don’t have to get off on it.”
“I’m not getting off on it,” he said. “I’m just curious. What does this twinge feel like?”
“It’s like a pain,” I said, moving my head so he couldn’t see my face. “I know in my heart you would never hurt me, and yet I want to beat her face in every time she flirts with you.”
“Well, if it’s any consolation, I want to beat Scott’s face in every time I come to the house and find you playing euchre with him,” Aric said.
I snorted. “We’re just playing cards. I’m not interested in him. If I was interested in him, I could’ve had him last year. Instead, I was too busy mooning over you.”
“And that’s why I don’t beat his face in,” Aric said. “I know you would never cheat on me. It’s not in you.”
“So, why am I so pathetic?” I asked.
“You’re not pathetic,” Aric said. “You see Kate as moving in on your property. It’s normal.”
“Maybe in wolf world,” I said. “It’s not normal in my world. I feel … irrational. She just won’t stop touching you.”
Aric knit his eyebrows together. “What?”
“It’s a girl thing,” I explained. “When a girl is trying to anchor a man’s feelings for her, she touches him. It might just be a touch on the arm,” I said, demonstrating for emphasis. “Or, it might just be a pat on the shoulder, but it’s there. Every time she touches you, I want to smack her.”
“I guess I never noticed,” Aric said, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. “I mean, I notice when people touch you. I guess I don’t notice when they touch me.”
“Who touches me?”
“Um, Scott.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Yes, he does,” Aric said. “He’s always putting his hand on your shoulder and brushing up against you. He’s hoping I won’t notice, but I notice.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I said. “I’ve never once noticed him touching me.”
“And I’ve never once noticed Kate touching me,” Aric said. “In fact, the only one I’ve ever noticed touching me is you.”
Well, that was interesting. “Why do you think that is?”
“Because we’re in tune with each other,” Aric said. “Everyone else ceases to exist. We’re in our own little bubble.”
“I know Scott exists,” I scoffed. “I just don’t think he exists in my romantic … um … scope.”
“Yes, but for me, he does exist in your romantic scope,” Aric countered. “I notice every time he even thinks of touching you.”
“And I notice every time Kate touches you,” I mused. “Maybe we’re sick.”
“Or maybe we’re just in our own little world,” Aric said.
“You’re kind of … romantic,” I said.
“I’m not romantic,” Aric said. “Men aren’t romantic.”
“You are,” I said. “You’re romantic and sappy.”
“And you have deep thoughts,” Aric shot back. “You’re not as immune to this whole thing as you think you are.”
He had a point. “Well, I say we take your sap and my deep thoughts, get a good dinner, and then go and explore these emotions back at your place.”
Aric smiled. “You had me at dinner.”
I frowned. “That romance-and-sap thing you have comes and goes.”
“DO YOU care if I get the prime rib?”
We’d finally been seated, and were now perusing the menu. I had money, but Aric seemed to have an endless stream of it. Sometimes I felt like I was taking advantage of his generosity.
“I’m getting the prime rib,” Aric said. “Why would I care if you get it?”
I bit my lower lip. “Well, it’s expensive.”
“So?”
“I … I’ll just get something else.”
Aric frowned. “Get the prime rib.”
“I feel guilty about the money you spend on me sometimes,” I admitted.
“Well, don’t,” Aric said. “I have tons of money. I have more money than I know what to do with. Don’t feel guilty.”
The waitress chose that moment to arrive at the table. “Do you know what you want?”
“Yeah,” Aric said, glancing down at the menu one more
“I’m not getting off on it,” he said. “I’m just curious. What does this twinge feel like?”
“It’s like a pain,” I said, moving my head so he couldn’t see my face. “I know in my heart you would never hurt me, and yet I want to beat her face in every time she flirts with you.”
“Well, if it’s any consolation, I want to beat Scott’s face in every time I come to the house and find you playing euchre with him,” Aric said.
I snorted. “We’re just playing cards. I’m not interested in him. If I was interested in him, I could’ve had him last year. Instead, I was too busy mooning over you.”
“And that’s why I don’t beat his face in,” Aric said. “I know you would never cheat on me. It’s not in you.”
“So, why am I so pathetic?” I asked.
“You’re not pathetic,” Aric said. “You see Kate as moving in on your property. It’s normal.”
“Maybe in wolf world,” I said. “It’s not normal in my world. I feel … irrational. She just won’t stop touching you.”
Aric knit his eyebrows together. “What?”
“It’s a girl thing,” I explained. “When a girl is trying to anchor a man’s feelings for her, she touches him. It might just be a touch on the arm,” I said, demonstrating for emphasis. “Or, it might just be a pat on the shoulder, but it’s there. Every time she touches you, I want to smack her.”
“I guess I never noticed,” Aric said, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully. “I mean, I notice when people touch you. I guess I don’t notice when they touch me.”
“Who touches me?”
“Um, Scott.”
“No, he doesn’t.”
“Yes, he does,” Aric said. “He’s always putting his hand on your shoulder and brushing up against you. He’s hoping I won’t notice, but I notice.”
“That’s ridiculous,” I said. “I’ve never once noticed him touching me.”
“And I’ve never once noticed Kate touching me,” Aric said. “In fact, the only one I’ve ever noticed touching me is you.”
Well, that was interesting. “Why do you think that is?”
“Because we’re in tune with each other,” Aric said. “Everyone else ceases to exist. We’re in our own little bubble.”
“I know Scott exists,” I scoffed. “I just don’t think he exists in my romantic … um … scope.”
“Yes, but for me, he does exist in your romantic scope,” Aric countered. “I notice every time he even thinks of touching you.”
“And I notice every time Kate touches you,” I mused. “Maybe we’re sick.”
“Or maybe we’re just in our own little world,” Aric said.
“You’re kind of … romantic,” I said.
“I’m not romantic,” Aric said. “Men aren’t romantic.”
“You are,” I said. “You’re romantic and sappy.”
“And you have deep thoughts,” Aric shot back. “You’re not as immune to this whole thing as you think you are.”
He had a point. “Well, I say we take your sap and my deep thoughts, get a good dinner, and then go and explore these emotions back at your place.”
Aric smiled. “You had me at dinner.”
I frowned. “That romance-and-sap thing you have comes and goes.”
“DO YOU care if I get the prime rib?”
We’d finally been seated, and were now perusing the menu. I had money, but Aric seemed to have an endless stream of it. Sometimes I felt like I was taking advantage of his generosity.
“I’m getting the prime rib,” Aric said. “Why would I care if you get it?”
I bit my lower lip. “Well, it’s expensive.”
“So?”
“I … I’ll just get something else.”
Aric frowned. “Get the prime rib.”
“I feel guilty about the money you spend on me sometimes,” I admitted.
“Well, don’t,” Aric said. “I have tons of money. I have more money than I know what to do with. Don’t feel guilty.”
The waitress chose that moment to arrive at the table. “Do you know what you want?”
“Yeah,” Aric said, glancing down at the menu one more
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