Page 91 of Wicked Love

I have a lump in my throat when I reach out and touch his hand, squeezing it. “It means everything to me too. I want to trust you. You’ve made me nervous with the way you respond to me…after we had sex the first time and…when I told you I’m pregnant…but that all fades away when I see you with Becca and your friends. I’m…honored if you trust me too. Despitethe baggage, I hope you can be open about…everything. The pregnancy…any feelings you may or may not have for me, long-term…”

“It’s hard for me to open up, but I’m willing to try. I want to try.”

“Okay.” I let out a shaky breath. “I like you too. A lot.”

He weaves his fingers through mine and we stare at each other…until there’s cheering across the room. We look over and the girls are cheering for us. Pretty soon, everyone else in the restaurant is looking our way and cheering too.

Bowie’s shaking his head when I look back at him, but his smile is wide. He looks so much younger when he smiles like this.

“Well, this was a pretty great first meeting,” I say.

He laughs. “Agreed. Do you think you’d like to go out with me again sometime?”

I lift a shoulder. “Sure,” I say breezily.

“Tomorrow?” he asks. “And the next day?”

I pretend to be outraged. “A bit forward, don’t you think?”

He laughs. “Thought it was worth a try.”

“How about we see how tomorrow goes before we jump the gun. God,” I say snottily. “I know you’re into me, but seriously…” I hold my hand up.

He nods, his eyes tracking over my eyes, my mouth, and back to my eyes. I shiver with the heat in his expression.

“Sointo you. Thank you for hearing me out,” he says.

I blink and press my lips together. I did not see my night going like this. We talk for a while longer, about Becca, about some of the kids at Briar Hill and ideas I have for new activities. It’s light and easy and fun, and underneath all of it, a simmering chemistry pops off between us like bottle rockets.

The girls come over and hug both of us when they leave,and Bowie walks me to my car when we finally decide to leave ourselves.

“This was really nice,” he says.

“Yes, it was.”

I don’t know what to do now. Do we hug? Kiss? Shake hands again?

He steps forward and gives me a light kiss on the lips. Just long enough to sayhello, soft, cushy lips that feel like heaven,and then steps back.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says.

I hear the promise in his words. He opened up to me tonight,finally, and I believe he meant everything he said.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

LITERARY LESSONS

BOWIE

I didn’t expect to be this anxious, not over a date…even though it’s been way too long since I’ve done this. But as I pull up to Poppy’s place, my knuckles white on the steering wheel, I come face-to-face with the facts. I’m freaking nervous. I can’t believe I’m doing this or that we’re having a baby or that everything is about to change…

Whoa. I look at myself in the rearview mirror. Onething at a time.

I get out and knock on the door and Poppy opens it, looking hot as fuck in jeans and a soft-looking sweater, her long hair trailing over her breasts. My mouth goes dry.

“Hey,” she says, stepping out.

“You look beautiful,” I tell her.

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