Page 15 of A Valentine's Day Gift
He flashed a smile that lit up his gorgeous face, his dark brown eyes warm on hers. And then she remembered his devotion to his sons, to his wife’s memory, and she knew this was just as big a step for him as her.
She moved forward without hesitation and wrapped her arms around his middle in a warm hug. He hugged her back and then pulled away, giving her a small smile. “Ready for coffee?”
The question suddenly felt like it meant so much more. Her heart pounded in her ears. Was she ready for this?
“Yes.”
Their gazes locked for an intense moment.
She couldn’t hold the eye contact and looked away, her breathing a little fast. She had to calm down. It was just coffee. No promises of more. He signaled the hostess they were ready to be seated.
Allie needn’t have worried about coffee with Vinny, which soon turned into lunch. They picked up right where they’d left off, catching each other up on their lives, mostly talking about their kids, but also what she’d been working on. She’d completed three picture books as illustrator since they’d last spoken. He shared about his father-in-law’s decline, which she was sad to hear about, and that he’d married his high school sweetheart, which surprised her. Was he just as inexperienced at this dating thing as she was?
“I’ve only been with one man,” she blurted, her cheeks flaming.Shut up!God, she was worse than a teenager on her first date. She’d slipped into awkwardly horny mom-on-a-date territory. So embarrassing.
He leaned close and lowered his voice. “I’ve only been with one woman. I guess we have that in common.”
She nodded, calming down a little, relieved she wasn’t alone in the anxiety and excitement of dipping her toe in the dating pool. “You seem so relaxed I never would’ve guessed you were new at this too.”
He inclined his head. “I just feel lucky to have met you. I’ve never even been tempted by another woman in all these years.”
Her belly fluttered, her heart pounding. She licked her lips and he watched the movement. Her insides clenched in response, her mind drawing a complete blank. “I-I don’t know what to say. I’m a little bit overwhelmed.”
He smiled, a charming sexy smile that made the butterflies in her belly go wild. “Say you’ll have dinner with me on Saturday night.”
She hadn’t seen him smile much before. He was devastatingly handsome. She would’ve found that intimidating if she hadn’t connected with him under different circumstances. But she knew this man, knew him on a deeper level than most people in her life. “I would love to. I need to find a babysitter, but I’ll let you know.”
He flashed a wide smile. “Great.”
“Vinny, you are breathtaking.”
He laughed, his dark eyes twinkling with good humor. “I’ve never been called that before. Thanks.”
“I’d love to paint you with that smile on your face.”
“Keep putting that smile on my face and you can.”
She blushed, staring at the table, running her finger along the edge. “I’m so out of practice, dating at thirty-three. My first date since I was a teenager.”
“Same here, except I’m thirty-eight. We’ll figure it out together.”
She met his eyes. He understood. “We’ll have to work around the kids. I don’t think they’re ready to see their mom dating. Their dad moved out four months ago, but still. It’s a lot.”
“So we’ll work around the kids.”
“Did you ever think the first time we met that one day we’d be planning our first date?”
“No.”
She stared at the table, shaking her head. “Me either.”
He lifted her hand to his lips and grazed a kiss across her knuckles, bringing a tingle of electric warmth up her arm. His dark eyes locked on hers. “But I’m glad we are.”
