Page 105 of Desserts for Stressed People

“Can’t you? I’m known for being nice.”

“I’d like to think our unique situation also played a minor role in that.” His fingers rub circles over my legs, and goosebumps cover my skin like a blanket.

One week together, still no sex. Emma is losing her mind over this. Every day she texts me and asks if we’ve done it. Every day she uses a different, colorful expression. “Have you dipped the biscuit?” was a good one, but “Did you Netflix and chill?” also deserves a shout-out. I had to look it up to know what the hell she meant.

“Should we go home?” I ask, stifling a yawn. “Because I’m so tired I’d be okay sleeping in the break room.”

He chuckles, but I’m one hundred percent serious. The thought of going all the way to my apartment and having to wash my face and put my pajamas on seems dreadful. Especially if we need to be here again four hours from now. And I know whether we sleep here or at home, there won’t be any sex happening tonight either. I’ve never seen him so tired, and despite the three layers of concealer I slapped on my face, there’s evident dark circles beneath my eyes.

“Let’s get out of here,” he says, pushing my chair back until my legs flop on the floor.

“Fine.” I groan as I follow him along the corridor. I hold my heels, because there’s no way I’m wearing them after the night we had, and I’ll probably need to shower too before I get to bed. These floors must be so dirty.

Once we reach the elevator, he lets my hand go with a sigh. “Come here.” He turns to me and pulls me up, my legs wrapping around him.

Resting my cheek on his shoulder, I whisper, “I think my underwear is showing.”

“It’s okay. There’s no one to see it.”

True. I close my eyes and clasp his neck. He smells so good after working sixteen hours. It’s unfair.

Once we’re in the car, I force myself to wake up and make conversation. The streets are silent and everything is dark—knowing he’s exhausted too, I’m genuinely afraid he’ll fall asleep at the wheel. But he’s fine as he drives through the city and responds to my comments, though he seems lost in his thoughts.

“I’m sorry about tonight.”

I tilt my head. “It’s okay. We can go on your big night tomorrow.”

“Yes, but this was supposed to be our first real date, and I’m sorry I had to cancel on you last minute.”

“We still got to spend some time together. We have all the time in the world to date.”

When his eyes fixate on mine, I wonder if I’ve said something a little too intense. It’s difficult to remember we’ve only been together for a week. I’ve been crushing over him much longer than he has over me. “Do you feel like staying up a little more?” he asks.

A red alarm goes on and off in my head. Sex. Sex. Sex. Not knowing when it’ll happen fills me with nervous tension. The first time with someone is always a little bumpy, and I want to get it out of the way. More so because I haven’t had a first time with someone in five years. On top of that, I want him so badly, my whole body feels like it’s on edge.

“Yes. Yes, of course,” I say, perking up embarrassingly quickly.

When he turns left, my stomach clenches, but then he takes a right, and I slump in my seat. Home’s the other way, so I guess sex is off the table for one more night.

As he parks, my heart stills for an instant.

The square is deserted, but beautiful nonetheless. Water sprays out of the horses’ mouths at this hour of the night too. I know the coins are there, copper and green against the white marble.

Shane’s bringing me to his secret place.

Crap. I can’t wait for him to, yet I dread this moment with the same intensity. How should I react? I don’t want to pretend like I don’t know. Idoknow—but I can’t tell him that.

I follow him out of the car, and hand in hand, we walk toward the graffiti of the little girl in the pink dress, past the fountain, until we’re faced with the wall. “You see that graffiti?” he asks.

“Hm-hm.”

“That’s my sister.”

My eyes bob from the wall to him and back. “Your sister?”

“Yeah. I had a friend of mine draw it. It’s inspired by a picture of my sister as a child, in the pink dress she loved so much. She had the most amazing sense of wonder. She still does, in a semi-adult way.”

God, there’s so much I want to know about this man. He is close to his grandparents, and I’ve seen the affectionate relationship between him and Riley. But does he have friends he is close to? He said his sister has a kid. Is it a boy or a girl? How is he around his niece or nephew?