Dirty Beginning (Dirty 0.50)

I curiously look at him. “Something wrong ?”

“Wait…you don’t work as one of the slutty bartenders or something? I’m not sure I could handle dating someone who has men ogling them every night .”

I laugh. “No, I’m not a slutty bartender, but I am a model. What do you think men do when they see my ads or magazine covers?” I raise an eyebrow at him .

“Good point.” He sighs before he softly kisses me on the lips .

It’s a nice kiss. It doesn’t send fireworks exploding throughout my body though .

He pulls away with a look of contentment on his face. “I guess I’ll just have to be jealous then .”

I smile against his lips. “I guess so .”

“I do like jealous sex .”

I twist away from him. “Me, too,” I say. But I’ve never had jealous sex before, and even though we spent half the day making out while mostly naked, I’m not sure I’m ready to have sex with this man .

Cedric quickly catches up to me and loops his arm back around me .

“Where are we going?” I ask .

We walk less than a block when Cedric stops. “Right here .”

I smile without looking at the restaurant we are stopped in front of. I already know which one it is. It’s one of my favorites. My father has taken me here hundreds of times .

“Is this okay?” he asks .

“It’s perfect .”

We take a seat in the beautiful restaurant. A piano player plays softly in the background, and red roses sit on the center of the table .

“Do you like red wine?” Cedric asks .

“Yes,” I say .

I glance down at the wine list and find that my favorite is listed, the one Killian got me hooked on. I’m just about to suggest it, but Cedric interrupts me .

“I think we should share a bottle of the house cabernet. Is that okay with you ?”

I sigh. I’m not going to get my favorite. But that’s okay. I don’t want to be thinking about Killian anyway. And drinking that wine will make me think of him. It will make me wonder if he has already convinced the woman he was with to go to his hotel with him—although I don’t think Killian would have to do much convincing. I think most women he meets would willingly jump into bed with him. That means, if he’s asked, she’s already made her way to his bed .

“Sounds perfect,” I say, trying not to think about Killian .

I watch Cedric order our wine. It felt nice that he asked my opinion before just ordering for me. I’m so used to Killian, who just orders whatever he wants .

“Where did you go to school?” Cedric asks .

“Yale.”

His eyes widen. “Seriously ?”

My smile drops from my face. “Yeah. I studied theater…although I don’t think that’s what I want to do. I don’t technically have my degree yet, but they should be sending it soon. I missed finals, but my grades were high enough that I didn’t need to make them up .”

“Why did you miss finals ?”

I look down, not ready to hear his I’m sorry that is going to follow what I say next. “My father died the weekend before finals .”

He reaches his hand across the table and grabs ahold of my hand in a comforting manner. “I’m sorry .”