He was jealous, and I secretly loved every second of it. Not that I would ever tell him that. My whole body is buzzing with excitement as I press my thighs together and wonder what he’s going to do to me when we get back to his place.
I’d gone to the bar thinking I might try and flirt with someone. I thought it might help my ego after Tidas stomped out of my shop. It was a long shot because there’s never anyone but locals at that bar, but there was actually a group of men passing through.
Chad was nice and a bit handsome. All I’d done the whole time he talked to me was compare him to Tidas, but the guy hadn't measured up. Especially when it came to physical attraction.
Tidas only needs to be around and I get turned on. Who am I kidding? I get turned on just thinking about him. My body only reacts that way to Tidas for some reason, which is really starting to freak me out.
My mom has always told me that the women in our family know the man they are going to marry. That their heart recognizes them from the very start when they meet them and that they are our perfect match in every way.
It’s hard not to believe her when I look back on our family history. There has never been a divorce, and everyone has always been madly in love. From my great-grandparents, to my grandparents, to my parents. Which is why I’m starting to freak out.
Only Tidas draws these crazy emotions from me. Does that mean he might be the one? I’m not sure how that’s possible because the guy is a freaking divorce lawyer who hates marriage. I really hope the universe isn’t so cruel as to pair me with a man who might never be able to give me what I need. I’d never thought to ask my mom what happens if the man you fall for doesn't fall for you back.
I think I’m just messing with my own head at this point. I need to relax and enjoy the ride. Isn’t that what Gracie always tells me? This is lust, not love, and those are two totally different things. Tidas might not be able to fall in love, but I think he’s definitely attracted to me.
He’d thrown me off after he stomped out of my shop. I wasn't sure what to make of his reaction. Then when he told me why he stomped out I was shocked, then smitten.
The ride to his place is quiet, and I try not to fidget in my seat. Tidas is cocky enough; he doesn’t need to know that my body is begging to find out what he has in store for me.
“Oh wow,” I say when he pulls down a long driveway, and his home comes into view. I knew he and his brother had built out here, but I had no idea it was this breathtaking. “Does that porch go all the way around?”
“Yeah. The top one does too.”
“It’s beautiful.” The car rolls to a stop, and I jump out. As a little girl, I always wanted a home in the country with a wraparound porch. “This place looks like it was dropped out of the sky by Town and Country magazine.”
“My mom helped some.” He shrugs like this place is no big deal.
“Divorce must pay well.”
“I do more than divorce.” I go to give him a tart response, but he catches me off-guard, like he always does, when he swoops me up into his arms and heads for the front door.
He carries me over the threshold, making me think about getting married one day, and I have to push those stupid thoughts aside. Even if Tidas’s home is built for a family, I’m not sure why a man who doesn't think marriage is a good idea would build a home like this.
I pictured him living in a bachelor pad, but this place is the opposite of that in every way. In fact, it’s welcoming and warm. He carries me into the kitchen, and like the rest of the house I’ve seen so far, it’s modern with a touch of rustic country.
“Are you hungry?” he asks, setting me down on the giant island in the center of the kitchen. His hands come down on the outsides of my thighs, and he looks at me expectantly. At this height we’re eye to eye.
“Did you really bring me to your house to feed me?” My eyes drop to his mouth.
“I’m trying not to scare you.” He steps into me, and my legs automatically spread to make room for him. My dress bunches up at the tops of my thighs, and I try to ignore the heat pooling between them.
“Scare me?”