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“I can help if you want,” he offers with a shrug.
“I can’t in good conscience let you help since you won’t let me pay you.” I shake my head.
“How about you take me to your favorite dinner place after?” he asks. At my raised eyebrow he says, “As friends! A nice, friendly dinner outing. I need more options. I’ve been eating at the same Chinese takeout place once a week since I moved in.”
“China House?” I ask. He nods, so I continue. “It’s good, but yeah you need to branch out.” I give myself a moment to think and say, “Okay. We’ll go to Little Ravenna’s afterward. Best lasagna ever according to my six-year-old. How about two weeks from now? Emma will be at her dad's again, so we won’t be tripping over her Barbies and Legos while we paint.”
“That sounds good to me. I love Italian food. My Grandma on my dad’s side was Italian, so this place better be good or my Nonnawill roll over in her grave.”
“High stakes,” I say with a laugh.
“Definitely,” he replies solemnly. “Okay, well I have to get going. I have another job in thirty minutes. I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.” He stands from the couch and groans, pressing his fists into his lower back until something cracks. My mouth runsdry at the sliver of tanned skin peeking out above the waistband of his jeans during his stretch.
“Sounds good,” I manage to squeak out.
“Lock up behind me,” he says bossily, heading out the door. I hate how much I like him bossing me around.
I roll my eyes, getting up to do as he asks. “Do you have a safety kink?” I fight the urge to clap my hand over my mouth and feel a raging blush bloom over my chest, neck, and face. I can’t believe I just asked him that.
His eyes flare as he looks over his shoulder at me from the porch. “I seem to when it comes to you,” he says simply. I close the door and lean my head against it, feeling oddly like I need to catch my breath.
CHAPTER 13
Ryan
On Wednesday the following week, I’m lying in bed binge-watching my newest TV obsession and crumbing up my comforter with salt and vinegar kettle chips. Ever since I moved here and committed to slowing down, I’ve actually had time to watch TV. Now I see what the hype is all about forGame of Thrones.My phone buzzes with a text from Summer and pulls me out of Westeros.
Summer:
Lol ghost sex is WILD
Oh yeah?
Ya know how ghosts can move stuff?
It went into detail?
Oh yeah. I’ll let you borrow it. I just finished the book.
I told you I don’t read. Describe it to me?
I sit up in bed, setting my bag of chips aside, andwatch the three little dots appear and disappear letting me know she’s typing. I pause the show. I wonder if she’ll take the bait. She does.
Summer:
Well, let’s just say that Rae was very satisfied.
I need more details… Who did what?
Five minutes go by and she doesn’t respond.Shit,I think,she probably thinks I’m some pervert. I knew I shouldn’t push her.After ten minutes go by without a response I start to panic. As much as I’m attracted to Summer, I don’t want to lose her friendship either. I could use good people in my life and she’s one of them.
Sorry, didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. You obviously don’t have to go into any more detail.
Mercifully, after another five minutes, she responds. I let out a breath and read her text.
Summer:
You didn’t make me uncomfortable. I’m the one who started the conversation. Jared just brought Emma back from their day together. On Wednesdays, whoever doesn’t have her for the week picks her up after school and has her until bedtime. I just got her down.
