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Nick ordered my wine and a beer for himself.
“Let’s go a bit closer to the water,” he suggested after we received our drinks.
“Great idea.” I liked the vibe of the place, but it was a bit too crowded around the bar. They’d set up swings near the water, and I pointed at them. “That’s so cool. I want to sit on a swing.”
“Your wish is my command.”
“Just for tonight or always?” I teased. I was in a very teasing mood today, but why shouldn’t I be? The weather was amazing. I was here with the hottest man on the planet, which was absolutely irrelevant but still worth mentioning. I’d had an excellent barbecue, and now I was relaxing with a glass of wine.
“You can always count on me, Allison.” He leaned in closer. “And if you need some entertainment, you can call me,” he said as I sat on the swing.
Only after he sat did I realize that it was meant for couples. Our thighs were touching, and my stomach somersaulted. Being this close to him, it was impossible not to notice the effect he had on me. My pulse quickened. My mouth was dry, and my skin seemed on fireeverywhere.
I tried to pretend this wasn’t affecting me at all because what else could I do? So I took a sip of my wine and then another one, closing my eyes.
“Relaxation looks good on you.”
My eyes flew open, and I felt my cheeks go completely hot. He was watching me.
“It’s nice. I forgot what it felt like.”
He turned slightly toward me, then resumed his position, probably realizing there was no way to turn without completely climbing over me.
Which you wouldn’t mind, would you?a naughty voice said at the back of my mind.
“I’m going to take time for myself more often,” I promised him. “Although it’ll be in another shape, such as me taking a hot bath with rose petals and rubbing all sorts of scrubs over my skin.”
He started to cough.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Sure, sure.” And then he immediately rose from the swing.
I moved to the center of it because it was weird to be on one side by myself, plus it tilted with the loss of his weight.
He cleared his throat, looking at his beer, then gave me a cheeky smile. “There’s not much I can do to help with that, but it sounds like you’ve got the hang of it.”
It took me a second to realize what he meant. Oh.Oh.I might have gone a bit overboard describing my bath to him.
“I promise I’ll call you for anything that I can’t do by myself.”
His eyes bulged.
Wait, that didn’t sound right.Ugh.
I looked at my glass. I definitely hadn’t drunk enough to warrant a loose tongue. Clearly the combined effect of Nick and the wine was going to my head. I decided to pretend I hadn’t said anything.
“So, what would you like to do in your free time?” he asked.
I tilted my head. “I’m not even sure.” Going with friends for drinks until late in the evening didn’t sound appealing at all. Neither was shopping with my best friends—especially since I hadn’t heard from any of them in months. “I’m not sure. I guess I’ll have to think about it.”
“Do that and let me know. I’d love to join you if you need company.”
“Nick, are you serious?”
He stepped closer but didn’t attempt to sit back down. Instead, he put his hand on the metal bar above me, his muscles flexing with the motion. Yum. This man was truly something else. “Yes.”
“But why? I’m sure you’ve got a million things to do.”