Page 109 of Cloudy With a Chance of Bad Decisions
And I didn’t…know what to do with it.
“Hey…” Alex’s smile, once bright, was gone. “George—” He was in my personal space before I could blink. Limber for such a big man. Huge hands cupped my face. The pads of his fingers tickled my temples. Alex’s breath was minty, somehow. He probably carried mints with him. Or mouthwash. The slut. But eventhatthought couldn’t make me smile. “What’s wrong, George? You don’t like it?”
“It’s not that.”
“You not a wine guy?” Alex’s pale eyes flickered with emotion. I wanted to yell at him. Wanted to push him away, to storm down the hill, and escape. But even more than that…the shriveled, lonely part of me wondered what would happen if I didn’t. What might happen if I stayed? If I didn’t run—if I let myself accept this for what it was.
If I let myselftrustagain.
“I like wine,” I murmured numbly. “Sometimes.”
“If you don’t like sweets I’ve got the cheese.” Alex was trying to make me laugh again. And it just…it wasn’t fair. Why was he doing this to me? Why was he being so nice? In fact, why had he been so nice all day? It was confusing. Confusing and sweet, and…and…intimidating.
He’d said sex was optional—and I truly believed him. It was a big reason I’d said yes to his scheme. Because I didn’t think he’d stop being kind to me if I didn’t. And for the first time in my life, I wanted to know what it felt like to be wanted by someone who didn’t also want to hurt me.
I had wanted to taste what it felt like to be enough.
But this was…God.
This wasso muchmore than that.
“No one’s ever done anything like this for me,” I choked out, heart thundering. “I don’t…I don’t know what to do.Why would you do this?”
“Oh, Georgie,” Alex’s voice dropped low. “Because Ilikeyou. Obviously. It’sour…third date? Yes. Third.” The two meals we’d shared before totally didn’t count, but I let it slide. I couldn’t get my mouth to work as I processed his words. “Our firstofficially-unofficial one, now that you’ve accepted your fate.”
Because I like you.
Simple as that.
“‘Accepted my fate?’ Jesus. You sound like a Bond villain.”
“Does that turn you on?”
“Fuck off.”
Alex laughed, not deterred whatsoever. With him clutching my cheeks the way he was there was nowhere I could hide. There was no pity in his voice, only understanding. “If it makes you feel better, this is a first for both of us.”
That did help.
And again, it felt like he was reading my mind.
Could we really be that in-tune?
I must’ve relaxed some because Alex’s next words were huskier. Throaty and full of pride. “There you go, that’s it,” he murmured. “Relax, Georgie Porgie.”
I hated that damn nickname.
One of Alex’s hands slid into the back of my hair, then down to squeeze my nape. I melted. “You know it’s okay, right? That this being your first picnic has nothing to do with you.”
We weren’t talking about picnics specifically. He knew that. I knew that. But I appreciated the euphemism.
“If it has nothing to do with me, then why has no one ever done something like this for me before?” My lip wobbled. “My ex?—”
“Brendon. The asshole,” Alex finished for me, tone darkening. I made a stifled sound in amusement. He grinned. His pale eyes were even warmer than his hands. It was difficult not to melt when he held me so close.
“He…he never did anything like this.”
“Yeah?”
