I wanted to bury my head in quicksand. I’d managed to screw up a date with the man of—well, someone else’s dreams.
Scott slipped a few bills to the waiter. “This should cover it. Thank you.”
“Thank you, Sir.” The waiter began to reach for the plates, when he noticed Scott glare at him and scurried off.
I was pretty sure I stopped breathing when Scott stood. But then he reached out a hand and spoke softly, “I know just the place.”
With my hand in his, Scott crossed us to the west side of the street to hail a cab going downtown. He asked the driver to take us to Hudson River Park, which was beautiful during the day, but I’d never been there at night. Knowing the city as well as I did, I was sure it was just as amazing lit up from all over including the passing cruise ships and Jersey lights across the river.
Not much was said during our commute. But the fact that he didn’t want the date to end was obvious and also somewhat nerve-wracking for me. What was I getting myself into?
“There’s an ice cream shop up the path here. He’s open all year.”
I nodded. “I’m sorry about dinner,” I blurted out, needing to break the ice.
He grinned. “Oh, please don’t be. Perhaps it was a bit more formal than it needed to be.”
“Perhaps,” I repeated. “You’ve just been awfully quiet since…”
He glanced at me. “I’ve been trying to remember if Pat’s Parlor has mint chocolate chip.” His tone was casual.
I smiled, and probably blushed, I couldn’t be sure. Tonight felt so strange. It was everything a first date should be and yet my thumping heart and guilty mind made it everything itshouldn’tbe.
“So why ice-cream? I mean don’t get me wrong, it was a stellar idea. But just curious.”
“Honestly, I don’t like to eat much on a first date. I like to walk. The wine was spot on though. Sometimes I need it to…” I glanced at him, “feel more at ease...when I’m unsure of something. And the ice-cream, well,” I shrugged, “that’s just my sweet tooth.”
Scott slowed to a stop beside me, turning me to face him. He gazed at me for a moment without a word. As if seeing me for the first time. I swallowed, trying so damn hard not to get lost in his eyes as they searched mine. Was he trying to figure out what the hell my issue was? Or was he as drawn to me as I apparently was to him.
Suddenly his hand fell from mine and he glanced away. Just when I thought I’d lost him for a moment, he wrapped a strong arm around my waist, scooped me off my feet and spun me onto the other side of the pavement.
“Thanks man,” a now distant voice called.
A bicyclist had zoomed past us and would have crashed right into us in the dark had Scott not pulled us out of the way. Almost immediately, his eyes were glued back to mine but now, his arms were wrapped tightly around me. And not just protectively, it was almost possessively, as if he’d been waiting too damn long to hold me like this and had no plans to let me go anytime soon.
I released a breath. “Whew. Thanks, I um—” I swallowed, suddenly very much aware that my heart was hammering against his chest. And not because I could have been trampled a moment ago. But because I didn’t want him to let go either.
“Are you alright?” he asked softly.
I nodded.
Scott lifted one hand off my waist and cupped my cheek, his thumb stroking my skin. “I want to kiss you. Ineedto kiss you, Isabel.”
My eyes dipped slightly to his mouth and I pressed my lips together. Knowing I had no right. Not like this.
I nodded in spite of myself.
His fingers moved and wrapped the back of my neck, pulling me towards him and pressing his lips to mine. His grip was strong but even if it softened, the intensity wouldn’t wane, because I felt glued to him with this kiss.
Our tongues collided and I moaned at the taste of him, melting into him, slipping my hands around him and gripping at his shirt. His fingers laced into my hair and pulled at the strands as his tongue circled around mine.
A bell chimed at a nearing distance and he pulled his lips off mine glancing in the direction, ready to shield me from any more reckless bikers. There were two this time and they rode right past us. One of which I thought I heard call out ‘get a room’.
“Teenagers,” Scott muttered.
I giggled. “Um, we’re the ones making out in the park.”
“Touché.” He smiled, reached over to straighten out my hair and took my hand in his before walking us further up the path.
