Page 19 of A Valentine's Day Gift
He smirked again, and she realized “back in the saddle” also sounded dirty. She waved that away. “You know what I mean. Dating is new.”
He gave her a knowing look. “I get ya.”
The undercurrent of sexual tension was new between them and exciting. She wanted to match him but had no idea what to say back. “I get ya too.”
He gave her a slow sexy smile that had her breath catching. “Ya know, that sounds real good.”
Maybe she was good at this sexy flirting because there was definitely still a tension in the air. “It would berealgood,” she returned. Okay, so she was out of practice.
His expression was part amused, part intrigued.
The waiter arrived with the check, and Vinny quickly pulled out his wallet and handed over his credit card. Allie thanked Vinny before excusing herself to the ladies’ room. Once there, she retouched her makeup and popped a breath mint in preparation for a goodnight kiss. And maybe more. Her belly dipped at the thought, but things just felt right with Vinny.
She returned to the table, catching Vinny carefully wiping his mouth with a napkin. Maybe he was making sure there was no leftover butter from the lobster in case they kissed. She smiled to herself and took a seat.
He held out his palm. “Mint? I had one. They’re good.”
She smiled. “Got one already.”
He tore open the wrapper and popped it in his mouth.
Two minty mouths plus a kid-free night sounded very promising. She leaned across the table and gave him a brazen hint. “The kids are spending the night at my parents’ place, so I have the house to myself.”
His eyes were hot on hers. “You inviting me in?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
He checked his watch and shook his head. “I don’t have much time. My mother-in-law said I need to get the kids by nine. She needs her sleep; she has to take care of my father-in-law.”
She pushed down her disappointment. It wasn’t like she was going to sleep with him on their first date, but she’d hoped for a little intimacy, a tiptoe back into the lust pool. “How is he?”
“Surprisingly, he’s hanging in there. I think being home has been really good for him. Maybe he’ll live longer than the doctors said. They only gave him a week.”
“I hope so.”
“Rain check?”
She tried to hide the disappointment from her voice. “Sure.”
“I already paid. Ready?”
She nodded, and then they were on their way. So much buildup of nerves and anticipation for this date, and now it was almost over. She should be happy not disappointed. It was a good sign that she enjoyed his company so much that she didn’t want it to end. There was absolutely no rush. They were getting to know each other, and that took time.
He took her hand, and the small gesture reminded her she could still look forward to a goodnight kiss. She quickly chewed her mint and swallowed, hoping it would give her maximum mintiness. They arrived at his car parked in the lot behind the restaurant. He opened her door and closed it behind her. She leaned her head back on the seat and sighed.
He got in, but he didn’t start the car. “Allie.”
She turned. “Yeah?”
His big hand cradling her jaw, he slowly leaned in, his gaze dropping from her eyes to her mouth. Her pulse beat rapidly, her body tingling in anticipation. His lips met hers in a soft kiss before he pulled back. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night.”
“Do it again.”
He did, grazing his lips over hers, once, twice, and she leaned in for more. He pulled back, dropping his hand from her face. His voice was husky. “We’d better go.”
She faced front, embarrassed by how much more kissing she wanted when he was done. She glanced around. They were in a parking lot, other people coming out to their cars nearby. “Yes, of course.”
He chuckled and started the car.
