“Science, huh?” she asked. “What would you use as a measure?”
I grinned and knew that it was sharp and shark-like. “My reaction to seeing you, of course,” I said. “I nearly swallowed my tongue tonight when you opened the door. I’ll bet my reaction to you dressed down would be the same, especially if you’re in my clothes.”
“Are all men like that? About their girlfriends wearing their clothes?”
Girlfriend, I thought.I like the sound of that. “It’s a thing,” I said with a shrug. “It’s like you’re advertising to the whole world that you’re with me.”
“So, it’s a possession thing?”
I shrugged again. “Yes and no. For some guys, it’s absolutely about ownership.”
“But not for you?”
In the past, I would have said I was the possessive type, and a part me still hadn’t accepted the dynamic that we were tripping our way into... but the fact of the matter was, she had two other potential boyfriends, and I had to get right with that or I might lose her entirely. “For me,” I said, “it would be my way of knowing that I held a spot in your heart that was just as important as the other people who might have a stake in it.”
Alex’s smile spread across her face so much that it looked painful. “You’re such a sweet-talker,” she said.
A waiter came with menus and water before I could respond, and we became preoccupied with looking at the menu. I saw her eyes widen and knew that she was looking at the prices. “Get what you want,” I told her.
“This is—”
“I’ve got it covered,” I said. She blinked, and the apples of her cheeks flushed a soft, pretty pink. I could see that she was pleased, but there was an edge to it. She was nervous too, and the expression made her look incredibly young. “You know I don’t see you like some kind of sugar baby, right?” I asked. “I don’t eat like this all the time, either. I’m just trying to impress you.”
Alex started laughing just as the waiter came over to take our orders. He stood, patient, as she got over her giggles before going over the specials for the night. We ordered—and despite my telling her to get what she wanted, she chose one of the cheaper items on the menu and insisted that it was what she wanted—and I added a bottle of wine that would complement both of our meals.
As soon as the waiter walked away, she reached over and smacked my arm. “I wasnotworried about being your sugar baby,” she said. “Stop projecting on me.”
“Are you saying that I’m worried about your being young?”
“Are you saying that you’re not?” she retorted, lightning-fast, and it was so fucking hot when she sounded like a lawyer. I could see her whole career when she was like this. She was going to be a sharpshooter in the courtroom.
Her words finally registered, and I ducked my head. Her age was always going to be a worry. If people didn’t judge us for the unique arrangement of our relationship, then they would for her age. Jake, Zach, and I would always be questioned for our motivations in dating someone as young as Alex. I didn’t realize until this moment that it bothered me. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” I said. “I’ve never dated someone so much younger than me, and I didn’t know that I was going to feel weird about it.”
Her eyes were warm. “It’s weird for me too,” she admitted. “Not enough that it’ll put me off, mind you, but enough that I wonder if the waiter thinks you’re my father or uncle or something.” A weight settled in my gut, but she reached out and twined our fingers together. “Let’s not leave him to wonder, okay?”
I smirked. “Are you telling me to flirt with you?”
Alex nodded. “To the point of embarrassment.”
“You’re going to regret that you said that,” I warned.
* * *
We orderedthe restaurant’s “bread and jam” for dessert, which was a mix of sweet and savory, and I pulled the whole plate in front of me. “Are you not planning on sharing?” she asked with a laugh.
“I plan to feed you,” I said, and her mouth dropped open in surprise. I tore off a piece of the sourdough bread, spread some of the fig jam, and drizzled it with the honey that the waiter swore was the best in the entire world. Then, I held it out to her. Alex stared at me. I could see the refusal in her eyes. I raised an eyebrow. “You said to flirt to the point of embarrassment, right?” I challenged her.
Alex didn’t move for another heartbeat, but just as I was about to give up, she leaned forward. Her lips brushed against my fingers, and heat rocked through me. I was suddenly hard and pressed to the fly of my slacks. I watched her chew the bite, and she let out a little noise of pleasure.
“You are a menace,” I groaned.
She laughed, soft and fuckingevil. “You started it.” She jutted out her chin, pointing at the plate in front of me. “Make me another?”
“Fucking menace,” I repeated, even as I slathered another piece of bread with the jam and honey. I held it out to her, and she leaned in again to take it from my fingers. This time, her tongue flicked out and ran over the tip of my finger. I sank my teeth into my bottom lip to keep from moaning out loud.
“You should get the check,” she said. “I think we should... get somewhere not in public.”
She didn’t need to tell me twice. I hailed our waiter and got the bill. I didn’t even bother looking at the final tally before I handed him my credit card. “Please,” I said, “go quickly.” The waiter glanced at Alex and back at me and then nodded, smiling at me like we were sharing some kind of secret.Watch who you’re staring at, I thought and clenched my fists.