“Which one are you having?”
Well, right now I’m having an out of body experience, but I can’t tell him that. “Uh, tea I think. Yeah—iced tea.”
“Then iced-tea it’ll be. Come sit down and I’ll get it.”
Instead of arguing the fact that it’s my kitchen and I know where everything is and he doesn’t, I let him help me into a chair at the table. Once I’ve told him which cabinet the glasses are in he makes quick work of pouring tea for us. Taking a seat he starts pulling containers—a lot of containers—from the two loaded down bags he brought with him.
Gesturing to the containers with a laugh I ask, “Did you order the entire menu?”
He chuckles as he shakes his head in the negative. “I spent a few hours doing research by way of the Yelp app. You were right, by the way—this place has amazing reviews. I went through about a hundred of them and went with the things that were the highest rated. Of course I made sure to get your usual too. Mrs. Tan was very helpful.”
It’s a struggle to keep my mouth from falling open. “You spent a few hours on Yelp picking out what to eat?”
Busy opening containers, he shrugs. “I wanted to make you happy. You’re laughing so I guess I did okay.”
Surveying the massive selection in front of me, I let out a giggle. A giggle. I don’t giggle in front of men, ever. What is happening to my brain? Brushing off my nerves, I reach out and choose a container. We spend a few minutes filling our plates before we start eating. Just like last night, Exton will hold his fork out for me from time to time so that I’ll try some of what’s on his plate.
“I’ve got my Apple TV down in the car,” he says casually. “If you don’t have Netflix I can hook it up here so we can watch something. Or I can go to the Redbox and grab a movie if you want.”
Fiddling with my fork, I look at him wide-eyed. “Dinner was great, but really, you must have somewhere more exciting to be than watching TV on my couch. I know spending time with someone like me isn’t your normal speed.”
Setting his fork down he shakes his head. “You have got to be kidding me,” he mumbles. Looking me in the eye he shakes his head in apparent frustration. “Woman, you’re going to be the death of me.”
“I didn’t mean to insult you—”
“Actually,” he says firmly, “You’re insulting yourself. I’m exactly where I want to be and there is nothing I’d rather be doing than spending time with you. I’m really not sure what I’ve got to do to get that through your head, but I won’t quit until you understand.”
I don’t quite know how to respond to that. Finally, I settle on ignoring it entirely. “I have Netflix.”
“That’s all you’ve got to say?”
Leaning back in my chair, I cross my arms defensively over my chest. “I was unaware that I needed to respond in a certain way.”
The way his eyes take fire has me shifting in my seat. When his gaze drops to my chest, I look down and let out a shocked yelp. “Holy shit! Why didn’t you say anything about the fact that I’m dressed like this? I look like a freaking skank!”
I’m halfway out of my seat to run into my bedroom and put something more attractive on when he stops me. “Babe, you look like a goddamn dream and you aren’t changing. I like this look, a lot.”
A terrible suspicion takes hold in my head. “Oh crap, now I get it. You’re bored with the same old same old so you’re trying something new. That has to be what this is. You’re normally with models and in comparison, I look like I ate one.”
Smacking his hand down on the table, Exton lets out a sound that’s along the lines of being a growl. “I swear to you, the very next time you refer to yourself as being fat, I’m going to put you over my knee. You’re fucking sexy as hell and you put every woman I’ve ever seen to shame. I’m here for you, Arden, not to get my fucking kicks. Don’t insult either one of us by trying to cheapen shit and make this less than what it is.”
He’s making me crazy. In the last seven days he’s managed to completely disrupt my normally quite ordinary and well-ordered life. Glaring at him I snap, “Maybe you should clue me in and tell me what the hell this is then, since you seem to be the one with all the answers!”
After staring at me silently for a few seconds and running his hand through his hair, he exhales sharply. “You’re so busy fighting and spinning out that I don’t think you’re in the headspace to hear what I know. All you need to focus on right now is relaxing into it instead of fighting it. You’re just wasting time, Beautiful.”
I’m not going to lie to you—I am terrified. Only the fact that my arms are crossed in front of my chest is hiding the fact that my hands are shaking. It’s like the man doesn’t understand how intimidating this whole thing is to me. I really don’t understand how he’s so certain that this is supposed to be happening.
“I’m going to put the food away and do the dishes. Go cue up whatever it is we’re going to watch tonight.”
“You’re the guest—”
“Babe, I’m doing this shit and you’re relaxing. Don’t think of me as a guest. Go pick something to watch—I’ll be right there.”
Accepting that it’s pointless to argue semantics with him, I leave the kitchen and head for my bedroom to get changed. I’m just at the door when I hear him bellow, “Don’t you even think about going to get changed, woman!”
I spin around quickly, fully expecting to find him at the other end of the hallway but he’s not there. Marching back into the kitchen, I find him moving closed containers from the table to the refrigerator.
“How did you know—”
Looking over at me, he smirks. “Lucky guess.”
“Ugh,” I say as I turn to go to the living room. “You’re really overbearing sometimes!”
The sound of his laugh is the only answer I get. Turning on the TV, I get us all ready for The Walking Dead. Once I’ve got that under control, I flop down on the couch.
I don’t have to wait too long for him to join me, and as he enters the room my mouth goes Sahara desert dry. This man fills out a pair of jeans like nothing I’ve ever seen before. If I were a braver woman, I’d ask him to turn around so that I could stare at his ass for a while.
Coming to a stop just in front of me, he stays still and does nothing. Looking up at him in confusion, I find him smirking down at me. “Like what you see, Beautiful?”
Blushing furiously, I shake my head. “No . . . I mean yes. Or no!” Oh my God, I am a blubbering idiot. I know I’m failing to act cool here, but it’s as if I can’t stop. “Wait, I mean yes—I was just wondering what kind of jeans you’re wearing. I need a new pair.”
He’s straight up laughing his ass off as he drops down onto the couch next to me, sliding his arm onto the back of the couch behind my head. “So you’re in the market for a pair of men’s jeans?”
Giving him a dirty look I snap, “You couldn’t just let me salvage my pride, could you?”
“Nope. I think it’s fucking hot that you’re checking me out and I don’t want you pretending otherwise. You know damn well that I’m looking at you and liking what I see—of course I want you to feel the same.”
I have no response to that other than my rapidly beating heart. Changing the subject entirely I say, “You good with The Walking Dead? Because that’s what I was planning to watch.”
As he sets his feet on top of my coffee table and gets comfortable, he nods. “I told you last night I love this shit so yeah, I’m down. Let’s watch some walkers get fucked up.”
The man gives me no breathing room whatsoever. I try to stay a comfortable distance from him, but he isn’t having it. Within about ten minutes he’s got me pulled tight against him and my head is resting on his shoulder. I’m not a party animal so by the end of episode four, I’m snuggled into him and yawning my face off.