Page 29 of Kane's Awakening
An area I wanted to run my teeth along.
“Kane?”
I focused on his face again and smiled. “Oh, yeah. Um, hi.” I sat across from him and fidgeted a second before stilling. “Nice place.”
Nice place? What the hell is wrong with me?It had been forever since a guy had affected me like that. Not since Devon. But maybe not even then.
“It is,” Ryker commented, briefly looking around before focusing back on me. His brow narrowed. “You okay? You seem off.”
“I’m fine,” I answered right away, which more than likely only heightened whatever suspicions he had. My usual cocky self was nowhere to be seen. Dammit. “So, what did you wanna talk about?”
Ryker chuckled. “Cutting right to the chase, huh?”
“Hi, I’m Joey,” the server interrupted as he walked up to our table. I couldn’t stop myself from looking up at him with a peeved look, but quickly wiped the scowl from my face. He was just doing his job. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“A water with lemon, please,” Ryker said.
My lips twitched, but I didn’t know why. It just seemed likehim. Mr. Proper having to fancy it up by adding a sliced lemon.
“I’ll have a sweet tea.”
Joey nodded and left.
I’d rather have had a Jack and Coke to steady my nerves, but whatever. They probably didn’t have that anyway. I scanned the menu just in case, though. Nope. Just wine.
Ryker shifted forward a bit and leaned on the table, staring into my eyes with a kind of seriousness that made me want to bolt out of the restaurant.
“So,” he started before pressing his lips into a line. My eyes were immediately drawn to his mouth, and I stared at his thinner top lip that went perfectly with his full bottom one. I wanted to bite it. “I’m aware that the sentence ‘we need to talk’ isn’t exactly reassuring, and I get the impression that’s the reason you’re acting off tonight. I apologize for that.”
My dumbfounded brain registered his words, and I met his stare. His blue eyes sparkled as the lights danced off them.
He continued, “You know where I stand with random hookups. I’m looking for someone I can be with long-term. And I know where you stand with it, too. We’re the exact opposites, Kane.”
Shit.I’d known that was coming, and yet, it still didn’t make it easier.
“Do we have to put a label on it?” I asked, surprising myself for speaking up. I crossed my arms and studied him. “I mean, for fuck’s sake, sex is just sex. Can’t we just keep doing what we’re doing? People screw all the time and don’t bring fucking emotions into it.”
Ryker’s gaze quickly scanned the nearby tables, and I realized I’d said that a bit loud. Luckily, there weren’t many people around us, just an older couple two tables away who didn’t seem to have heard. Then, he looked back at me.
“Here are your drinks.” Joey sat them on the table and retrieved a small notepad. “Ready to order?”
“We need a moment, thank you,” Ryker told him.
“Okay, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Once the waiter left, Ryker’s blue eyes found me again. “Once was fine. Hell, even twice was okay. But the more frequent the hookups become, the more the lines are blurred. At least for me.” He looked away, and the sadness on his face hit me in the chest. “I know you probably think I’m crazy for wanting to have a conversation like this so soon, but I need to know where this is going, if anywhere. I’m the type of guy who wants a relationship, and I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve.” When he looked back up, the sadness had seeped into his eyes, too. “If there’s no chance of us moving forward, I need to know. Because I like you, Kane. More than just a sex buddy.”
“I thought you said I was an arrogant ass,” I pointed out, carefully dodging the question.
“You are,” he said with a laugh, but then his face grew serious. “You are everything I normally avoid in a man: cocky, knows he’s good-looking and uses it to his advantage, has an uninhibited personality, and throws around way too many ‘fucks’ for my liking.”
“Wow, thanks. Glad you think so highly of me.”
“You didn’t let me finish,” he said in a no-bullshit tone. Damn, it was hot. “Even with all that being said, I still find myself drawn to you. In fact, those qualities only add to my feelings for you, which makes no sense to me, but it’s true. When I’m around you, I feel things I’ve never felt before.”
Feelings.I cringed at the word.
“Look, Ryker.” I leaned forward and fidgeted with the drink coaster, not meeting his eyes, because I probably couldn’t have said what I needed to if I had. “I don’t do relationships. That hasn’t changed. Fucking you is amazing, but that doesn’t all of a sudden mean I’m going to change how I operate.”
