Stealing the Bad Boy

by Emma St Clair

  Sy tapped a finger to his chin. “Maybe you could add dinner tonight to my tab.”

  “You’re racking up quite the list of charges there, Sy. But I think that could be arranged.”

  Amy sprinkled cheese inside the omelet cooking in the pan, then put in chopped mushrooms, pieces of bacon she had broken up with her fingers, and what looked like fresh spinach. She expertly flipped the omelet.

  Sy’s stomach growled and he reached across to steal a piece of bacon from the plate she had set on the island. Amy turned just in time to catch him and smacked the back of his hand with her spatula.

  “Ow! You aren’t allowed to hit guests!”

  “I can when they’re stealing bacon. Maybe if you ask nicely …”

  Sy made his best pleading face, blinking up at Amy. “Please, could I have some bacon?”

  Amy held out a strip of bacon. Rather than taking it from her fingers, Sy grasped her wrist. Without dropping his gaze, he pulled the bacon directly from her hand with his mouth.

  Amy’s gaze fell to his mouth. Sy let go of her wrist, though he would have loved to hold on for just a little longer. The feel of her skin under his fingertips got his heart moving.

  “Thank you,” he said. “That was perfect.”

  Amy spun back to the pan, but not before he saw the flush in her cheeks. “Good.”

  Amy plated the omelet, adding a few more strips of bacon to his plate. She passed it to him with a fork, smiling. “How do you take your coffee?”

  “Just black is fine. Are we eating here?”

  “We? You want me to eat with you?”

  “I figured that was a perk of renting out the whole place—breakfast with the owner.”

  Amy smiled. “If you want it to be.”

  “Please.” He patted the stool next to him.

  She only hesitated for a moment, then nodded. She grabbed coffee for them both and put a few strips of bacon on a plate for herself. She sat down beside him and again that scent of wildflowers wafted over to him. Their thighs brushed under the countertop. The moment suddenly started to feel very intimate, in the best way possible.

  “Should we say a blessing? Or is that just something you do with your family?”

  Amy fidgeted. “I’m usually eating alone, so I do a silent one. If I remember. Do you want to say one?”

  Sy couldn’t remember the last time he said grace before a meal, especially not out loud. But he had loved it the night before, and not just because he got to hold Amy’s hand. He had been going back to church lately, but it still felt like parts of his faith from years ago had fallen into disuse, gathering dust in a back closet of his heart.

  He held out his hand on the counter, palm up, just as he had at dinner. And just like the night before, when Amy put her hand in his, Sy felt his skin heat where it connected with hers. A surge of attraction moved through his body, but also a sense of warm peace, like coming back to a familiar place.

  “Let’s pray. Lord, I, uh, thank you for this time. For new beginnings and old friends and for omelets. Amen.”

  Sy felt his cheeks redden at the short and simple prayer. But the smile Amy gave him was brilliant. She squeezed his hand once before letting it go.

  The first bite of his omelet had Sy wanting to moan. The melted cheese pulled together all the ingredients inside. It was seasoned perfectly and had that light, fluffy texture that he could never pull off when he made eggs.

  “Amy, this is amazing. Thank you. I can’t wait for dinner.”

  “Really? Good.” She beamed for a moment before her face fell. “Oh. I forgot. I’ve got plans for dinner tonight.”

  “Plans?”

  “The, uh, dates Delia set up for me.”

  An irrational sense of jealousy made him feel like any moment, his eyes were going to start twitching. “You’re serious about going on those?”

  Amy narrowed her eyes. “Yes.”

  “I don’t think you should.”

  “Give me a reason not to.” Amy’s voice held a challenge in it, one that matched the fiery look in his eyes.

  Sy took a breath. “I’m not interested in Delia. At all. Last night? That was all her. I was trying to politely get her off me when you walked onto the porch. It really wasn’t whatever it looked like. I apologized, and she started trying to climb me like a tree.”

  He could tell that Amy wanted to believe him but was still unsure.

  “And the rest of the night?” she asked.

  “I don’t know if you noticed, but it was all one-way. Any feelings on my side are all in the past.”

  He stopped just short of telling Amy that he had very real feelings for her. He desperately wanted to but didn’t feel like it was the right time. Not as he was having to explain about her sister and when she had a date with another guy that evening.

  “Just make sure Delia knows.”

  Sy had tried the night before, but Delia didn’t seem to hear it. He definitely needed to make it clear. Otherwise, Delia might be picking out engagement rings.

  “I will.” Sy paused, gathering his courage. “How about you cancel your date tonight?”

  Amy studied him for a moment, then lifted her chin slightly. “No.”

  “No?”

  “Nope.” Amy shook her head.

  “Fine.” Sy crossed his arms over his chest. “Then I’ll be the one to vet them.”

  “You’ll scare them off! They’ll take one look at you and go running.”

  Hopefully. Sy didn’t mind that idea at all.

  “If that’s the case, they didn’t deserve you anyway. But if they stay, that’s a point for them. They’ll also know that you have a very protective guy looking out for you and it will keep them on their best behavior.”

  “I was planning to meet them all at a neutral location. I’m meeting Brandon at the restaurant tonight.”

  “Have Brandon come here. I’ll answer the door. And if you need an escape from dinner, you can text me. I’ll happily pick you up.”

  More than happily. But if he couldn’t get her not to go, this was the best he could do. Scare the guy straight and then be her escape plan.

  Amy got quiet. She was looking down, her short hair forming a curtain that blocked her features from him.

  “Ames?”

  When she looked up, her tear-streaked face sent a heavy wave of emotion through him. Without even thinking about it, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

  “Hey, you okay? I’m sorry—forget my idea. It was stupid.”

  “No, it wasn’t your idea. I mean, it kind of was, but not for the reason you think.”

  She sniffed and buried her face in his chest, clutching at his shirt. Sy loved the feel of her in his arms but hated the tears that had her shuddering against him.

  “What is it? You can tell me, Ames.”

  “It’s just …” She smoothed down the material of his shirt that she’d wrinkled with her fists. “This is something my dad would have done if he were still here. He always wanted to get the chance.”

  Sy settled his chin on her head, drawing her even closer. “Oh, Ames. I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay. He’d be glad that you’re here to do it.” Her voice was wobbly.

  “Are you sure about that? The last time I saw your dad was the night of prom. I didn’t make the best impression.”

  “Knowing Derek, he probably deserved it. Dad always loved you. He would be glad that you’re taking his place.”

  Something from what she’d said earlier clicked in his brain. Sy pulled back to look at her face. “Wait—you said your dad always wanted the chance. He never got to do the whole scary-dad-with-a-shotgun routine?”

  Her gaze dropped to her lap, and she smiled softly. “Believe it or not, I’ve never gone on a date.”

  Sy almost fell off his stool. “What? How is that possible? I can’t believe it.”

  Her mouth dipped. “It’s pretty embarrassing. I know I’m pretty much a dork.”

  Sy l
et his fingertips graze along her jaw until she lifted her gaze. “Ames. You are amazing. Don’t be embarrassed. I meant that I have trouble believing that someone as beautiful as you wouldn’t have guys beating down your door.”

  She smiled, the flush returning to her cheeks at his words. “That’s … excessive praise. But thanks.”

  “It’s not excessive. It’s spot-on.”

  If she wanted to know what excessive was, Sy could continue. He could tell her about how her beauty wasn’t just all up on the surface. She’d had the same beauty back then—a light and joy that seemed to seep from her very pores. Now, the outside had caught up to the inside, a perfect alignment that made her outshine any other woman he’d met.

  But he swallowed down those words. Chad would be proud of his self-control, but Sy didn’t know if it was a mistake or not to keep them to himself.

  “Well, anyway. It took me a while to stop looking so sick. And I was pretty shy. I mean, I spent years being homeschooled, then I took a lot of my college classes online. When I did take some classes at the community college, talking to guys was hard.”

  “You never had a hard time talking to me.”

  Amy grinned up at him, making his heart soar. “No, I didn’t. Still don’t.” She bit her lip. “I’m nervous. I mean, I don’t even know the dating rules. Will he expect me to kiss him? Should I even be thinking about that.”

  No. No, she shouldn’t.

  Sy had trouble breathing through the volcanic heat radiating through him at the thought of Amy kissing someone else.

  “No. You shouldn’t kiss him.”

  Amy looked at him with such wide eyes, such innocence, that it felt like a punch to the gut.

  “Why? I mean, I won’t if I don’t want to. But have you never kissed someone on the first date?”

  “Kissing should mean something. It should matter. Not just be something you’re supposed to do at the end of a date, or at the end of a certain time.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Are you saying you never kissed any of those women you took out on a first date?”

  In that moment, Sy wished that he’d never gone on another date. Not a single one. Though it had been a while since he had taken a woman out, the Perpetual Bachelor nickname was totally deserved. He had dated—a lot. And he’d exchanged his fair share of kissing. More, even, something that he wished he could take back.

  In fact, staring at Amy’s blinking blue eyes, Sy wished that his lips had never touched another woman. That he could have saved all his firsts for the woman who sat before him.

  It only took a moment for the idea to form in Sy’s head. There was no way he was letting Ames go on her very first date with someone else. Not if he could do anything about it.

  He stood, holding out a hand to her. “Come on. You need to get ready.”

  “For what?” Amy looked at his hand warily.

  “I’m not about to let you go on your first date tonight with some loser you’ve never laid eyes on. How do you know the picture matches the person? What if he’s some grandpa who just got released from prison or something?”

  Amy snorted and crossed her arms over her chest, still not taking his hand. “Yeah, right. A grandpa convict. Very likely.”

  “Look. Whatever the deal with the guy is, you’re not going to go on your first date with someone from an app. You’ve got three dates this week, right?” When she nodded, he continued. “I’m going to take you on three dates too. You need a standard for comparison.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “You’re declaring yourself the standard by which I should judge all dates?”

  Sy shrugged. “I am.” And he would make sure none of her other dates measured up. Not. Even. Close. “Let’s go, Short Stuff.”

  Amy’s eyes went wide and then narrowed. “I know you’re a big-shot football player and can have your pick of the ladies, but you’re forgetting something.”

  Sy didn’t want his pick of the ladies. He was looking right at the only one he wanted, the one who was making his job of winning her over really difficult.

  “What did I forget?”

  “You have to ask a woman out first. You can’t just tell them they’re going out with you.”

  Sy dropped his hand, which he’d been holding out this whole time. “You’re right. Sorry about that.” He cleared his throat and got down on one knee, looking up at her as her mouth dropped open. “Amy Winters, will you go on a date with me? Starting now and ending sometime before your second date, which will completely pale in comparison. I plan to set the bar impossibly high. What do you say?”

  The biggest, most brilliant smile lit up her face. “Yes, Sy LaMarque. I’ll go on a very first date with you. If you get off your knee. Jeez, how long has it been since you asked someone out? Even I know that getting on your knee is for marriage proposals. Not dates.”

  “Right. I forgot.”

  Grinning, he got back to his feet. He was getting way ahead of himself and Chad would probably be waving a flag to slow him down, but Sy didn’t hate the idea of a marriage proposal if it involved Amy. Not at all.

  The thought should have shocked him, but instead it made him ridiculously giddy.

  “Sy?” Amy’s soft voice made everything in him still. The vulnerability in her face made him want to draw her close. “Are you sure? I mean …” Her lips twisted, and she dropped her gaze. “You don’t have to do this.”

  Sy didn’t know what insecurities she might be dealing with, but he hated to see that doubtful look in her eyes. He put a gentle hand on her chin, tipping her face up until she met his eyes.

  “There’s nothing I would rather do than take you on your first official date.”

  Her eyes softened, and it took all his self-control not to plant a kiss on her lips. But if she hadn’t been on a first date, that might mean she had never had a first kiss. If that were true, Sy wanted to claim that kiss for himself. Now was not the time.

  Not yet.

  He took a step back. “Okay, Ames. Get ready and we’ll meet back downstairs.”

  “I’ve got to do dishes and clean up the kitchen.”

  Sy shook his head. “Nope. I’ll do them later, when I’m waiting up for you to get back from your second, much more inferior date. Snap to it, Ames. You have thirty minutes to get ready. Starting … NOW!”

  Laughing, Amy raced around the kitchen island and disappeared into her room. Sy took the stairs two at a time, and when he caught sight of himself in the mirror at the top of the landing, he almost didn’t recognize the look of joy on his face.

  He was going to take her out on the best three dates of her life, making sure Brandon and the other guys didn’t have a chance. And that was just the start. Sy didn’t know what was next, but the possibility of having Amy in his life again had him more excited than anything he could remember in a long time.

  Chapter Nine

  Amy

  Amy stood in front of the full-length mirror in her closet, studying her outfit: skinny jeans tucked into leather boots, topped with a sapphire sweater. Comfortable but pretty. Nice but not too dressy. Was she overthinking? Probably. She’d already put her hair up, then let it down. Tried a braid, then half up. Now it lay in loose waves around her shoulders, and she was done.

  This was silly. But it’s what first dates were like, right? No matter what, you were nervous. Amy felt more comfortable in some ways because she knew Sy, but more nervous because she had already fallen for him.

  She glanced to her right, where several posters of Sy hung, along with articles she’d taped up about his accomplishments, tracing all the way back to some yellowed newspaper clippings about his time at University of Texas.

  “I’m the lucky girl who gets to go out with you tonight,” she said, staring at his handsome face, looking much more intimidating in his full gear than the Sy she knew. The one who called her beautiful not thirty minutes ago.

  Her cheeks felt hot remembering their conversation. And the way that he had taken her wrist and eaten bacon out
of her hand. Maybe she’d never been kissed, but Amy felt a bolt of desire shock her system. If Sy kissed her, she might not survive it.

  Is he planning to kiss me?

  The idea of that thrilled and terrified her in equal measures. No, it thrilled her more. Amy wanted to pinch herself, but she knew this was real. Even if it was what she’d dreamed about for years. It never seemed like something that could actually happen. But were his feelings real in the same way that hers were?

  She needed to remember that Sy hadn’t necessarily asked her out because he was interested in her. He said that he didn’t want her to have a first date with a stranger, not that he specifically wanted to be her first date. Amy didn’t want to read too much into his words or the way he’d so tenderly held her in the kitchen when she talked about her dad. But it was hard not to.

  “Just play it cool,” she told her reflection, trying to shake off her nerves. “Take what you get and be grateful for it.”

  But it would take more than a pep talk to steady her wild heart. Amy pressed a hand to her chest, but it didn’t slow the excitement that coursed through her, or the stupid sense of hope blooming there. Sy had existed so long in her memories and in her romantic thoughts that she figured she’d idealized him. But the real, grown-up Sy was so much better than her memories. He outshone what she thought were idealistic dreams.

  She wanted this to be real, for his reason to be more than just some chivalrous notion of not letting her first date ever be with a stranger. She wanted more than just one date with Sy. More than three.

  If Amy was being totally honest, she wanted forever with this man.

  You may not have forever.

  But she had today. And no threat of cancer was going to invade this day or this date. Really, Amy always felt like she was living on borrowed time anyway. Cancer should have killed her as a teenager. No one said the words out loud, but even back then, she’d known that everyone expected her to die. She felt it sometimes, hanging heavy in the air, like they were mourning her before she was gone.

  Amy blew out a breath. Sometimes she got caught in a tangle of negative thoughts like this, but it had been a long time. Why now?