Page 14 of Can't Take Moore
When Vienna glanced at me, I nodded in confirmation. “She’s right. It’s all good.”
Flipping the menu closed, Vienna handed it to the server and said, “Then I’d like to go with the bruschetta and manicotti please.”
“Nice picks.” I beamed a smile at her before ordering, “And I’ll have the meatballs and ricotta starter and spaghetti Bolognese, plus a Trattoria salad for us to share.”
After the server walked away, Vienna quirked a brow. “A salad, huh?”
“Only because it’s the best damn salad I’ve ever had and too big for one person unless you’re eating it as your meal.” I held my hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I swear, I didn’t mean anything by it. I love that you didn’t hesitate to order an appetizer and pasta.”
“One advantage to all the calories I burn with my workouts is that I shouldn’t have to worry about what I eat.”
An explicit vision of how we could burn off a fuck ton—pun intended—of calories in bed blasted through my mind, and I had to shift in my seat before my cock broke my zipper.
“But it’s been a while since I’ve ordered a meal without worrying about balance. When I was training for the Olympics, I looked at food as fuel more than anything else.” She lifted her glass and smiled at me over the rim. “And there’s also the fact that the camera adds ten pounds.”
I reached out to stroke a finger over the top of her hand resting on the table. “You’d have to work hard to convince me you really need to worry about that.”
“I can see why you do well in real estate.” She set her glass back down. “Were you always this silver-tongued?”
“My mom would tell you yes.” Leaning back in my chair, I chuckled. “She likes to say that I could sell ice to someone living in the Arctic.”
“Then I guess it’s a good thing I like ice so much.”
Her comment made me think about her interest in the pole barn on the property she’d purchased. “Even the synthetic stuff, judging by the rink you put in.”
“It’s been so wonderful to be able to get in an on-ice workout whenever I want with just a short walk across my backyard.”
I loved how her eyes lit up while talking about skating. “Were you always interested in skating?”
“Ever since the first time I was on the ice when I was four,” she confessed.
“It’s great that you found your passion when you were so young.” Her dedication impressed me, and I wondered if it was why Vienna seemed so mature for her age. “My youngest brother, Wyatt, is the same. He recently graduated from Purdue’s pharmacy school and is taking his exam next week for his license. But I can remember when he was little and brought me pretend medicine for whatever fake illness he decided I had that day.”
“How much younger is he?”
“Ten years.” And a fuck of a lot closer to Vienna’s age than I was, but she didn’t seem to mind, and I didn’t care if anyone else would be bothered by our age difference.
“And you played along?”
“Sure.” I shrugged. “Eating a Tic Tac a day didn’t seem like a big deal, and it made him happy.”
“You’re a good guy, Dean Moore.”
Grateful for the fact that we’d been seated in a corner booth, I slid closer and cupped her cheeks with my palms. “I’m glad you think so.”
I appreciated the approval shining from Vienna’s brown eyes…but no way in hell was this nice guy going to finish last when it came to her. Except for in bed.
She licked her lips, her gaze locked on my mouth, and it was exactly the sign I’d been waiting for. Dipping my head, I crashed my mouth against hers. Her lips were so damn soft, and I groaned as I nipped at the bottom. When they parted, my tongue swept inside her mouth, making us moan in unison. Her sweetness was damn addictive, and I knew I would want more. Soon.
5
Vienna
My first week in Mooreville was turning out better than I expected. I was quickly transforming my new house into a home. I’d already put my synthetic rink to good use, and I had been able to reserve a sheet of ice at the local rink for two hours every morning starting next week. And I had been on the best first date I’d ever had just last night.
The Italian restaurant Dean had taken me to was more romantic than I’d expected. Tucked away in a corner booth, my world had narrowed to just the two of us. Dean was a skilled conversationalist, and I’d shared more about myself than I had with anyone else in a long time. I’d learned a lot about him, too.
Including that he was an amazing kisser. So good that my panties had been drenched when he nudged me toward my front door after ripping his mouth from mine. He left me with a sneaking suspicion that he wouldn’t be much of a gentleman in the bedroom…and I was looking forward to eventually finding out for sure myself.
