He angles his body toward mine, stretching his arm across the back of the seat in the process. When his fingers gently strum my shoulder, goose bumps rise in their wake. No matter how much I attempt to steel myself against the surge of excitement invading my body, it’s a losing battle.
“Are you cold?” Concern flashes in his eyes. Before I can respond, he yanks off his sweatshirt and drags it over my head, grabbing my arms and thrusting them through the holes like I’m a small child. Then he pulls the soft, cottony material down until my head pops through the neck hole. “Is that better?”
“Yeah,” I mumble, “it is. Thanks.”
“No problem.” The arm that had been resting against the back of the bench drops onto my shoulders, dragging me closer. “Anything for my girl.”
Pleasure rushes through my veins. I suck in a deep breath, attempting to steady everything careening dangerously inside me. Instead, it has the opposite effect as I inhale a lungful of Brayden. His masculine scent surrounds me, inundating every fiber of my being until I’m dizzy with the sensation.
Unaware of my turbulent state, he picks up a fry and holds it to my lips. My gaze widens, locking helplessly on his.
When my lips remain pressed together, he whispers, “Open up.”
I take a quick peek across the table only to find Demi and Rowan wrapped up in their own conversation. They’re not paying the slightest bit of attention to us. Brayden’s gaze drops to my mouth and combustible energy ignites within me. Any moment it’s going to explode. As he holds the slim cut of potato to the seam of my lips, prodding it gently, I realize there’s nothing I can do that won’t cause a scene.
“Sydney,” he growls. The low vibration of his voice does strange things to my insides and has me snapping to attention. Once my lips part, Brayden pushes the fry inside my mouth until it disappears. As I chew, my gaze never deviates from his. Glancing away isn’t an option. He picks up another fry and pops it into his own mouth.
This continues for about five minutes. Nerves dance in the pit of my belly as he takes it upon himself to feed me. There’s something surprisingly intimate about the process. As much as my mind is screaming for me to snap out of this strange paralysis, I can’t. And I would be lying through my teeth if I didn’t admit to enjoying the way his fingers stroke against my flesh with each piece of food that I take from him.
What’s happening here is dangerous and yet I can’t seem to put a stop to it.
“You two are so cute,” Demi says. Her voice is what finally jerks me from my immobility. Instead of being thankful for the timely interruption, disappointment floods through me. “It’s funny,” she continues, “not in a million years did I ever see this coming.”
I glance at Brayden to get a read on his reaction. There is no way I’m going to touch that comment with a ten-foot pole. His dark eyes seem near black as arousal engulfs his irises. “You know what they say—the line between love and hate is thin.”
Demi’s eyes widen before bouncing between us. “That’s exactly what Sydney said.”
He smirks, gaze latching onto mine. “I’m sure she did.”
It takes effort to swallow down the rest of my fry before focusing my attention on the plate in front of me. My appetite has pulled a vanishing act, leaving behind a strange ache in its place. One that food won’t be able to fill.
Chapter Eighteen
Sydney
By the time we leave the restaurant, I’m more than ready to go home. For my own sanity, I need to escape Brayden’s overwhelming presence. I’m still cocooned in his comfy sweatshirt. It’s tempting to pull it off and give it back, but the night has grown chilly. Since I wasn’t expecting to go out after the game, I didn’t dress with that in mind.
Brayden drapes an arm casually around my shoulders as we make our way to his truck. By this point, I’m practically speed walking in my haste to end this date.
What am I saying?
This isn’t a date.
“That was fun,” he says as if unaware of the thoughts swirling through my brain. “We should do it more often.”
More often?
No way. That’s definitely not a good idea. I don’t think my body can stand it. I’m already vibrating with restless energy. And his nearness only makes it worse.
“Yeah, it was.” I feign a yawn.
He glances at me, tugging me closer until all of his hard lines are pressed against my softer curves. “You must be exhausted.”
“Yup. Long day.”
He nods. “I can understand that. You really tore up the field. You should have finished your burger.”
Yeah, that was impossible with him sitting so close. His proximity was much too distracting.