Page 41 of Waitress at the Shadow Ridge Inn
I sat backand rubbed my stomach, feeling satisfied in ways I hadn’t felt in a long time. Maybe never. And it wasn’t just because of the massive combo platter I’d just inhaled. Steve had awoken something inside of me this morning, and with him in close proximity, parts of my body continued to hum.
He chuckled.
“What?”
“I’ve never seen such a tiny woman eat so much.”
“I worked up an appetite.”
Just like that, his eyes grew heated as he, too, remembered the events of the morning. Then, they shuttered, and it was almost as if I could hear his thoughts.
“Stop it,” I said.
“Stop what?”
“Overthinking it. We’re both adults. We both wanted it. It happened. It was fantastic.”
His lips quirked. “Fantastic, huh?”
“Stop fishing for compliments. You know it was.”
“It was,” he agreed, but his smile quickly faded. “But you were feeling vulnerable. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of that.”
I shook my head. “You didn’t take advantage. If anything, I took advantage of you.”
He still didn’t look convinced.
“Doyouregret it?” I asked.
“No, of course not, but …”
“But what?”
He sat back and ran a hand through his hair, looking adorably nonplussed, and it hit me.
“You’re wondering why the one-eighty, and you’re afraid this morning was a form of thanking you because of everything you did for me last night.”
He winced. I could see the truth in his eyes, and it gutted me.
“Well, it wasn’t,” I assured him firmly. “That theory doesn’t even make sense. You gave me three orgasms and only took one for yourself. I hardly call that taking advantage.”
Behind me, I heard a gasp and a clatter as plates and silverware hit the floor. Great. I’d just scandalized our grandmotherly-looking server.
I forged ahead anyway. “The truth is, I’ve been attracted to you since I first saw you. I’ve been resisting your charms because, well, like I said, I didn’t want to start something I couldn’t finish.”
“So, what changed?”
“I did,” I said softly. “Before you found me last night, I’d decided a few things. What I’m doing, regardless of the reasons, is not living, not really. I’m tired of hiding. Tired of running and living in fear. I don’t want to do it anymore.”
He studied me carefully. “Will you tell me?”
I exhaled. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea, but, yes, I will. But not here, okay? Let’s swing by a bank, pick up my Jeep, and go back to my place.”
Two hours later,we were back in my rented cottage. Steve got the fire going while I made a pot of coffee. Mentally speaking, I’d swung back and forth so many times between theshould I or shouldn’t I tell himdilemma that I felt like a human pendulum. And now, I had another issue I had to deal with. The balance on my bank account—my primary one—after today’s withdrawal was pitifully low. I was fine for the moment, but if I was going to leave Shadow Ridge, I would be doing so without the financial cushion I’d once had.
I settled at one end of the couch and tucked my feet up beneath me, facing him at the other. “You’re sure you want to hear this?” I asked, giving him one last out. “We could … do what we did this morning instead.”
He was shaking his head before I finished talking. “I’m sure. As fantastic as this morning was, I want more than that with you, Casey.”
