Summer Breeze Kisses - Addison Moore Page 0,44

because I hate the thought of his mojo being spread out over all of Hollow Brook without me.

“I like being punctual,” he says, trying to pull me back into the moment. “I’m not one to keep a pretty girl waiting. You hungry?”

“You’re not going to ask me to run my feet through a spongy dessert are you?” I pick up the menu and glance over it. I think I have it memorized by now.

“I wasn’t—but it sounds like a neat trick.”

He leans in, and his warm cologne washes over me. It’s a touch more vibrant than the one Holt wears. More spice than I’m comfortable with, and it makes me miss Holt that much more.

Wyatt looks decent, and, for the most part, sane, but, in truth, I’m growing impatient just sitting around waiting for his insanity to sprout from his head like horns.

I put down the menu, and he does the same.

“Okay, give it to me.” I fold my arms and wait for it. “You like mountain climbing at midnight? Running up fire escapes more your thing? Let me guess—you have an entire closet full of women’s clothes you’re just dying to show off. Maybe a little lingerie runway action?”

The smile glides off his face. He dips his chin and examines me as if I’ve just confessed to killing his puppy, and now I feel like a bag of crap that just accidentally set itself on fire.

“Fire escapes?” He shakes his head. “Not my thing. I am into spontaneity though. How about we blow this place and catch the next flight to Europe? I’ve got a backpack I’ve been meaning to dust off and a few McDonald’s gift certificates I’m looking to blow. We can eat cheeseburgers while walking down the Champs-Elysees.” He leans in serious as death. “How would you like to wolf down a pack of French fries at the Eifel Tower?”

Holy hell. Knew it. He’s as psychotic as they come with his handsome face, that quasi-arrogant air about him, and all he wants to do is have a carb fest in the city of lights.

“And”—he folds his hands and bounces them on the table—“since we’re getting close, I’d like the passwords to your phone and email accounts. Honesty is the best policy, and there’s nowhere better to start than the beginning. Of course, I’ll let you glance at mine if you want, but you can take my word for it. I’m as trustworthy as they come.” His lips pull back in a manufactured smile, and I’ve either just been bested, or Laney has topped herself with this one.

“Are you for real?”

“I am for real.” His shoulders relax. “But it sounds like you’ve had your fair share of fun-filled blind dates, and I didn’t want to go down as vanilla.” He slumps in his seat. “How’d I do?”

“I almost bolted at ‘passwords.’” I strum my fingers over the table to keep from laughing. “You were anything but vanilla.”

Laney comes by, and we put in an order for shrimp fajitas and a couple of non-alcoholic beers. We talk for what feels like hours about life, Hollow Brook, the bands we listened to in high school—which happen to be the exact same ones. Then it hits me. Not every man out there is a loon. Not every man out there is in on some conspiracy to control women, to steal forty-five dollars out of their wallets, or to mistreat them in some misogynistic way. Wyatt James is an overall nice guy. He’ll be a great catch for someone, someday.

I cut a quick glance to the bar where my eyes have wandered all night. Holt stands alone, wiping down a martini glass, looking as if someone just handed him his balls on a shrimp fajita platter. I can’t help feeling like that someone was me.

“So you almost ready to move this party to the beach and check out the fireworks?” Wyatt asks as kind as possible, and not a single part of me is revolted or afraid he’s planning to kidnap me before the grand finale.

“I think I am.” I bite down on a nervous smile because I’ve never done what I’m about to do next. “But I think this is where we should part ways. I think you’re a really nice guy. And I believe with all my heart there’s a really nice girl out there for you. It’s just—she’s not me.”

“Really?” He looks puzzled, but the smile still lingers on his lips. “I thought we were getting along great.