Page 61 of Tinder Embrace
"You arranged all this?" I asked, awed as I took in the romantic setting Cole had left behind.
Lit candles illuminated a low table in front of the couch. The blinds had been left open, showcasing the trees and hills in the distance behind the vines.
"You deserve something special."
My heart melted. No one had ever gone to this much trouble for a single date before.
"What's for dinner?" I asked around a lump in my throat. Crying at this juncture would definitely embarrass me and likely make Davis uncomfortable.
"Wine, salads, bread, and lasagna."
"Oh." The small sound was all I could muster around the tears pooling in my eyes and clogging my throat. So much for not embarrassing myself. Frustrated, I pinched my arm, hoping the pain would distract me from the emotions hijacking my evening.
"What's wrong?"
Davis's concern should have been gratifying. He cared. But it only frustrated me further. I hated when I let tears get the best of me. I didn't want to be crying, but I also couldn't seem to stop. My chest was tight, and I sniffled, trying to keep from crumbling into a total mess in front of him.
"Hey, Bee. Are you crying?"
His cautious question, his wide eyes and panicked expression, made me wish I could snap my fingers and suppress it all – shove the foolish sentimentality back inside where it belonged.
"No-o," I said, my voice cracking in the middle, a dead giveaway that I was lying through my teeth. I sniffed again, wiping surreptitiously at my eyes, anger at myself making them water harder.
Davis tugged me into his arms, wrapping me in a hug and squeezing me tight.
I absorbed the gentle pressure, inhaling deeply, filling my lungs with Davis. His embrace felt like glue, pulling me back together, bonding me to him. His silent acceptance helped me relax into his arms and calm my shaky breath.
"Thanks," I mumbled into his chest, not ready to look at him and dreading the moment when he let me go.
So much for seducing Davis tonight. Tears didn't really do it for most men.
He stroked my back, soothing me, and I heaved another breath, relieved when I could exhale unobstructed. I loved that he didn’t pepper me with questions. He just let me be, holding me close.
"Sorry."
The muscles in his chest shifted, and I could feel the head shake more than see it, my face still hidden. "Bee, you don't need to apologize. I've got you. Safe place to land, remember?"
Tears threatened again at his pledge. Silly man, thinking kindness would stop the waterworks.
“Can you tell me what has you upset?”
I sighed, feeling silly. How did I explain that sometimes I cried when I was deliriously happy?
“I’m actually happy. Sometimes it all just feels like too much, and the emotions get the best of me.”
“You sure?” he asked, still sounding concerned.
“Positive. I’m a happy crier. It has a tendency to hit at the most embarrassing times.”
“Bee, you never have to be embarrassed with me. If you need to cry, cry. Just be sure to tell me you’re happy, because my heart can’t take thinking I’ve made you sad.”
I teared up again. “That’s so sweet,” I said, my voice breaking in the middle. I flapped my hands in front of my watery eyes.
"You're gonna have to growl to get me to stop," I warned, adding a sheepish grin. “Pleasegrowl at me. I really do want to stop.”
He squeezed me one last time, a hug tight enough that I felt it to my toes, before releasing me. "Cut the waterworks, Bee. Cole prepared a killer lasagna for us, and we don't want to waste all of this privacy, do we?"
He spread his warms wide. I half-expected him to twirl like a Disney princess, but something darker overtook his expression, sending a shiver down my spine.
