He nods, all confident-like. “Oh, I know.”
My face breaks into a grin as I bring my glass of wine to my lips. My stomach is swirling with desire, but my nerves are eating me alive. I spent the day working on my resume and finding out where I want to send it. I’ve focused a lot on Nashville and the surrounding cities, but the jobs I really want are in the Midwest. I want to be a part of a team, working with athletes to help maintain their mental health. The only team here I’d want to work with is the Assassins, and that can’t happen. I could transfer to football or even soccer since we have those teams here in Nashville, but my heart says hockey.
I’m scared to find out what Asher will think. What he’ll say. I know he’ll be supportive; that’s Asher. He’s the best when it comes to me reaching my goals, but will he be with me through it? Will he come with me? Can he come? So many questions and my stomach hurts thinking of them. As I sit here, staring at him, I don’t want to leave. I want to stay right here, under his hooded gaze, feeling like he sees nothing but me.
I want to shake him. Scream at him to tell me he loves me. Scream back that I love him. But I just don’t think doing that will help. I’m on his time, and I agreed to that. But a part of me just wants to say it and let it out into the world. Maybe then it’ll help him get to where I am.
But it could also scare him off.
I need to change the subject.
“Emery picked out the fuzzy white jacket thing, huh?”
He grins as he nods. “Yeah. Do you like it?”
“Oh, I love the whole outfit.”
“Good,” he says. “Do you like the shoes?”
I press my lips together, shifting them back and forth because of the gloss I’m wearing over my dark red lipstick. “I love them, Ash. They’re amazing.”
He grins. “Stella said you needed them.”
I’m breathless. “You bought them for me?”
“Yeah. Can’t have a hot dress like this without shoes to match.”
Why do I feel like I’m about to cry? Wait. Is he going to tell me he loves me? “I’m overwhelmed by all of this, honestly.”
“Just
how I wanted you,” he says, leaning toward me and pressing his lips to mine. “I want you to know how special you are to me.”
I gaze into his eyes, and the words are there. Come on, Ash. Say them. He cups my face, running his thumb along my jaw, and he’s going to say it. I know it.
“Mr. Brooks, your table is ready.”
I can’t stab a hostess, right?
He sends me another wink before getting up and helping me off the barstool. He takes my hand as I grab my wine, and together, we head toward our table in the back corner. Like the gentleman he is, he pulls out my chair for me. “You look really good in those shoes, Ally.”
I beam over my shoulder at him. “Stop it. I can’t with you.”
He grins. “Want to take the fuzzy thing off?”
I nod, and he helps me out of it before putting it on the back of my chair. Before I can sit down, though, he snakes his arm around my waist, pulling me to him, and he kisses my shoulder. Even the hostess is swooning at this point. I gaze up at him as I sit down and take the menu from her. As he lowers himself into the other chair, he unfastens the button to his jacket, and it’s basically porn for me. For the love of all things holy, this dude isn’t playing around tonight. I don’t know what is wrong with me, but I want him more than I’ve ever wanted him in my life.
I’m also falling so totally in love with him, that it’s almost torture.
But maybe tonight is the night he tells me.
Or I tell him I’m more than likely going to move when I graduate, and he dumps me.
The possibilities are endless at this point.
I lick my lips as we both look over the menu, and then we order our entrees. We’re both ravenous, not only for food, but for each other. I hand off the menu to the waitress and reach for my wine. He takes a long pull of his water, and our eyes meet over the candlelight. His face glows from the low lighting, and I can’t help but smile.
“What?”