“I like some of his stuff,” she replies stiffly.
I turn to her. “I was thinking about Harry Potter. What’s your take on that series? Worth my time to get invested in?”
She blows out a frustrated breath, auburn bangs flying upward briefly before settling back down around her lovely eyes enshrined behind her glasses. “Seriously, Aaron… what are you doing here?”
I put the Grisham book back, then turn to walk two paces so I’m toe to toe with her. “Why wouldn’t I be here? Did you think that little confession last night was going to scare me off?”
Instead of being cowed, she lifts her chin in defiance. “Actually, I did.”
“You were wrong then,” I reply with a grin, teasingly tapping the end of her nose with my finger. “But I am seriously considering Harry Potter as my next read and, well, it so happens the girl I’m dating owns a bookstore.”
“We are not dating,” she replies huffily, trying to push past me.
Her shoulder brushes against mine, the feeling electric and pulsating. I wonder if she feels it, too, but regardless… she’s not walking away from me. I grab her arm, stop her trajectory, and spin her back.
Clarke gasps, her cheeks flushed, and fuck… now I want to kiss the hell out of her. Instead, I ask, “Dinner tonight? Pick you up at seven?”
Her confidence ebbs, and her gaze cuts away. “Aaron… I told you, I can’t—”
“You can,” I interject. “You can try. You can give me a try… a chance. I know what you’ve been through, so I know the perils. I may be a celebrity, but I hope you know I’m not a douche like that Tripp asshole.”
“Aaron,” she murmurs, her eyes finally lifting to meet mine. They are filled with fear.
I dip my face closer to hers. “I’m going to let you in on a little secret, okay?”
Clarke nods mutely.
“I’m usually not a prince,” I admit bluntly. “I’ve never dated the same woman more than once or twice. You ask any member on my team, and they’ll say I’m a player.”
Clarke narrows her eyes. “Why would you even admit that?”
“Because I want you to know I’m being as honest with you as I can,” I say. “You have baggage, and I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing. This is probably fated for disaster. But I like you, Clarke. I want to get to know you better. It’s a first for me, and well… if you give me a chance, it will be like a first for you, too. At least the first in a few years. We can stumble through this together. A joint effort. What do you say?”
She stares, her entire body almost vibrating with skepticism. I can actually feel the tension within her, like a rabbit ready to bolt.
But I’ve said my part. If she doesn’t have it in her to take the chance, I can’t hold it against her. The woman was traumatized, and she has every right to go running and screaming away from me.
Then something changes. I can feel her body relax, her brow smooths, and she gives me a tentative smile. “You plead a good case. You can pick me up at seven.”
Oh, how I want to kiss her now, but it’s not the right time. I mean, it would be the right time in a spontaneous way, but I’m not sure if she’s ready for that side of Aaron Wylde yet.
“Here or at your house?” I ask to confirm.
“My house,” she replies.
“Perfect. Now, how about you help me pick out a book. Harry Potter… yes or no?”
“Yes,” she concludes, turning her back on me. I follow her into another stack to find her holding up a paperback of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Her gaze drops to my iced coffee. “And I’ll take a latte next time.”
“Noted,” I reply with a grin. I tuck that information away, along with all the other things I’m starting to learn about Clarke.
?
I don’t stick around at Clarke’s store for too long. She’s all business when I’m there. While the first two chapters of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was interesting, I actually had some other things to do before our date tonight.
Errands included stopping at the dry cleaners to pick up some clothes, grocery shopping, and a quick detour to GNC to stock up on some protein powder Kane had recommended I try.
With a few hours before I need to hop in the shower to get ready for what I’m considering my first real date with Clarke, I putter around my condo. Clearly, I could relax with my new book, but something has been knocking around in my head since I first met Clarke a little over a week and a half ago.
While meeting her was quite the reward for stumbling into her little store, renewing my love of reading brings about some uneasy feelings.