Kalilah looked at him. Assessing. “No one else has ever met the criteria?”
“Nope.”
“What are some of the criteria?”
Nick listed a few things off with his fingers. “Not after my money. Not after my last name. Not trying to trap me with fake pregnancies. Self-sufficient. Hard worker. Safe.”
“Not a gold-digger and safe, huh? Gee, Nick, you really know how to flatter a girl.”
Nick smirked. He held up his card for the server. Kalilah placed cash in front of him on the table.
Nick leaned in. He wanted her to see the honesty in his eyes.
“How about this? I’ve embarrassed myself multiple times in your presence and not once have you made fun of me or made me feel stupid. You’re sweet, kind, and sincere.” He slid her money back to her. “I’m paying.”
“That is a much better reason, Nick. I can pay for my portion you know.”
Nick smiled and patted her hand. “I know. But shouldn’t we put my trust fund to good use?”
Kalilah laughed and stuck her tongue out at him. His dirty mind immediately imagined all the things her tongue could do to him. She finished her drink, and they got up to leave. She looked him in the eyes.
“Let me think about it, okay?”
He nodded as they headed to the SUV. The drive home was quiet. Nick didn’t have an answer, but he felt lighter. She didn’t say no. He put it out there. The ball was in her court. Dex would be proud. Nick pulled in front of her house.
Nick watched as she grabbed her things and started to climb out the SUV. She stopped like she’d suddenly remembered something. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.
“Thank you for dinner, Nick.” He nodded, unable to speak.
Nick watched her walk to her front door. His hope slowly deflated with each step she took. He sat there like he usually did to make sure she was in her home safe. He laid his head on the steering wheel. If he’d made a fool out of himself, she was gracious enough not to tell him. Nick truly did not know how this would end. For the first time today, he started to fear that he might lose her. A soft knock on his window dragged him back to the present. He rolled down his window.
“Hi. Did you forget something?”
“Yes. I wanted to tell you goodnight.” He nodded and prepared to leave. “Nick?”
“Yes?”
She pushed her hair out of her face. “Yes.”
Nick gave her a blank look. He wasn’t sure why she’d just repeated him.
“Huh?”
Kalilah giggled. “I’m answering you, Nick. Yes, I’ll do it.” His heart soared. She was back in her house before he could respond.
Kalilah was awakened by the Saturday morning sun. She frowned at her window and rolled to the opposite side of the bed. She really needed to remember to buy some black out curtains. Kalilah rebelled against her body’s internal clock. She twisted her eyes shut and pulled her cover up to her ears, willing her body to stay in bed past 8:30 AM. She’d slept surprisingly well considering the promise she’d made Nick, maybe it was the margaritas. Nick.
Desire and apprehension flowed through her body simultaneously. He’d just given her an all-access pass to his body, and she fully intended on redeeming it. Although they’d officially been friends for a little over a week, their camaraderie felt effortless and natural. She looked forward to talking to him.
Even now her fingers itched to grab her phone to see what he was doing. If any other guy would have invited her to dinner to request sex, for that is essentially what he did, she would have been livid. Instead, she heard the hallelujah chorus. Her nipples tightened at the memory of his gray eyes boring into her, soft and vulnerable, throughout the whole meal.
She’d originally planned to turn him down, not because she didn’t want him. She did – badly, Kalilah just didn’t want to be the girl he practiced with before he ran off and married someone else. As she thought about the time they’d spent eating dinner, her objection seemed pointless.
Every time he’d reached for something, she’d imagined his big hands palming her breasts then sliding down her belly past her navel…. her phone started ringing, and she grinned. Nick may have just killed the beginning of her fantasy, but at least she was about to talk to the real thing.
Without moving from her spot, she grabbed the phone. “Hey Nick.”
“Good morning, beautiful. Did I wake you?” His voice washed over her body and made her hotter.