Page 42 of Love on the Ice
Reid takes my hand in his, placing them on the center console of his SUV as he drives us to dinner. I don’t know where we’re going or what we’ll be eating, but as I sit in the passenger seat, I can understand why Brooklynn thinks this is a date.
This man gives good vibes.
And he is sweet in general.
I think any woman he spent time with would either think she was dating him or that he wanted to date her. I know because I think that in this moment, even though I know the reality. He clears his throat, and I turn my head to face his profile.
“I’m sorry. I was zoned,” I admit.
“It’s okay. I was asking you if you had heard anything back from any of the places you applied?”
Exhaling a heavy breath, I shake my head once. “No.”
“It’s only been a few days. Don’t get discouraged.”
It’s solid advice. I shouldn’t get discouraged. But that doesn’t mean I’m not. The words are logical, but unfortunately, my anxiety and self-doubt are not. So, instead of saying any of that, I just smile.
“I really don’t want to go out of town for this game,” he says, and I can’t help but hear the confusion in his tone.
Before I can ask him why, we pull into a parking lot, and he finds a spot, shifting the SUV into Park. He doesn’t release my hand, though. Instead, he turns to me and cups my cheek with his other hand. I’m taken aback, not expecting the move at all. I freeze.
His lips slowly curve up into a grin, and he leans forward to touch his mouth to mine in a soft kiss. He doesn’t deepen it, although I want him to. He shifts his face backward slightly, keeping his hand on my cheek as he does. His eyes search mine before he speaks.
“Hey,” he rasps.
“Reid,” I breathe.
He gives me a sexy smirk. His lips twitch, and then he clears his throat. “I just wanted to properly say hello,” he murmurs. “So, hey.”
“Hey.”
“You hungry?” he asks.
Scrunching my nose, I think about looking away so I can see where we’re parked since I wasn’t paying attention when he pulled into the parking lot. But I can’t look away from his eyes. He’s got me completely and totally transfixed.
“Depends on what we’re eating,” I whisper.
He breaks eye contact, his hand falling from my cheek as he throws back his head with a booming laugh. “You'll be hungry by the time the food arrives. Let's go so we can hurry up and get dessert,” he says, opening the car door and jumping out of the front seat.
My brows knit together, but I haven’t moved yet. “Why?” I ask. “Is the dessert good?”
Slowly, he turns around, his gaze finding mine, and his face gets very serious before he speaks. “It’s fucking phenomenal,” he growls with intention.
My stomach swoops, then flips, and I have to squeeze my thighs together because I know without a doubt, in this moment, he is not speaking about food. I can’t even whisper his name because I am frozen and can’t speak.
He closes his car door, and my eyes follow him as he jogs across the front of the car before he reaches my side. The passenger door is wrenched open, and he stands in front of me, his arm extended and his palm facing upward.
Wordlessly, I place my hand in his, keeping my legs together as I shift to the side and try to slide out of the SUV without flashing anyone. I’m not sure I succeed, but since he’s standing in front of me and is blocking me from anyone else’s view, plus he’s already seen it all, I decide not to worry about it.
Hand in hand, we walk into the restaurant. I don’t even remember what I eat. I’m so focused on him, on his eyes, his everything… on the dessert comment. Reid keeps the conversation flowing as he flirts with me the entire evening.
I am his.
Putty in his hands by the time the bill comes.
“Lorelai,” he calls out as we’re walking to his car.
He stops and turns to face me. I tip my head back to look up at him, waiting for him to speak. My heart slams against my rib cage. I'm nervous about what he could possibly have to say to me.