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Anticipation filled my chest as I followed Cass into the diner he chose. I’d thought a public place that was in his comfort zone was the best for our first time alone. His movements were graceful, and my gaze dropped to his backside as I watched the smooth slight sway of his hips. I’d repressed my urge to touch him as much as I wanted. My affectionate nature might overwhelm him too soon and push him away.
He glanced back over his shoulder. “Is this okay?” he asked as he motioned to a booth in the back.
“It’s perfect, honey.” I smiled at him as his cheeks turned a little pink. He stared at me for the longest time, and I realized what he was doing. “Please sit.” He slid into the booth, and as soon as he was settled, I squeezed onto the bench across from him.
He picked at the rolled silverware. His nervousness was so tangible. While I hated it, I also enjoyed how off-center I made him. The shy looks from under those pretty lashes. His flushed cheeks and that adorable stutter. He looked everywhere but at me.
“Cass,” I softly called his name. “Baby, hey, look at me.” I stretched out my arm and tucked my fingertips under his chin, feeling the slightest roughness of stubble. Big green eyes landed on my face. “Tell me why you’re nervous.” I curled my fingers and stroked along his jaw, and tucked his hair behind his ear.
“I’m…I’m not.”
“Baby boy, let’s get something out of the way. We only tell each other the truth. I need to know if I make you uncomfortable and why.” I dropped my arm to the table as the server stopped at the table.
She asked what we’d like to drink, and we ordered. Then she left to let us look at the menus. I winked at him as I caught him glancing at me, and I smirked as he blocked me with the tri-fold menu. As much as I loved his shyness, we really needed to work on that. Instead of forcing him to explain why he was nervous, I decided to change the subject.
“What brought you to work at the Outreach?” I asked.
“Well.” He laid the menu flat on the table. “I have a friend, Gregory. He mentioned they needed a therapist. My husband passed away three years ago, and I was kind of… losing myself. I think that’s the best way of saying it. Gregory mentioned I might need a change of scenery.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, honey.”
“Thank you. It gets easier, but it was unexpected, so the shock of it made it harder to accept. What about you? A reason you started volunteering.”
“Remy threatened me.”
“Oh, no, not Remy.”
I chuckled roughly at his obvious sarcasm. No one could be around the Outreach or the Strip without knowing Remy. Not only was he one of my best detectives, but he was also a community activist and victims’ advocate. You couldn’t fault him, although his anti-establishment leanings hadn’t always made him the most popular person among the higher-ups of Winston Harbor law enforcement. Yet his record spoke for itself, and no one wanted to lose him, especially me.
“Very much Remy.” I cleared my throat. “I got divorced a year ago. I was with my ex-husband for over twenty years. He wasn’t just my husband but also my boy. Honestly, after that, I threw myself into my work, and Remy told me I was becoming insufferable.”
“I’ve counseled law enforcement officers in the past. It doesn’t seem to be an easy profession to develop a balance between work and private lives.”
“I won’t argue with that. We’d had our problems, but I didn’t think they were divorce-level ones. I still don’t even know why, except that he put irreconcilable differences as the reason. I spent a lot of years undercover, and as a detective, I thought I was better at seeing clues than I was.” I winked at him as he softly laughed.
“Don’t say that.” He seemed ready to say something else when the server returned with our drinks and took our orders. I motioned for him to go first.
Something about Cass made me content to simply sit there and watch him. He was expressive and open. I hadn’t met many people who hadn’t learned to mask what they thought or felt. A lot of people had accused me of being cold because I could shut down so easily. I ordered one of the breakfast specials, and the server said she’d be back shortly with our food.
“Are you enjoying volunteering?” he asked.
“Yeah, it does break up the monotony. I’m surprised Boss allowed me through the door. There’s quite a few arrest reports with our names on them. Before my undercover days, this was my beat when I was in uniform.”
“I bet you were very handsome in your uniform.” As soon as he finished speaking, his big green eyes widened.
“I have some pictures from back in the day. Maybe I’ll let you see them if you agree to go out with me again.”
“Do you want me to go out with you again? We’ve barely started breakfast.”
“I just didn’t want to have to wait to ask you on a date. Breakfast felt like a no-pressure thing. Besides, this old man is a bit rusty in the romancing department.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.”
“Sadly true. I’ll tell you a secret.” I leaned my forearms on the table and bent a bit at the waist. He mirrored me and grinned. “Technically, this might be my first actual date.”
“How old are you again?” he asked.
