and you fuck like a dream. Ilovehanging out with you. But I still can't do a relationship. I won't. So if this is becoming more than just sex and fun for you… we need to cut it off before one of us gets hurt."
I swallow nervously, hoping she doesn't notice it as my tell. My answer is rushed—desperate to convince her. "It's not," I blurt out. "I promise. I just… I reacted the wrong way. That's all. I want things to stay as they are."
The words taste like acid the second they touch my tongue. I know as soon as I say them that I'm lying—though there's nothing I can do to take them back. If I do, I have no doubt Dani will walk out that door and never return my calls again.
I pause, letting her study me for a moment. Hoping she can't see the lie on my face. Hoping she'll let me sweep this under the rug and go back to how things were before last night.
"You're sure?" she asks hesitantly.
I nod quickly. "I'm sure." I'm hurrying to convince her, so I try to settle back into my cocky, joking self. "If you’d like me to convince you that this is just sex, I could prove it to you in the bedroom."
The tension leaves her shoulders at that. She huffs out a quiet laugh as she picks her food back up. "Three orgasms and you're forgiven," she says.
I let out a relieved breath that we're back on even ground. Maybe not where I want to be, but at least she's still here. With me.
"Any preferences on my methods?" I ask with a grin, reaching for my water again. "Maybe I'll be generous enough to take requests."
She quirks an eyebrow, a delighted expression on her face. "Oh yeah? You'll begenerousenough to—"
Her words are cut off when a distinct ringtone sounds from the other end of the counter. Frowning, I reach for my phone.
"It's my dad," I tell Dani. "Sorry, I always try to answer his calls." I swipe the green button on my screen. "Hey, Dad, what's up? I thought I was going to see you tomorrow—"