folder. He’d said all along dinner was his treat, but I couldn’t help the sick feeling in my stomach. Once he’d signed the check and closed the bill folder, I leaned in and mumbled about being exhausted and needing to get home.
He paused for a moment, a look of confusion on his face, but then he nodded and pushed back from the table. We walked out of the restaurant and to the car in absolute silence. Thank God he turned on the radio once we got in the car, because I really didn’t think I’d be able to manage a coherent sentence, let alone a conversation with him.
By the time we reached my apartment, I was ready to bolt from the car. But before I did, I took a deep breath and looked at him. “Thanks for tonight and congratulations on everything with Natalie. I’m sorry I’m not better company, but I guess working all those doubles along with my final exams is finally catching up to me.”
I’d turned to leave, but a warm hand gently grasped my forearm.
Reluctantly, I looked back at him. Even in the dim light of the car, he was breathtakingly handsome. He leaned closer, his hand still on my arm, and pulled me closer to him. “Hey, you okay? You’ve been quiet since we finished dessert.”
I shook my head, trying to get the words out so I could just get out of the car and away from how good he smelled. “I’m good. Really. Just tired.”
He studied my face, looking for something to tell him what was going on, but I didn’t offer anything more. When I thought he was finally going to release my arm, he surprised me by pulling me even closer, lips brushing my cheek as he whispered, “Thanks for spending tonight with me. And if I don’t get a chance to see you before I leave, Merry Christmas, Tyler.”
I should have turned toward him, giving him access to my lips instead of just my cheek. It was the moment I’d been fantasizing about all evening. With one simple gesture, Trevor had opened a door I should have been eager to walk through. Except I couldn’t. Instead, I froze. His breath against my cheek and neck. The musky, vanilla accents of his cologne mixing in with his natural masculine scent. The warmth of his hand as it bled straight through my clothing and seared me with a heat that had nothing to do with his body temperature and everything to do with how badly I wanted him.
He paused, and without another thought, I reached for the door handle and flew out of the car. It was a dick move. An immature, forever-sitting-at-the-kids’-table dick move, but I couldn’t stand being in the car one more minute.
With each step I took up the stairs, I went over the entire evening and came back to the same conclusion I’d had when I’d fled the car. Trevor was a flirt. I’d seen him in action enough times to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he was a flirt. But for a moment, just a moment, I’d wanted all of it to be real. I’d wanted Trevor to actually want me there as a date and not just the poor kid who worked as a sous-chef for his best friend. Maybe it was shitty of me, but I wanted Trevor to ask me out because of me, not just as a stand-in warm body when Jamie wasn’t available. The closer I got to my apartment door, the heavier I felt. Because the truth was, as certain as I was that Trevor didn’t really want me, I still wanted him. Even though I knew I was just a charity case.
Chapter Ten
Trevor
What in the actual fuck just happened?
I sat in my car and watched Tyler disappear into his apartment building, completely lost by how badly I’d misjudged the situation. I’d had no expectations of anything more than dinner happening tonight. Ethan would call bullshit, but I hadn’t invited Tyler out so I could score some action in the front seat of my rental car. In fact, it was just the opposite. Sure, he wasn’t the most talkative guy I’d been around, but I was interested in the little he did say. And I hadn’t needed to perform or sell anything. Twice now we’d been out, and twice I’d
He paused for a moment, a look of confusion on his face, but then he nodded and pushed back from the table. We walked out of the restaurant and to the car in absolute silence. Thank God he turned on the radio once we got in the car, because I really didn’t think I’d be able to manage a coherent sentence, let alone a conversation with him.
By the time we reached my apartment, I was ready to bolt from the car. But before I did, I took a deep breath and looked at him. “Thanks for tonight and congratulations on everything with Natalie. I’m sorry I’m not better company, but I guess working all those doubles along with my final exams is finally catching up to me.”
I’d turned to leave, but a warm hand gently grasped my forearm.
Reluctantly, I looked back at him. Even in the dim light of the car, he was breathtakingly handsome. He leaned closer, his hand still on my arm, and pulled me closer to him. “Hey, you okay? You’ve been quiet since we finished dessert.”
I shook my head, trying to get the words out so I could just get out of the car and away from how good he smelled. “I’m good. Really. Just tired.”
He studied my face, looking for something to tell him what was going on, but I didn’t offer anything more. When I thought he was finally going to release my arm, he surprised me by pulling me even closer, lips brushing my cheek as he whispered, “Thanks for spending tonight with me. And if I don’t get a chance to see you before I leave, Merry Christmas, Tyler.”
I should have turned toward him, giving him access to my lips instead of just my cheek. It was the moment I’d been fantasizing about all evening. With one simple gesture, Trevor had opened a door I should have been eager to walk through. Except I couldn’t. Instead, I froze. His breath against my cheek and neck. The musky, vanilla accents of his cologne mixing in with his natural masculine scent. The warmth of his hand as it bled straight through my clothing and seared me with a heat that had nothing to do with his body temperature and everything to do with how badly I wanted him.
He paused, and without another thought, I reached for the door handle and flew out of the car. It was a dick move. An immature, forever-sitting-at-the-kids’-table dick move, but I couldn’t stand being in the car one more minute.
With each step I took up the stairs, I went over the entire evening and came back to the same conclusion I’d had when I’d fled the car. Trevor was a flirt. I’d seen him in action enough times to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, he was a flirt. But for a moment, just a moment, I’d wanted all of it to be real. I’d wanted Trevor to actually want me there as a date and not just the poor kid who worked as a sous-chef for his best friend. Maybe it was shitty of me, but I wanted Trevor to ask me out because of me, not just as a stand-in warm body when Jamie wasn’t available. The closer I got to my apartment door, the heavier I felt. Because the truth was, as certain as I was that Trevor didn’t really want me, I still wanted him. Even though I knew I was just a charity case.
Chapter Ten
Trevor
What in the actual fuck just happened?
I sat in my car and watched Tyler disappear into his apartment building, completely lost by how badly I’d misjudged the situation. I’d had no expectations of anything more than dinner happening tonight. Ethan would call bullshit, but I hadn’t invited Tyler out so I could score some action in the front seat of my rental car. In fact, it was just the opposite. Sure, he wasn’t the most talkative guy I’d been around, but I was interested in the little he did say. And I hadn’t needed to perform or sell anything. Twice now we’d been out, and twice I’d
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