Page 38 of Happily Ever Never

I looked down at my glass and realized I was out of water,suddenly feeling parched.

“Come on, let’s do this. I’m here to show you that not allmen are creeps and jerks.”

I smiled back up at him. “And I’m here to show you that notall women only want you for one thing. Although, well, I’m not going to say noto that,” I said quickly and then put my hands over my face, groaning.

Leo laughed again, shaking his head. “See? We’re bothawkward as hell. We’ll figure it out.”

Thankfully, the waiter came back, and we ordered our mealsafter he refilled our water glasses. I settled in, watching Leo speak.

“Now, are you going to let me have a piece of your kebab, oram I going to have to order a side of that?”

I shook my head. “Of course, I am. And you’re going to letme have a bite of your salmon. We’re sharing here. We even asked for separatelittle plates.”

“I didn’t order french fries,though. I feel like we should have ordered frenchfries.”

“Next time,” I teased and then froze.

I didn’t get next times. I shouldn’t have said that.

But then Leo reached forward and gripped my hand, rubbinghis thumb across my skin. “Next time. That sounds good to me.”

My heart raced, the feel of his calloused hands on my skindoing something to me that I couldn’t name.

“Leo. Why does this seem like this isn’t a first? Like it’sso much more? Though maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“I’ve been trying to stay away from you for far too long,May. Maybe that’s why. Let’s figure out what we want. Because I want that. Iwant to be in your life. So, let me.”

I swallowed hard, looked at him, nodded, and knew thatmaybe, just maybe, we were getting it right.

* * * *

By the time we finished dinner, we were laughing, and I wasfull and slowly falling in love with the man who was my friend and might besomething more.

He tucked me against his side as we walked toward the frontdoor, both of us still laughing. The hostess looked at us with wide eyes beforegiving me a thumbs-up.

“Finally!” the other waitress said, then winced. “Sorry,”she added, a little cattily, and then stomped off.

I winced, slightly embarrassed, but Leo just cupped my faceand pressed his lips to mine.

I could barely breathe, hardly think. I simply fell into himas he kissed me—strong, possessive, and mine.

“I don’t think they will think about first dates and you ever again. We’ll give them something to talk about,” hewhispered against my lips, kissed me harder, and then bent me back slightly soI was in his arms. People started cheering. I blushed but gripped him, myfingernails digging into his skin.

When I straightened, I was a little dizzy. I waved at thehostess, who was, in fact, getting money from other people.

I didn’t want to feel bad about that. Maybe I could thinkthat some people had bet that I could actually have afirst date that ended in something more than failure and humiliation.

I didn’t know if I would ever be back to this restaurantagain, but as I walked next to Leo out to the parking lot, I figured tonightwas a success.

“Well, that was an eventful dinner,” I teased, feelingawkward again.

He tucked my hair behind my ear and looked down at me. “Itdoesn’t have to end now,” he whispered. “Or it can end for the evening, and Ican see you again. Because I don’t want this to end, May. Don’t letthis end.”

I pressed my lips together, looked up at him, and swallowedhard. “I don’t want tonight to end, either.”

I knew I had to leap. Because no matter how hard I had triedbefore, I’d held myself back. Because of fear, because of failure. But Iwouldn’t do that now.

“I don’t want tonight to end, either,”I whispered again.