holding out my hand. Alexis raises surprised eyes to mine before slipping her hand into mine after I glance at it pointedly. I may not have had any real relationships for the last few years, but I remember how couples behave. And even if I didn’t have the experience of a series of girlfriends in high school, watching my brother and his wife is a constant reminder.
Touching, hand holding, kissing, the works. We’ve been seated across a table from each other and eating, so the kissing hasn’t really been an option. But we can hold hands while we wait for the check at least.
And just like earlier when she took my hand and let me spin her at her house, awareness and electricity travel up my arm when her cool fingers slide across my mine. I flip my hand over and lace our fingers together. “Anywhere in particular you want to go next?”
She raises her eyes from our joined hands and looks at my face, contemplating her answer. “I hadn’t really thought about it. Should we go for a walk somewhere? Or we could just go back to my place?”
A walk somewhere would be good from the public performance aspect of things. If we were out, people could see us, take pictures, watch us act like we’re falling in love. But with traffic, the beach is at least an hour away. And I don’t really want to just wander around the sidewalks here.
“Let’s go back to your place.” It’ll give us a chance to hash out a few more details, now that we’re actually moving forward. And if we’re safely tucked away at her house, we can talk about everything openly without worrying someone will overhear us and figure out this is just an act.
Is it really all an act? a voice whispers in the back of my mind. But I ignore it, reminding myself that public displays of affection to sell the ruse is one thing. Actually becoming more than business partners is something else altogether. And what if we did go that route—make this more than just a relationship for the tabloids? We date for a while, and things are great. Until we realize we get on each other’s nerves and fight and we want to break up but then we can’t because we’re locked into this and neither of us can afford for it to go south before we’re established.
No, that’s too big of a risk. Maybe someday in the future we can explore our chemistry—assuming it’s still there and she’s interested in that too—but right now, we need to keep it to this.
I give her hand a squeeze before disengaging so I can pay the bill, putting a pin in the walk on the beach date idea, because living like a celebrity is rough on the savings account, and since I’m now officially out of a job, this kind of meal plus hiring the car service needs to be a treat, not an everyday occurrence. But I’d wanted to show up to the fancy restaurant with her in a swanky car with a driver, not my old Subaru I drove in high school that’s been sitting in my parents’ garage while I’ve been away working for Jonathan. Maybe Alexis declining the dessert isn’t such a terrible thing after all, though I am a little disappointed. I’d planned this as a splurge meal, and allotted plenty of calories in my own meal plan for dessert tonight. I was looking forward to it. Oh well.
Pulling out my phone, I alert our driver that we’ll be ready to go soon. After paying our bill, I escort Alexis out of the restaurant with one hand on her lower back, pulling her around in front of me and wrapping my arms around her while we wait for the car.
“Let’s give the cameras a show,” I whisper before kissing her.
And once again, our chemistry flares to life. She wraps her hands around the lapels of my jacket and kisses me like she’s suffocating and I’m her last hope of oxygen.
I can’t help responding, one hand cupping her neck to hold her in place so I can take her mouth exactly how I want. How she likes. I know she likes it, because she opens for me immediately, meeting my hunger with her own. Just like last time.
Fire sings through my blood, lighting me up from the inside. I want this woman. I want her now. Anywhere, any way I can get her.