Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 94106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94106 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 471(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
She laughed. “And here I thought you actually liked the dress.”
“I do.” I winked. “I can’t wait to see it on your floor later.”
I took my seat, and the waiter arrived to take our drink orders. We ordered a bottle of the cabernet Val loved, and I deferred to her when he offered a sample to taste before pouring. Watching her swirl the crimson liquid in her glass and raise it to her lips made me realize I probably should have taken care of business before dinner. Even the lipstick mark she left behind on the rim of the glass turned me on. I had to discreetly adjust underneath the table when I imagined what that mark might look like on my dick.
Val leaned in when the waiter disappeared. “What’s going on in that head of yours? You’re staring like you’re deep in thought.”
I swallowed and blinked a few times. “Nothing. Just thinking about a meeting I had earlier today.”
She squinted. “You’re full of shit.”
That made me smile, because I was full of shit. But what I’d been thinking wasn’t exactly appropriate first-date material.
“I was just thinking how gorgeous you look tonight.”
She lifted her wine glass and brought it to her mouth again. I couldn’t wait to taste it on her lips later.
“That’s it?” She arched a brow. “You weren’t thinking about anything else?”
“I don’t think you really want to know.”
“Of course I do. Tell me.”
“You won’t hold it against me if it’s inappropriate?”
She smiled, and a devilish gleam sparkled from her eyes. “Of course not.”
Fuck it. If you really want to know… So much for being a gentleman, then. I waited until she set her glass back down on the table and pointed my eyes to the lipstick marks on it.
I leaned in and lowered my voice. “I was imagining looking down and seeing that mark around my cock.”
Val let out a nervous laugh, and I took a drink from my own glass to cool off. After that, our always-easy conversation felt off. We talked about my week in the city and what she’d been doing while I was gone, but it felt first-date awkward now and not like me and Val. I hoped I hadn’t actually upset her with what I’d said.
By the time we’d finished our appetizers, I needed to say something.
“Did I…take it too far with what I said earlier about the lipstick? I didn’t mean to offend you.”
Val wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “No. You didn’t upset me. You were being a perfect gentleman. I asked you what you’d been thinking about.”
“Then is something bothering you? It feels like something changed after I made that comment.”
Val looked back and forth between my eyes and swallowed. “It’s me. Not you.”
“What’s going on?”
“I’m…nervous…about…you know.”
My brows furrowed. “What?”
She looked around and then leaned in and lowered her voice. “Sex.”
“Why?”
“Because I haven’t…it’s been…I was married for…” She shook her head. “I’ve only ever had sex with Ryan.”
Oh wow. I had no idea. But of course that made sense. She’d been with him since high school.
I tried to make light of it, calm her nerves. “I’m sure it hasn’t changed much. Candlewax dripping, riding crops, all four holes.”
Her eyes widened. “Four? What are the four?”
I laughed. “Relax. I’m kidding.” I shook my head. “Nothing has to happen until you’re ready. So stop thinking about it. You really need to stop overthinking everything and just take things as they come.”
She took a deep breath. “Okay.”
Things felt more relaxed after that. The waiter brought our dinner, and we fell back into our usual, comfortable conversation.
“How are things going between you and Bella?”
“She wasn’t around when I got home today, so I still haven’t seen her since that night. I texted her to check in while I was gone, but I only got one-word answers in response. Fine. Yes. No. Okay. Pretty sure she wanted to add fuck you to the end of each of them, but managed to restrain herself. I don’t get it. She does something wrong, and then she acts pissed off at me, like I’m to blame.”
“She’s deflecting. If she’s pissed off at you, she doesn’t have to look inward. But Bella’s a smart girl. She knows she was wrong.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sure you were no angel in college.”
“That’s the problem. I remember what I was doing at her age.”
Valentina smiled. “I skipped over the years of partying. I pretty much went from playing with dolls to having a real live one.”
After dinner, Val excused herself to go to the ladies’ room. While she was gone, I went over to the piano player and made a request. I guess he hadn’t had many because by the time she came back, he’d started to play my song: “Lady in Red.”
I stood. “Dance with me?”
“I’d love to. But I have two left feet, so I’m not responsible for any injuries.”