Page 33 of The Secret Crush Book Club (Peach Blossom #3)

Twenty-Four

Z oey had been in motion the moment she stepped foot inside the house.

She had never cleaned so fast in her life and now that the house looked as good as it could by her hand, she was trying to focus on doing the same for herself.

She knew she only had so much time to prepare what with dinner baking in the stove.

She had sent a text to Dani with a time and then promptly tried not to freak the fuck out.

I am an adult. Having someone come over shouldn’t have me this out of sorts .

With a sigh, she finished dragging the net against her skin, enjoying the soft scratches as she imagined a familiar hand gliding over that exfoliated bit of skin in appreciation.

Getting dressed presented another dilemma because what the fuck was she supposed to wear for dinner in her own house?

Usually, if she were alone, she would toss on some pajamas and call it a day.

If Tiffany was over, she’d either do the same or a pair of sweats and a T-shirt.

But this was a date, the date if she was being real.

Tonight would either make or break a potential relationship with Dani because as much as Zoey wanted this, she knew that she couldn’t be the only one trying.

She had learned her lesson once about being the sole person trying to make things work and it had done nothing but left her single and needing months of therapy.

It had been an unfortunate situation, but she had learned, and she knew better now how to identify those people-pleasing parts of her that would act against her best interests if she let them.

She knew she and Dani needed to have actual conversations and not leave things to chance and hope they lucked into something healthy enough to be long-term, especially with a child involved.

Still, even with the internal pep talk, Zoey still wasn’t sure she was ready, especially not when there was a knock on the door and opening it led to coming face-to-face with Dani.

Zoey couldn’t help the way her eyes raked over Dani’s slender frame, taking in the tight long-sleeve shirt that dipped at a waist that made Zoey want to reach out and grab, and the loose slacks that seemed to go on for miles, showcasing long legs.

“Hey.” Dani’s voice was unusually subdued, and Zoey had to grip the doorknob to keep from backing up. Her pulse was beating double time but Zoey forced herself to smile and gestured for Dani to come in.

“Hey. Perfect timing. The food is ready to come out of the oven.” Zoey pushed some false cheer into her voice to cover up for how reedy it was.

After Dani walked in, Zoey took a moment to breathe deep before she turned around.

She almost needed a few more breaths because damn it if Dani didn’t make her want, just by standing in the middle of her living room.

“You can take a seat at the table. It’s set up and I’ll bring the food over. ”

Dani nodded before pausing. “Is there anything I can help with?” She reached into her purse. “I brought a bottle of wine, but didn’t want to make you think I was trying to get us drunk before talking or anything.”

Zoey’s smile felt more genuine when she reached for the bottle.

Maybe it was rude, but she was happy to see that Dani was perhaps just as nervous as her.

It made Zoey feel less alone in just how fervently she wanted this to work.

When their fingers brushed, she looked up, locking eyes with Dani.

That feeling—the flush of attraction and the slight zap of electricity in their touch—wasn’t something that could be explained away.

It needed to be confronted and either denied or confirmed.

“If you want to grab a couple wineglasses from the cabinet over there, that would be great.” And it will give me time to get myself together.

Zoey was momentarily granted a reprieve when Dani moved in the direction she was pointing.

She escaped back into the kitchen to take a couple of calming breaths before grabbing the food and bringing it to the table.

Dani was standing by the table, smiling softly down at the glasses and Zoey almost stubbed her toe on the wall.

Her stumbling must have alerted Dani to her presence because she looked up at her, soft smile still on her face.

“Smells delicious,” Dani said when Zoey placed the casserole dish on the table.

“I hope you’re hungry.” When Dani looked back up at her, Zoey swallowed hard. “It’s nothing special but—”

“It’s special because you made it,” Dani cut in.

She moved to sit, not realizing she was single-handedly destroying Zoey’s plans of not falling any harder for her.

Zoey quickly followed, sitting across from her before realizing she might have made a calculated mistake.

How the hell was she supposed to focus on food with Dani sitting there across from her looking like a five-course meal?

Thinking quickly, she uncorked the wine and held out the bottle.

“Wine?”

Zoey busied herself with filling their glasses as Dani scooped out a helping of lasagna for both of them and then the salad.

They began eating, neither saying anything.

Zoey wasn’t sure how to bring up the conversation she knew they needed to have.

Should she just lead with how much she liked Dani and see how she felt?

Should she talk about why she was wary about things?

How did you talk about a past relationship where you were taken advantage of without trying to seem like a victim or like you weren’t over it?

She was over it, even if it still had rippling effects.

“So, I want to apologize.” Zoey looked up at Dani’s words.

Of all the openings, that wasn’t even close to what she was expecting.

Dani was holding her wineglass, though it still looked as full as it had been when Zoey first poured them.

She was looking down at the ruby-red liquid as it swirled slightly in her cup.

As if sensing Zoey’s eyes on her, she paused and looked up. “Why do you look so stunned?”

Zoey shook herself before replying. She hadn’t been aware that her surprise was written all over her face. “I just wasn’t expecting you to do that.”

Dani cocked her head to the side. “What? Apologize?” When Zoey nodded, she furrowed her brow.

“Why not? I was the one who put the brakes on things, and pretty abruptly at that. I should have talked to you instead of just spouting off at the mouth and leaving. I get onto Ava about doing that, but now I realize who she probably got it from.”

Zoey chuckled when Dani’s lips turned up in a wry smile. She did appreciate the apology, even if she didn’t think it was necessary. “You didn’t have to, but thank you. I have to ask though. Is your hesitance really just because of Jordan or is it also because I’m a woman?”

Dani froze for a moment before she leaned back in her chair. Her gaze dropped to the table and Zoey gave her a moment to answer instead taking another few bites of her own food as she waited.

“Truthfully, it’s both,” Dani said finally. She looked back up at Zoey. “But I’m more worried that I’ll…” She trailed off, looking away again and this time when Zoey looked closer, it was almost like Dani was embarrassed.

“You’ll what?” she said, prompting Dani to finish the sentence she had started.

Dani sighed and set her glass down. “Worried that I’ll do something wrong.

I’ll ask the wrong question or make some assumption that shows how completely out of my depth I am when it comes to dating women—to dating you.

” Maybe the confession should have given Zoey pause, but instead it made her feel lighter.

She couldn’t help the smile that spread on her lips.

When Dani saw her, she rolled her eyes. “You are looking way too smug.”

“Not smug,” Zoey said. “Just realizing that you really like me.”

“Of course I do. Why would you be bothering with me if I didn’t?”

The question hit a bit too close to home, but it was probably better to get it all out there.

“Because I did before. Not with you, but with another woman I liked.” Dani’s confusion was clear on her face, so Zoey continued explaining.

“I, well, not dated, but was around a woman before who I liked even though she never explicitly said she liked me. I had hoped that…well, she wasn’t interested in me like that. Not really.”

“She used you.” Hearing Dani say it so bluntly had Zoey biting back excuses.

It was hard admitting she was used, even after coming to terms with it.

“Yeah. I wanted to be a good friend and thought that we were on the same page about the direction of our relationship, but we weren’t.

Mason says it’s because I seek out the stability we didn’t really have. ”

Dani looked at her for a moment. “Is that why you like me? Because I’m stable?”

Zoey frowned. “No. I mean, yes, but not like that. I’m not trying to use you to fulfill some hole in myself.

I like you because you’re funny, and smart, and have really great taste in books.

” When Dani snorted out a laugh, Zoey gave her a tentative smile.

“I won’t lie, I do want the picket fence–type family, but I wouldn’t just go after anyone to have it. I like you because you’re you.”

It was a couple minutes before Dani finally answered her, lips pulling apart in a hesitant smile.

“I like you because you’re you too. I’m not using you as some sort of experiment or a way to get more excitement in my life.

I don’t want to lie to you. I’m still figuring out if I’m bisexual or lesbian. Both? Neither?”

Zoey chuckled, understanding how confusing it can be to figure things out. “I get it.”

“Good. Great,” Dani said with a sigh. Zoey saw her shoulders drop and realized just how tense Dani had been. “I never really dated much. I never felt the need or saw the appeal of trying to get to know someone, but with you, I want to know everything.”

“I’ll tell you everything,” Zoey said without thinking. Blinking quickly, she realized she had been leaning forward, almost dipping the sleeve of her blouse into her plate. “You can ask me whatever you want.”

Dani nodded slowly, her smile widening. “You can do the same with me. I won’t promise to have all the answers yet, but I can promise that I like you.

This isn’t some passing phase for me.” Her gaze shifted heat in them, seeming to ignite.

“And when I say I like you, I mean in every way. My feelings are in no way platonic when I think about you.”

Zoey reached for her wine and took a large sip that did nothing to wet her suddenly dry mouth.

She had hoped Dani liked her like that, but to hear it so bluntly was doing things for her that should have been illegal.

The confirmation that they were on the same page with their feelings lifted a weight off her shoulders.

“That’s great. Me too. When I think about you, I mean,” she said, stumbling over her words. Dani’s smile shifted into something lighter, and Zoey nearly jumped out of her chair to run around the block in triumph. “So…you and me?”

Dani leaned forward and put her hand palm up on the table between the two of them. Zoey looked at it before reaching out to place her hand in Dani’s. Her touch was soft and the warmth of it bled into Zoey’s skin. Brown met brown and Zoey felt her breath hitch.

“You and me.”