Page 47 of Falling for You

“I always thought you were a partier. I mean…you kind of have that reputation, you know?” I can’t help but be surprised. From what Sawyer’s said over the last hour, it seems like he’s almost as much of a homebody as me.

He gazes down at his plate. “I definitely was a partier back in my high school days.” He sighs heavily. “It turns out, when your dad steals a couple of million dollars from the family company, and you have no money left, people don’t want to hang out as much. It didn’t take me long to figure out who my real friends were. Turned out I didn’t have a lot of them.” He quirks his mouth up in a half smile and my heart flips over. He definitely hasn’t had it easy.

“I’m sorry, Sawyer.” This time, it’s my turn to cover his hand with mine. “For what it’s worth, I think you are the best guy I’ve ever met. You’ve made so many sacrifices for me already, and you barely know me.”

“I feel like I do know you, Red. There’s something about you. From the first moment I saw you, I knew you were meant to be important to me.” His eyes are so intense that I feel my core tighten with heat. I squirm in response to his heated gaze and cross my legs. I try not to moan when he rubs my hand again. Even a small touch from him feels slightly erotic.

I know my cheeks are on fire. The table suddenly seems like a lot of space between me and the heat in Sawyer’s eyes. I really want to lean in and launch myself at him for a kiss. I struggle to remain prim and proper.

I hear someone clear their throat next to our table. I look up, startled from my lusty thoughts. A young blonde stands beside our table with her hand on her hip. She’s dressed in what I guess would be considered a ‘little black dress’. It is definitely little. Her boobs are spilling out of it and her legs look longer than a gazelle. Her hair has been curled and styled and hangs down her back in a cascade of golden curls. I probably a little as I catch my first glimpse of her face. She looks like Kate Upton. I’m not kidding. She really does. Well, crap.

“Hi Sawyer, I haven’t seen you in awhile. How have you been? You’re looking good.” She gazes down at him intently. There’s a heat in her eyes that conveys exactly how ‘good’ she thinks he looks.

“Hey, Jess. I’m okay. Have you met my date Ronnie before? Ronnie, this is Jessica Montgomery. We went to high school together.” He gestures to me and I sink back in my chair a little. I suddenly feel incredibly frumpy. He squirms in his chair a little and the tips of his ears turn red. He seems highly uncomfortable.

Jessica/ Kate Upton’s twin grins slyly. “Oh, we did a little more than that, didn’t we Sawyer baby?” She glances over at me. Her look is blunt and dismissive. I can literally feel myself shrink into my seat. “I see your tastes have changed to a simpler class, though.”

“Jess, we aren’t the same people we were. At least I hope we aren’t. From what I remember in high school, you could be a bitch. I wish I could say you had evolved too, but…” Sawyer trails off. The menacing expression on his face makes Jessica blanch.

I gaze down at my hands. I love that Sawyer jumped to my defense, but I feel awkward. Jessica pats Sawyer’s hand on the table. “Well Sawyer once upon a time you were a big fan of me, bitchy attitude and all.” Her smile is woeful. “I guess some things have changed.” She tosses her hair over her shoulder. “Y’all have a good time now. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” She winks and walks away, leaving an echo of her cloying perfume behind her.

Sawyer is staring down at the table. I rub my locket nervously. “Well, that was fun. She seemed like a nice girl.” Crap, that’s not what I should have said. Uncomfortable first date, party of two. Ugh.

We both sit there in silence until the waiter comes with the check. Sawyer is silent as he stands up to leave and I follow behind him numbly. The valet brings around his truck and he helps me inside again. This time, he doesn’t look me in the eyes. Is he thinking about how beautiful his ex from high school turned out to be? Is he regretting taking out a high school senior? What started out as a wonderful date has now turned into a strained, awkward mess. I gaze out the window and try not to cry. I’m tempted to turn into a blubbery mess, but I don’t want to make this worse.

Sawyer pulls into the parking lot of the diner and I look over at him. “You still want to get a milkshake?” I ask in a quavering voice. I assumed he would want to take me home so we can officially get this night over with.

“Of course.” He sighs when he sees the tears in my eyes. “I’m so sorry Ronnie. This is not how I wanted things to go.”

I wonder if he feels a little sorry for me, the high schooler who hasn’t really been on dates before. I’ve never felt so depressed in my life. I really just want to go home.

“You can take me home. I know you’re probably ready for this date to be over with.”

Sawyer grabs my hand. “No, I’m not ready for it to be over at all, but if that’s what you want…”

“It’s not what I want, but that girl back there…are you sure you still don’t have some kind of feelings for her?” I let out my question in one big rush. Better to hear the truth now, rather than later.

He barks out a short laugh. “Oh no, Ronnie. That’s what you thought this whole time?” He runs a hand through his hair and then turns towards me.

“Veronica Hester, you are the smartest, prettiest, sweetest girl I have ever dated. I just hated that you had to see the kind of people I used to hang out with. Jess was always a bitch and she was definitely never my girlfriend. I’ll admit we fooled around some, but it was usually when I was drunk or high and I’m not real proud of it now. You heard her in there. She insulted you. I’m ashamed that I was ever friends with someone like that.”

I let out a breath. He’s holding my hand and rubbing my thumb with his. His touch sends a shiver up my arm. “I thought maybe you saw her and realized you were making a mistake with me. I mean, I don’t have much experience with guys, or really any experience at all. I’m nothing like her.”

“Thank God for that.” He cups my face gently. “I like you exactly as you are. There is not a thing in the world I would change about you. Hell, I even thought it was cute that you drooled into your pillow the other night.” He chuckles.

“Well, you didn’t have to mention that.” My face is red as fire right now, I’m sure. “Just so you know, you really do snore like a mountain lion.”

He caresses my cheek lightly. “Well, if you can deal with that, then I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.” His eyes turn intense while he stares at me. “And I like the fact that you’re inexperienced, Red. It means that what we have matters. It means that I will be your first. I can teach you things and that excites me, I’m not gonna lie. I love that I get to touch you where no one else has.”

My insides turn to melted heat. I’m so turned on now I can barely speak. I guess I never thought of it that way. Now I’m excited that I get to experience all of this with him. I look down and see the bulge in his jeans grow larger. I breathe deeply.

I also ruin the moment when my stomach growls with a ferocity that has my expression changing to horrified and putting a hand on my stomach.

Sawyer laughs and puts a hand over his own stomach. “God, I’m glad you’re hungry. That food was great, but I don’t think it’s meant to fill you up.” He shakes his head. “Such small portions. What do you say to a good cheeseburger and that milkshake we talked about?”

“I say, you read my mind.” I lean over to give him a quick kiss but it quickly turns into something more. We both become so wrapped up in each other that when we part, we’re breathing hard.

Sawyer kisses my neck. Before Sawyer, I never knew that the neck was an erotic spot. Now his lips on the skin of my neck make me shiver and my core ache. I close my eyes and enjoy the electricity that flows through my body at the touch of his lips.