Page 62 of Fighting For You
She flushed like maybe she’d said too much, cheeks darkening to a delicious crimson, but she didn’t take it back.
On my deathbed, whenever the moment came, I’d hear those words in her voice.I just want you.
So, even though we hadn’t had our first date or even talked about all the mess we’d left behind let alone what we might want going forward, I told her the truth. “Good. Because you’re all I’ve ever wanted.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Jess
Jude Rawlins may have claimed not to be smooth, but he was also not a liar.
The irony there being that I’d thought of him as a liar for years and years—so many wasted years.
And now?
My skin flushed hot as I thought of the earnest way he’d said it.You’re all I’ve ever wanted.
Good grief. That couldn’t be true.
And yet, hadn’t I been chastising myself for not taking the man at his word? Everything he’d said to me thus far had been true.
I rarely slept well these days, but going to bed with his words floating around in my head set me up for a long night. By the time I’d showered and dressed for the day and, oddly, my first date with a man I’d known for morethan a decade and had long thought my nemesis, I’d over-analyzed just about everything.
The alternating sensations of genuine excitement to see Jude and sit down together for dedicated time when we weren’t trying to be discreet or work out an argument paired with the total brain bust of this gear shift in our relationship had me dry-mouth-level nervous as I parked at the Saint building and walked across the street.
Beast—Jude—already sat in a booth facing the door, but I’d felt his eyes on me from the moment I stepped out of my car. Diner’s mountain-facing front windows also had a perfect view into the Saint security lot.
I did not fidget. I did not lick my lips more than once or covertly sniff myself to confirm I was wearing deodorant. I was. Put it on twice for good measure because no one wants to be sweating all day and especially not in a suit. I didn’t touch my hair that I normally would’ve worn down for a date but had twisted into a low bun since work would come swiftly on the heels of this little rendezvous, and I resisted the urge to check my teeth in my phone.
So, I was really nailing the calm, collected woman act. I probably even looked like I knew what I was doing as I entered the door and the little bell chimed to alert the entire diner.
Could there be a store thatdidn’thave a little bell on the door in this town?
“Oh my gosh, hi, friend,” Catherine said, beelining to me after slipping her very full tray of food onto the counter.
“Hey,” I said, fully registering how busy the place was.
My eyes slid toward Jude, where he sat with a steaming mug of coffee and dark eyes shamelessly on me.
“Are you by yourself, or meeting that group?” She notched her head to the side toward the circular boothwhere a slightly bedraggled crew of Bruce, Kenny, Jack McKean, Eddie James, Cookie, and some other man I didn’t recognize sat.
Oh. Right.So our little breakfast date was not about to be discreet thanks to the early morning crew here. I should’ve considered this since Diner was right across the parking lot from Saint Security and several of these people had an undying love for breakfast food.
They all looked completely cozy, if tired. And they were all already dressed for the day. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought they’d been up all night, but there was no way Bruce would opt in to work overnight if he could help it, nor would Eddie want to be away from her man.
“No, I’m, um… here with Beast.” My gaze flickered back to the man who had evidently not moved a muscle.
Catherine’s brows rose subtly. “Oh. Great.”
Her enthusiasm sat behind a tactful wall, but I could see her eyes light up. She had lovely, expressive eyes and girl wasn’t fooling anyone. I hadn’t told everyone we’d kissed, but they all knew something was up.
And because a month ago, me sitting down with Jude Rawlins would’ve been a sign of the apocalypse, I wasn’t exactly keeping this a secret.
“So I’ll just go sit…” I said, feeling squirmy that not only Catherine but a decent handful of my work colleagues would see me take the seat.Cool. Nothing like a very judgy, gossipy audience to frame a first date.
Sliding into the booth, I gave the bear of a man across from me a wide-eyed look.
His lips twitched. “Yeah. Maybe not my best call.”
