Page 10 of Married to Murder
“Fries,” I answered for him.
“You’ve got it.” Freddy tucked his pencil behind his ear and hurried off.
Tanner smiled at me. “I hate asparagus. How did you know?”
“I didn’t. But if you’re going to have the full Freddy’s Fish Shack experience, you have to have the greasy fries. They’re the bomb.”
His gaze was warm as he leaned back in his chair. “I really did have the best day today.” He sounded almost wistful.
“Is that rare?”
“It kind of is. I spend a lot of time in boardrooms and traveling. It was fine when I was in my early twenties, but now I don’t love it as much.” He sighed. “I guess I’m getting old.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-nine… and holding.” He dropped his gaze to the tablecloth.
“I’m twenty-five.”
“I remember when I was twenty-five. I thought thirty was so far away.”
“Well, you’re not there yet.”
“Closer than I’d like.” His expression became guarded. “I’d love to say age is just a number, but in my case… it’s a little more.” He gave a hard laugh.
I squinted at him, confused by what he was getting at. “Meaning what?”
His face tensed. “Nothing.”
It was obvious he didn’t want to talk about it, so I dropped it. “You should take another lesson tomorrow. It will do your soul some good. Might even help you get rid of that frown.”
He nodded, his expression hard to read. “Maybe I will.”
I was glad. I liked the idea of seeing him again, even though I knew getting too attached would be dumb. “I’ll clear my busy schedule for you.” I smirked.
He grinned. “I’m flattered.”
“As you should be.”
That spark of arousal returned to his eyes. “Maybe this will turn out to be not just the best day, but also the best night ever too.”
Excitement swirled in my stomach. “Maybe.”
“Thanks for coming out with me tonight, Seth.” His voice was husky.
“My pleasure.” I decided I’d let the evening go wherever it took us. There was something about Tanner that really appealed to me, and I wasn’t going to overthink things for once.
Chapter Four
Tanner
By the time dinner was over, I had little doubt Seth was as into me as I was him. I could see his lust simmering in his eyes, and the occasional brush of his leg against mine under the table had my cock pressing my zipper. He didn’t say or do anything overtly flirtatious, but his quiet desire was there in his glances.
We both had three beers, and by the time I’d paid the bill and we’d left the restaurant, we were both a little tipsy. The second we were outside the restaurant, I took a chance and grabbed his hand as we walked back toward his shop. I grazed my thumb over his warm skin, wanting to kiss him so bad it was embarrassing. Holding his hand made me feel like a kid again as my pulse skittered nervously.
His fingers curled around mine, reassuring me that he wanted me as much as I wanted him. As we neared his shop, he pulled his hand from mine and we went down the shallow steps that led to his shop. He faced me, leaning on the door. His eyes glittered in the light of the streetlamp nearby, but I couldn’t exactly read his expression.
“I had fun.” His voice was soft.
