Ang groans again. "And here I thought we could start by talking. I'm not sure we’ll get much of that done with you wearing that."
Ohhhhhh. Wow. Talk about reading the situation wrong. I thought for sure when he asked me to wait for him, it was because he was interested in way more than talking.
"I'm so sorry. I can go change if that would make you feel better." I hike my thumb over my shoulder toward my room, feeling like a complete dumbass for assuming he meant something else.
"No!" Ang rubs his right hand along his jaw. "I'm going about this all wrong."
I shift from foot to foot, not sure what to do or say. I don't want to make another assumption and possibly embarrass myself even more, so I stay quiet and let Ang work through his thoughts. I watch the way his brows furrow and wonder if he does that every time he’s thinking hard or if that’s specific to dealing with me.
After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, and one really big deep sigh that raises his chest, he finally says, "Let's take a seat on the couch."
I plop down on one of the cushions without an ounce of finesse. I figure at this point it doesn't really matter. This night isn't going at all like I thought it would. I curl up with my side against the armrest and my legs tucked close to the side of my body, making me as small as possible in the corner of the couch.
I expect Ang to sit farther down on the couch, to put some distance between us while we talk, but instead he sits close enough that my legs are touching his. I'm even more confused when he grabs my foot, places it on his lap, and starts to give me a massage.
"I know it seems like I'm all over the place, but let me explain," he starts, simultaneously digging his thumbs into the heel of my foot. I want to moan it feels so good.
I'm so distracted by the magic he’s wielding, I almost miss when he starts talking again.
"Earlier tonight, when Livy mentioned me being too busy to help her prep for her test, I started to panic. My daughters have always come first, and I don't want—wait, no, Ican’t letthat change just because you're here."
I move to pull my foot away, but Ang refuses to let go. "I didn't realize I gave off the impression I expect to be put first before your daughters." I say it with a little too much bite in my tone, but honestly, how could I not? I would never expect any father to put me or any woman before his kids. That isn’t how relationships work. My parents never put each other before their kids, and I wouldn’t expect it in a relationship I had either.
"I keep screwing this up." He drops his head to the back of the couch.
I'm tempted to sayAh yeah, you are,but I'm not the kind of person who rubs it in. Instead, I wait silently to see what comes out of his mouth next. I’m not sure I want to hear it, but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. From what I can tell, he hasn’t dated since his wife passed away, so this is all new to him.
"You never gave me the impression you expected to be put first. In fact, you've been great at prioritizing my family in your life. Better than great, actually. I’m the one who screwed up. I got in my head this morning when I told the kids about dinner tonight. I was too focused on that to see what was happening during breakfast. I put pressure on myself to have the perfect dinner with you and the kids when I didn't need to. That was my fault. I can't let it happen again though."
I chew on the corner of my lip because, honestly, I have no idea where he's going with this. "So what are you saying?"
"That I'm out of practice when it comes to dating, so the chances of me screwing up even more are highly likely."
I smirk at his honesty, but shimmy until I'm straddling his lap and have his full attention. "Want to know what the good thing about being out of practice is?" I wiggle my eyebrows.
"What's that?" He settles his hands on either side of my thighs.
"I get to corrupt you."
I watch in fascination as his Adam's apple bobs when he throws his head back in laughter. The sound alone makes me wet and wanting, and I have to force myself not to rub against him like a dog in heat. That's not what tonight is about.
"If your shirts are any indication, it won't take much," he says, and now it's my turn to laugh. I've never wanted some of those shirts to come true as much as I do in this moment.
All laughter dies away when his hands come up and cup my face. As if in slow motion, Ang's mouth descends on mine. One brush of the lips and I'm a goner. Stars explode behind my eyes. Cartoon hearts dance around my head. This kiss puts every first kiss in every romance book I've ever read to shame.
It's real. It's dominating and intense and soft all wrapped up in one. It’s teeth clashing, lips smashing, and earth shattering. It's everything I thought it would be, and yet so much more.
I never want it to stop.
But I need to keep my head about me, and something Ang said keeps playing in my mind. He was worried about things being perfect, but I don’t want perfect. I want real and I want slow. I want to see where things go naturally, without either of us feeling the pressure of doing everything right, or right now.
My brain and heart both screaming at me, asking what the hell I think I’m doing, I break the kiss and slide off his lap.
"Where are you going?" I can hear the pout in his voice and my inner vixen smiles.
"To sleep."
His brows scrunch up into a cute confused expression.
