by Laura Ann
Laughter bubbled through Val’s lips and she couldn’t help but smile. “I guess that’s a good point. Again, I’m sorry.”
Andrew reached out and cupped her cheek. “No more. I started this date on the wrong foot and it’s kind of gone downhill from there.” One side of his mouth pulled up into a crooked smirk. “What do you say we start over?”
Val raised her eyebrows but was careful not to move. Andrew’s warm hand on her cheek was amazing. She didn’t want him to release her quite yet. She’d never been one to appreciate being touched, but now she saw a whole new world of possibilities. “Like, you want to drive back to my apartment and re-pick me up?”
He chuckled and rubbed his thumb across her cheek bone. “Nah. I was thinking something more like this.” He slowly leaned in, his mesmerizing eyes never leaving hers.
Val knew he was giving her a chance to pull back, but she had no intention of doing so. She wanted his kiss more than she wanted to breathe. When his lips finally met hers, she sighed and relaxed into the intimate moment. How is it that each kiss just gets better and better? It shouldn’t be possible!
After a minute, he pulled back. “Hey,” he said with a grin. “You look amazing. Are you ready for our date?”
Val closed her eyes and let out a light laugh. Opening her eyes back up, she smiled at him. “You look pretty good yourself, and yes, I’m ready.”
His hand left her cheek and Val wanted to pull it back, but she clenched her fists to hold in the impulse.
“You might be ready, but I think I’m way overdressed.” Andrew opened his car door and stood in the entrance, shedding his tailored suit coat.
Val held her breath as he then rolled up the sleeves, showing off his muscled forearms. His tie came next and he opened up the top button of his collar. Her eyes felt as wide as saucers as he shut the door, then walked around to hers. She gulped when his hand came into her vision, offering to help her out of the car. “It is totally not fair that guys can look so good when they mess up their outfits,” she muttered.
Andrew laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Considering how good you look after a long, exhausting workout, I’d say we’re even.”
“I think we’re going to have to agree to disagree,” she shot back with a smile.
“Oh, don’t worry,” he whispered into her hair right next to her ear. “I think we’ll find plenty of things to agree on.
CHAPTER 12
Val’s eyes darted sharply over the crowd. The line for a free hot dog had gotten so long, she could barely see the end of it. “What is it with you and food?” Val asked quietly to Lola, who was smiling and handing out the meal like she was the Queen of England.
“Food makes people feel good,” Lola answered back. “When people feel good, they act good.” She shrugged and winked at Val. “I’m just doing my part to put a little sunshine in the world.”
Val grinned, then went back to watching for unruly bystanders. She had already had to ask some people to leave who were trying to cut in line. The longer her eyes wandered, the more her mind did as well. It had been two days since her date with Andrew and it felt as if the man had taken up a permanent residence in her brain.
When he had dropped her off from their date, Andrew had walked her up the stairs and then pinned her against her door frame while he laid a kiss on her that left her knees weak and her brain mush. It had been marvelous.
Her phone had pinged nonstop ever since as they texted like teenagers who hadn’t seen each other in a month. Each time her phone buzzed in her back pocket, Val felt this surge of giddy energy that was completely foreign to her, but one that she had no desire to get rid of. I think this is what people refer to as twitterpated.
As if the thought conjured him, her phone buzzed again and Val’s fingers twitched to answer it. She quickly studied the crowd, not seeing anything out of the ordinary, and reached into her pocket.
Andrew: Hey, Beautiful! It’s Saturday, so now it’s officially date night. :) Want to grab something to eat when you’re done with Grams?
Val bit her lip and held in a giggle. A giggle! Oh, my word! What’s happening to me? I don’t think I’ve ever giggled in my life.
“Something good, dear?” Lola asked with an innocent expression on her face.
Val tucked her phone away. “Maybe.” She went back to her bodyguard stance.
“Well, don’t keep the gentleman waiting on my account.” Lola waved a hand. “Please feel free to answer your message.”
Val frowned. “What makes you think it’s a gentleman?”
Lola handed off a hotdog, then tapped the side of her nose. “I’ve been playing matchmaker for many years.” She took another container from the vendor and offered it to the next person in line before glancing slyly at Val. “He wouldn’t happen to have blond hair and blue eyes, would he?”
Val stiffened. She and Andrew hadn’t actually spoken about whether or not they were telling people that they were dating, and she wasn’t sure she was ready to make any kind of announcement. Things still felt too new, and the thought of talking about it made it feel cheap and gossipy.
Lola waved her hand again. “Never mind. I can see you’re not ready to say anything.” She grinned to show she wasn’t upset. “However, I have my hopes up and if I’m wrong, you better let an old woman down easy.”
Val felt the tension drain from her shoulders. “Will do,” she said softly.
A few more minutes went by with Val standing guard and keeping people orderly as Lola continued to hand out hotdogs, much to the vendor’s delight.
“I’m going to run out!” he exclaimed with enthusiasm. “I’ve only got five left.”
“Well, then, let’s hand out those five and you can go home to your family early tonight,” Lola encouraged.
Val watched as the last few people got their meals.
“That’s it! They’re gone!” the vendor shouted, waving his hands in the air.
The pronouncement was met with groans by the people who hadn’t received any. Val narrowed her gaze and watched even more carefully for anyone who thought to cause a problem, but no one did anything. Slowly, the crowd began to disperse and Lola turned to Val.
“Should we walk around and see if there’s anything else we can do to help?”
Val chuckled. “Not done throwing away your money yet?” She turned and started guiding Lola down a walking path.
“Never,” Lola teased. After a moment, she glanced over. “Are you going to answer that text or not?”
Val playfully glared. “I’m on the clock, Lola.”
“And your boss is giving you permission to not keep that boy waiting.”
“He’s not a boy,” Val immediately remarked, then clamped her mouth shut.
“Marvelous! A man! Even better.” Lola brought her hands together. “Quick, answer him! Answer him!”
Val sighed. “I really shouldn’t while I’m working, Lola.”
“Oh, just do it,” the elderly woman encouraged. “We’re just walking. No one is threatening me at the moment, so there’s no reason not to.”
Val took a deep breath. “You sure?”
“Yes!” Lola stopped and put her hands on her hips. “It would actually make me feel much better if you would take care of it. The suspense is killing me!”
Val laughed and shook her head, pulling out her phone.
Val: I might be free. What did you have in mind?
His answer was immediate.
Andrew: You, me, dinner, maybe a hot tub?
A shiver ran through Val at the thought of spending alone time with him. I think I’m becoming addicted. This is so insane, and yet I can’t get myself to say no.
Val: Will there be food?
Andrew: And dessert.
Val: You got yourself a deal. I’ll text when I’m done.
Andrew sent back a smiley face and thumbs-up emoji and Val tucked her phone back in her pocket.
“All settled?” Lola inquired with a raised eyebrow.
Val glanced sideways. “Maybe.”
Lola huffed. “Always so careful.” She clapped her hands together. “I, on the other hand, am not. I think maybe I want to find the cotton candy vendor. There are too many kids in this park without sugar.”
Val laughed. “Whatever you say...” She stopped and looked at Lola, who had stopped moving and looked pale. “Lola?” Val immediately glanced in the same direction as Lola was, but she didn’t see anything. Her eyes expertly moved around the area, but nothing looked out of the ordinary. The usual vendors were nearby, doing their best to sell their wares. “Lola!” Val grabbed her shoulders. “What’s going on? What scared you?”
Lola blinked several times, her eyes slowly coming into focus. “I thought I saw...” She swallowed hard and shut her mouth.
“What, what did you see?”
“Nothing. It was nothing.” Lola put a hand on her forehead. “You know, I think I feel a headache coming on. Can you take me home instead?”
Val once again looked around, but she still couldn’t see anything suspicious. Do I push it? Maybe her headache is making her see things? “Sure. Let me help you.” Still on full alert, convinced that Lola wasn’t telling her the whole truth, Val wrapped her arms around the older woman and slowly escorted her back to the SUV. I”ll just have to keep a tighter eye on things.
ANDREW HUMMED A TUNE as he unpacked the take-out that had just been delivered. After their initial rocky start, his date with Val had been fantastic, the best he had ever had, in fact. For once, Andrew hadn’t been worried about what the people around them were thinking, he hadn’t been bored by the topic of conversation, and he hadn’t been worried his date was only there because of his money.
Instead, he’d found himself smiling, relaxing, and laughing at Val’s stories. The two of them had fit together perfectly and Andrew had found that telling her goodnight had been far harder than it should have been, especially this early in their relationship. When they had finally both dropped their walls, they had fit together so perfectly, and separating from her had felt like he was leaving a piece of himself behind.
Andrew shook his head at his thoughts. “You’re ridiculous,” he scolded, grabbing a couple of plates from the cupboard. “If you tell her that you’re falling this fast, you’ll scare her off.”
His doorbell rang and Andrew jumped at the sound. “Chill...act cool. The last thing Valentina wants is a sappy, lovestruck fool in her face.”
He straightened his shoulders and headed toward the door, slowly pulling it open. His memory never seemed to do Val justice as each time he saw her, she looked even more beautiful than the time before. “H-hi!” he stuttered. He clenched his hands at his side, doing his best to keep them from reaching out to grab her. His instincts said to grab her, pull her inside, and give her a real greeting, but he was slightly afraid of another black eye if he gave into his desires.
“Hi,” Val said softly, tucking a chunk of hair behind her ear. She had pulled her hair up into a loose bun on top of her head, but a few chunks floated around her face, softening the look.
She wore a simple V-neck shirt and capris, but Andrew could see the ties of a swimsuit around her neck. “Decided you’re going to take me up on the hot tub idea, huh?”
Val grinned and shrugged. “I’m always up for a relaxing soak. Especially since the nights are starting to get chillier.”
Andrew stepped back and waved an arm toward the interior of the home. “Your wish is my command.” He fought the temptation to let his eyes linger on her beautifully toned legs as she walked in, instead opting to focus on the evening he had planned. “I thought before we got wet, we could eat.” He grinned and took the chance of grabbing her hand. He nearly sighed in relief when Val settled her fingers in between his in an obvious show of acceptance. “Hungry?”
“Starving!” Val groaned. “I think your grandmother fed the whole park today.”
“Except you, huh?” Andrew chuckled and held out a chair for her.
“Except me,” Val reiterated. “Thank you,” she murmured as she slipped into the seat.
Andrew frowned as he seated himself. “She needs to take better care of you. Maybe I should have a talk with her.”
Val shot him a nasty look. “Don’t you dare. It’s not her job to make sure I’m properly fed. Besides, she treats me to more than I should accept.” She scrunched up one side of her nose. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve broken my diet with her.”
Andrew barked out a laugh. “Sorry,” he said through his lingering chuckle. “Grams has always said she can be plump and happy or thin and miserable when it comes to food. She’s probably decided she needs to change your perspective.” He folded his hands. “Do you mind if we say grace first?”
Val shook her head and bowed it, closing her eyes while Andrew said a short prayer.
When they were done, she picked up the nearest cup. “So she’s miserable?” Val said, making a face. “Because she certainly doesn’t have any extra weight on her.”
Andrew shrugged as he handed over a container. “I think she gets her kicks out of helping other people eat the naughty stuff.” He dumped a bunch of chow mein on his plate. “What was she feeding people today?”
“Hotdogs. And we completely sold the vendor out.”
Andrew nodded. “Yeah. I think she’s done that one before.”
Val nodded. “Yeah, the guy seemed really cool with it. I think we made his day when he completely sold out, though.” She stuffed a bite of orange chicken into her mouth. “Mmm...this is really good.” She chewed and swallowed before talking more. “Much better than the cheap stuff we get down in my neighborhood.”
“I’ll admit this place is my favorite.” He leaned over the table a little and mock whispered, “They actually know me by name.” He gave a self-deprecating grin. “Pretty pathetic, huh?”
Val snorted a laugh and wiped her mouth on the napkin. “I take it you aren’t much of a cook?”
Andrew shrugged. “If you count pancakes and fish sticks, I’m pretty awesome in the kitchen.”
Val’s shoulders shook as she tried to keep the laughter inside with her mouthful of food. She finally managed to swallow and took a long drink of water. “No fair making me choke!”
“Sorry,” Andrew apologized, although he didn’t hide the fact that he wasn’t even close to being sorry. “I had nefarious plans to get you to choke so I could then save you and become your hero for the night.” He raised a challenging eyebrow. “After all, don’t damsels in distress always reward the hero with a kiss?”
Val’s brown cheeks were slowly turning pink and Andrew loved that he could make her squirm a little. Welcome to my world, he thought. My nerves have been jumping like I’m being electrocuted ever since we met.
“Or maybe the damsel knows how to rescue herself,” Val stated, putting her nose in the air.
Andrew put his elbows on the table again and dropped his voice. “But maybe the damsel doesn’t want to.”
Val didn’t answer, but the look on her face needed no interpretation. She was just as affected by their conversation as he was. Her eyes were dark and deep and held a distinct note of yearning in them.
“I think I’ve had enough dinner,” Andrew said softly, rising from his seat without breaking contact. He stepped to the side and held out his hand. He held his breath while he waited, knowing Val would have to decide whether she was ready to trust him or not. When her fingers slid into his palm, he wanted to jump and holler, but he held it in.
Giving her hand a little tug, he pulled her up into his chest. “I think maybe it’s time for dessert,” he said softly, giving into the desire to kiss her forehead. When Val sighed and melted against him, Andrew smiled against her skin. “Meet me out back?”
Val nodded and stepped back. Her face was so serious, but the edge of her lips kept twitching, and Andrew prayed it was because she was looking forward to their time together.
I think dessert tonight will be ex
tra sweet, he mused as he hurried to his bedroom to change.
CHAPTER 13
Val swallowed hard, doing her best to bring moisture back to a mouth that was drier than the Sahara. She slipped off her T-shirt and pants and folded them into the bag she had brought with her, grabbing her towel in the process. Her hands were shaking and Val stopped to take a deep breath.
She closed her eyes. In...out...in...out. She filled her lungs and pushed her nerves down deep, just like she had done before every mission during her time in the military. The only difference was, this time she wasn’t pushing down fear; she was pushing down a mix of excitement and nerves.
She wanted to be out in the hot tub with Andrew, and her desire to do so made her nervous. He had been so caring about not pushing the boundaries with her, but she knew that by stepping foot in that hot tub, she was sending him a message that she wanted to be all in as well.
Her revulsion to being handled was dwindling quickly and she found that she was actually beginning to ache for his touch. She loved the feeling of their hands coming together and of his fingers trailing along her arm or jaw. When their lips met, Val felt as if she could melt into a puddle and be happy for the rest of her life.
She glanced one last time in the bathroom mirror, adjusting her hair and the top of her swimsuit, and nodded. “Let’s do this.” Tucking her towel under her arm, she marched out of the bathroom toward the sliding glass door that led to Andrew’s expansive deck.
Her eyes darted around at everything as she walked. Other than Lola’s, this was the nicest place Val had ever been in when she wasn’t working. The house was modern and sleek and extremely different from anything Val had ever lived in. Tones of gray, white, and black dominated the space, causing the house to feel open and clean.
The only part Val didn’t love was all the metal detailing. She shrugged to herself. Guess it goes with the modern look, but nothing about it says homey at all. The long, thin sofa looked like a place where businessmen sat rather than a nice place for a nap or a movie marathon. However, the massive screen hanging across from it was a clear sign of the bachelor pad this home really was.