Page 46 of Mister Rival

My heart kicks in my chest as I swallow the sip of wine and put the glass down. “As in…?”

“As in, you and me. I know our night in Palm Springs was supposed to be a one time thing, but I don’t want to stay away from you, Ali. You’re all I’ve thought about all week. My assistant thinks my mind has taken a vacation.”

I can’t help the little giggle that escapes me.

He tilts his head, his sexy eyes narrowing, lips pursed. “Oh, you think that’s funny?”

“No, just the way you said it amused me.” I wave it off. “And trust me, I’ve been the same ever since that night. You were so sweet to me, and the way you make me feel.” It makes my skin yearn with little tingles all over it at just the mere thought. “No one has ever done that for me before.”

“You deserve the world,” he says, holding my eyes with his. A beat passes between us. “And I want to be part of that world if you’ll let me?”

I feel instantly breathy, not able to believe he wants more. It’s not just about sex? “You mean, we’d like,date?” I try not to balk.

He presses those talented lips together for a second and releases them on a nod. “Yep, we’d date. Exclusively,” he quickly adds. “I’m greedy when it comes to you.”

“But the work thing, Tristan? How would we navigate?—”

“Easy. We put some rules and boundaries in place. This town is big enough for the both of us.”

I laugh again into my wineglass. “Are you sure about that?”

He thinks for a moment, holding his index finger to his chin for longer than necessary. I try to lean across and swipe his arm, but he grabs my wrist and entwines his hand in mine as they press together. Palm against palm.

“Of course I’m sure.”

Who would ever have thought he was a sweetheart? And that I’d feel safe and protected with him? He seems to have the whole package, not just a nice guy or sex on a stick, but smart, self-made and the guy can cook.

“You wanna be exclusive?” I confirm.

His head flops to the side. “Is that so hard to believe?”

“Given your social life prior to this, I’d say yes.”

“Things have changed. And deep down, I think I’ve always wanted more from a woman, but after my divorce, I just needed time.”

“I know what you mean. Divorces are hard, no matter which way you look at it.”

He rounds the counter then and stops in front of me as I swivel sideways in the bar stool. “I want to make you mine, but we can go slower if you want to.”

My lip trembles a little, but I try to suck it in so he doesn’t see. It scares me letting someone in again after what I’ve been through. Prior to my divorce, I’d only ever known Gareth, and it was for such a long time. But Tristan definitely isn’t Gareth, not by a long shot. There’s not even any kind of comparison. “You go slow?” I try to joke in mock exaggeration. “Let’s see how long that lasts.”

He bends forward, his hands resting on the edges of the seat, leaning into me. “Oh, I think you’d see a different side to me if you tried. I mean it. No sex.” His lips are so close to mine, I can feel the edges almost brush over me as he speaks. “Let’s get to know each other over the next couple of weeks, see where things take us?”

A couple of weeks? This sexy man may have just lost the plot. But I find myself nodding in agreement. Getting to know him sounds like a perfect idea.

He presses a kiss to my lips. It may be softer than usual but there’s the promise of more. His panty-melting scent wafts overme and my hands move to his forearms because I just need to feel him under my fingers, check that he’s real and all. He pulls back to look at me. “Do we have a deal?” He sticks out a hand in front of me and I can’t help but laugh as I try wafting it away.

“You’re making a deal with me?”

He chuckles too, but keeps his hand in place. “It might be the best one I've ever made yet.”

I reach my hand to his, and the firm grasp he offers is exactly like the kiss. There’s more behind it, but he’s holding back. We shake as I stare into his ocean-blues, a sea that I’m already getting lost in.

“Deal.”

Tristan

2 weeks later

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