Page 32 of Whatever You Need

“I get the impression that you don’t like to talk about yourself very much. If this conversation makes you uncomfortable, we can move along. I was just curious. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“What do you want to know?” Her voice was so low I almost didn’t hear it.

There was something in her eyes that drew me in, had me hungry for every little detail about her life she wanted to share. I found myself watching her with a careful expression.

“Whatever you feel like telling me.”

She picked at the fleece blanket, seeming lost in her head. “My life isn’t very exciting.” She gave me a half smile. It had me wondering if it was real or if she used it for armor. “Working seven days a week doesn’t really allow much time for a personal life.”

“You know what I do for a living, right? You don’t think I can tell when someone is leaving out important details?”

“Can’t blame a girl for trying.” She smirked, but it was her eyes that were smiling. “The truth is, being single is a life choice for me. The men that I work with and the one’s that run in the same social circles as me, expect things to go a certain way. They are either looking for a wife that is equally as successful as them that will impress all their peers, or they want a cookie-cutter wife to stay home and raise their family, while they spend twelve hours a day at the office and all weekend on the golf course. Neither one of those options appeal to me.”

“You know that there are more than those two types of relationships, right?”

“Yes, but it’s exhausting trying to find someone who checks off all your boxes. It’s easier for me to put all my time and effort in my work. I’ve had relationships in the past, so it’s not like I don’t believe in them, I just prefer not to have them.”

I blinked back at her in surprise. I’ve never met a woman like Amelia before. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with her logic. When it comes to love and relationships, I’ve experienced first-hand what kind of damage they can do. I’ve loved and lost. I’ve watched my mother mourn my father. I’ve had a front row seat to Matteo and my friends tripping over themselves for their significant others. But to never experience any of that? How could a woman as beautiful as her not have broken a few hearts along the way?

“It sounds like your work is very important to you.” I remember her telling me she had a very big role at the hotel. “What exactly do you do again?”

“I run all of the sales and marketing for the corporation. My grandfather is one of the founding partners. We have ten properties scattered across the US.”

I sat back in my seat. “That sounds like a lot of pressure.”

“I went into business because it was the logical choice. I thrived on the pressure. I knew early on what I wanted. How about you? Did you always want to be a cop?”

I coughed into my hand. “Surprisingly, no. My dad owned a construction company. His father came right off the boat from Italy. He appreciated the value of hard work, but wanted more for my brother and me. He insisted that we get a degree. I knew that I didn’t want to work in business. No offense.”

“None taken.”

“I majored in criminal justice, not knowing what the hell I would do with the degree. I figured it would be more interesting than political science or economics. I never set out to be a cop, but after my first year of college it became more interesting to me. I do have a minor in sociology. So, I guess I have a back-up plan if this cop thing doesn’t work out.”

I couldn’t remember the last time I did something so simple like this. Normally, my interactions with women were strictly physical. This felt different. More intimate. When was the last time I sat and had a conversation like this? A long damn time. I could talk to Amelia for hours. That thought had me checking the time on my phone.

“So, will you be my date?” I asked, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. Maybe she picked up on my anxiety, or perhaps she felt pity for my situation. Either way, the smile she gave me took my breath away.

“When is this family dinner exactly?”

“This Friday.”

She looked off to the side and shifted her eyes back to me. The fact that she was even considering it was a good sign. “You know what?” She stood up. “Why not.”

I rose from the couch and grabbed my phone off the coffee table. “I love your enthusiasm. It really helps my self-esteem.”

She laughed. “Something tells me your self-esteem will be fine.”

She walked me to the front door. I stopped in front of her, unsure what to do. This felt like a defining moment. There was no denying my interest, and my need to kiss her was growing by the second.

“I apologize for the ambush tonight.” I couldn’t help but smile as she tried to act put off.

“I’m glad you stopped by.” Her voice was soft and the fact that she was mere inches from me had my control ready to snap. Without giving it another thought, I pulled her in. I already spent way too much time in my head tonight.

I pressed my lips to hers, thankful that she didn’t move away from me. My fingers threaded in her hair as I forced myself to keep the kiss gentle, which was difficult because what I really wanted to do was fuck her senseless right up against this door. But I didn’t come here for that, so I stopped the kiss. Never in my life had I wanted anyone like this. Not even Sienna.

Her hands fell from my waist as I pressed my lips to her forehead. “Thank you for saying yes.” I gently pushed her hair back. She looked disappointed that I stopped things from getting out of control and it confused me and elated me at the same time. I held my phone out. “I think we should exchange numbers.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “You mean I should have yours, because I’m pretty sure you already have mine, you stalker.”

I cupped her face, tipping her chin to align her lips with mine. “I’m sorry if I creeped you out. I just had to see you again.”

She blinked at me. “Don’t be sorry. In case you didn’t notice, I kissed you back.”

Oh, I noticed all right. Her little moans will be playing on repeat in my head for the rest of the night.

“I should go.” I let my hand fall away. “I’ll text you my digits.”

The last thing I wanted to do was leave, but I knew I had to. I didn’t want to get too far ahead of myself here. I made progress tonight and I wanted to leave things on a high note. I didn’t trust myself not to screw everything up before we even got started.

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