Page 36 of The Lover
“Yes?” I held my breath, because I couldn’t imagine what he was going to say next when basically everything out of his mouth tonight had been mind blowing.
“On a scale of one to ten, how did I do?”
A ten. He would forever and always be a ten. But I wasn’t going to let him know that. I nodded my head as if I was seriously considering my answers. “I’m going with a solid eight. Good start, but let’s leave a little room for improvement.”
He smiled and I thought he was the most handsome creature on the planet.
“I’ll see you Sunday.”
“I’ll see you Sunday. Night, Jake. Dream of me.”
He nodded and then headed down the stairs.
I closed and locked the door behind me, kicked off my shoes right there, and sighed.
Best date ever.
Ten
Jake
Sunday afternoon
It wasa little crazy to me how excited I was for her to get here. I had known this girl, now woman, all her life. Dating Ellie should have felt easy. Comfortable. Like putting on a favorite old coat.
It wasn’t anything like that. She was new to me in a way I hadn’t seen before. She’d blushed when I had called her beautiful, and I thought it was sweet. Of course I didn’t know she would do that, because I had never said it to her so directly.
I wanted that blush back. I wanted that blush when she was naked and underneath me.
Although I tried hard not to think about that. I was going to need the same kind of willpower today as I had the other night. I meant what I told Ellie. We should take this slow. I wanted her to know she was worth waiting for. But I had had the sexual experience of my life with her, and she was pretty hard to resist, knowing she wanted me the same way.
Ultimately we would get back there. As long as I knew that, I could keep a grip on my dick. Figuratively, not literally.
Then I heard her truck pull up. I had returned it to her yesterday while she was at work. I had Rich follow me into town so he could take me back to the ranch. I thought about stopping by Frank’s, but thought that might make me look too eager. Better to be cool about this.
Although I did get a text from her last night.
New discovery. Mr. Nash has a fear of mayonnaise. Who fears mayonnaise?
I wrote backMr. Nash, apparently.
* * *
Now she was hereand we had the rest of the day. And I realized I was happy as shit.
“Jake!”
“In the kitchen,” I told her. I wanted to see her expression when saw what I had done.
“Oh my god!” She squealed and clapped. “It’s yellow. And that’s a new refrigerator and a new oven!”
“The old ones were about to go. I had to replace them, and since you said you always wanted a yellow kitchen I thought I was safe with the paint choice.”
“It’s perfect.”
“I was thinking we could redo the island and counters too. Put a granite top on them. I didn’t want to make that call without you.”
“That would be awesome. Can we afford it?”
