Page 72 of The Heart Shot
Let’s stay in.
You bring the food, I’ll provide the couch and movie.
Jameson
Deal. I’ll be there around 5. See you soon : )
P.S. this isn’t the third date yet : )
At five on the dot, Jameson knocked on my door. The smile on his face was like a million-watt light bulb, and darn if it didn’t make my knees wobble…just a little bit.
“Hi,” he breathed, scanning me from head to toe, setting every inch of me on fire. He needed to stop or I was going to spontaneously combust.
“Hey,” I replied, unable to keep the smile from my lips. I stepped aside to let him in, and he pressed a kiss to my cheek. He had a blue insulated bag in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. I gestured at the peninsula for him to set everything down.
I had frantically cleaned the house after inviting him over, scrubbing every single surface. Though I wasn’t a messy person, I often went too long between rounds of cleaning. A thick layer of dust had built up on every surface, and there was an embarrassing number of dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. But now, everything was spotless and my home smelled like caramel apples thanks to the wax melt in the corner of the room. Jameson shucked off his shoes and crossed my little living room to set the food bag on the counter.
I couldn’t help thinking he looked like he belonged here.
I shook my head, banishing the thought. Maya’s words had gotten to me, but the fear was still very real, and I couldn’t quite reconcile the two yet.
Jameson turned to me, opening his arms for a hug. My feet moved of their own accord as I walked straight into them, inhaling his woodsy, leather scent, relishing the feel of his arms as they wrapped around me.
Why did this feel so good? So right?
“How was your day?” he asked, planting a kiss on the top of my head.
“Oh, you know. Just saving the world one pumpkin pie at a time.” I pulled back a little to look at him. “How was your’s?”
Jameson’s eyes creased in the corners as he smiled at me. “It’s better now.”
Butterflies awoke in my stomach as he leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. He pulled away too soon, turning to pull containers of food out of the bag.
“I hope you like Thai food?”
I stepped up to the counter, inhaling the delicious combination of scents. “Love it.”
If his smile could make a sound, it would have been the most beautiful symphony.
I forced my eyes away before I face planted into his lips and grabbed a couple plates from the cabinet, followed by two wine glasses.
“I got panang curry, chicken fried rice, and drunken noodle. I wasn’t sure if you liked spicy or not, so I got an array of spice levels.”
My mouth watered. “It’s perfect, thank you.” I smiled, and his answering grin was almost enough for me to forget my fears.
Popping the cork on the wine bottle, he poured each of us a glass. We took turns piling food onto our plates before nodding my head toward my big comfy couch. Most of my furniture had been thrifted or given to me by friends or family, but the couch was the one thing I had splurged on. It was long, L-shaped, and the squishiest, most luxurious piece of furniture I had ever sat on. It was perfect for naps.
Or cuddling.
But I’d keepthatlittle tidbit to myself.
“We can eat on the couch,” I replied to the question in his eyes. “The fabric is indestructible.”
“Indestructible, huh?”
“Yep. When you have a cat, it’s non-negotiable.”
He chuckled before sitting down, and I didn’t miss the way he eyed Rhys on the cat tree in the corner. The cat’s green eyes glowed in the dim light as he watched us, eyeing Jameson as though he was a snack he wanted to indulge in.
