Page 44 of Conflagration
“Works for me,” I tell him. Then I tug on the sleeve of his shirt. He stops and turns to me, looking surprised when I wrap my arms around his waist. I crane my neck to look up at him. “It’s only the beginning, but I can already tell this is going to be the best first date ever.”
With a smile, he leans down and gives me a searing kiss that leaves me breathless when he pulls away. “It’s going to be the bestdateever,” he says, amending my statement.
I can’t argue with that.
NOT WORTH repeating? Fuck that. There’s a reason this guy finally pushed her away, and I want to know what it is. She wanted full disclosure, and I want the same. I have half a mind to tell the driver to turn around and head back home so I can tie her to the bed and use any means necessary to make her talk.
Just as I’m about to open my mouth to demand more, Ariana’s saved by the buzz of the intercom as the driver informs us that we’ve arrived at our destination. Fuck me. I put my plans on hold, but not far from my mind.
Although my curiosity is more than piqued when it comes to that asshole, when we get out of the limo, her eyes light up as she takes in the huge building before us. As she wraps her arms around my waist, I forget everything else—at least for the time being. I plan on making this the best date of her life, so all ex talk is left in the limo to be discussed another day.
At the bar, we find a booth in the corner, and she picks up a menu and looks down at it. I can’t stop looking at her. It felt a little ridiculous picking her up from my house, but with this being our first date, I wanted to do things the right way. When she opened the door, it was worth it. The first thing I noticed was her nibbling on her lower lip—a nervous tick she’s stopped doing so much the more we’ve spent time together. So when I saw her lip curled between her teeth, I knew she was anticipating this night as much as I was. My eyes shamelessly raked over her body, taking in the way her teal top perfectly hugged her curves. The V-neck was just low enough to give me a view of her cleavage. Black shorts showed off her lean legs, and even though the outfit was simple and casual, it was sexy as hell.
“You’re staring,” she says, and when I look up from her chest to see her eyebrow raised, I realize that I was, indeed, staring. Not that any red-blooded male in the joint could blame me. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you look like a starved puppy and I’m the bone.”
I grin and wriggle my eyebrows. “I’m always starved for you, but in this scenario, I’m pretty sureI’mthe bone.”
She laughs and shakes her head at me, not calming down until a waiter approaches. I order a beer, but she orders some drink called Angry Balls. We get a couple of appetizers and I wait for the server to leave before leaning across the table.
“Angry Balls? Really? You know that’s what you cured me of, right? I’m not sure I want you putting that in your mouth.”
With a conspiratorial look, she glances around before scooting out of her seat. She comes to sit beside me in the booth, surprising me when she places her hand on my thigh and moves it up to cup me. She leans in and places her mouth just above my ear.
“You’ve never had a problem with me putting balls in my mouth before—angry or not,” she teases, her warm breath sending shivers down my spine.
She’s stroking me through my jeans, and I can feel myself growing harder by the second. With a little nip at my ear, she pulls back, desire and amusement flashing in her eyes. I suck in a deep breath and close my eyes for a split second before taking hold of her wrist and yanking it up. Placing it on the table, I cover it with mine. Then I lean in to her until my forehead’s pressed against hers, my lips hovering just above her mouth.
“You want to fuck in the bathroom, Ariana?” I ask with a low growl so only she can hear me.
Her eyes widen, and she swallows hard, her gaze not leaving mine. She doesn’t say a word.
“Touch me there again and that’s what you’re going to get. This is your only warning, got it?”
She nods meekly, and a huge fucking grin spreads over my face when I see that she’s flushed. I wonder if she actually likes the idea. Not that I’d fuck her in the bathroom at an establishment like this, but we have a limo in the parking lot for our own personal use, and if she tests me, I’ll drag her ass out there in two seconds flat.
“Your drink’s coming, baby. Go sit back across from me.”
Panic crosses her face, and it’s endearing, as if she thinks I’d actually let anyone hear our conversation. Just as she scrambles out of the booth, I slap her ass for good measure, causing her to yelp.
After the waiter sets the drinks down in front of us, she bends forward. This position gives me a perfect shot of her tits, and she has to snap her fingers in front of my face and repeat herself a second time.
“If this is how you treat all your first dates, no wonder you had angry balls,” she hisses.
Her glare is mocking, and I find it to be sexy as hell. After being on the receiving end of some pretty damn heated expressions, it’s refreshing to have someone as playful and sexy as she is.
“Ari, I haven’t been on a first date since high school.” I glance around at the flashing lights of the machines and the grown men whooping and hollering over the games. “In fact, I’m kind of feeling like a teenager all over again tonight.”
She looks puzzled, so I take ahold of her hand from across the table, intertwining our fingers.
“I know we’re doing this all backwards, and when the doctor gave me the all clear, I knew it was time to get out of that damn house and take you out on a proper date. When I got to Mom and Dad’s, I realized I had no idea what the hell to do on a first date. Mom offered tickets to the opera.” I pause as she shudders, which causes me to laugh. “That’s exactly what I figured your reaction would be. It’s what Megan and I would have done, and from what you’ve told me, that’s what you’d have done with him.”
She nods, and I feel satisfaction knowing I was right.
“So I figured fun and casual—do something the complete opposite. And since you’re so bossy, I wanted to see a competitive side. So here we are. Although, I do feel slightly out of my element being thirty-three and bringing my girlfriend to the arcade.”
“Fiancée,” she says, correcting me.
I squeeze her hand, loving the sound of that one simple word rolling off her tongue. If only it were that simple.
