Thief(20)

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” he says, sitting next to me with his own plate of food. “What time do you have to be at work today?”

I glance at my watch. “In about an hour. I need to leave soon to go home, have a shower, and get ready. What about you?”

He pops a piece of bacon in his mouth. “I’ll probably go in around lunchtime.”

“I want your hours,” I groan.

“Perks of owning your own business,” he says, winking at me. “But it’s also a lot of added pressure and stress involved.”

“You’ll have to take me to see your shop sometime.”

“I think I can manage that,” he says, chewing thoughtfully. “You know, I slept better than I have in a long time last night, even with my raging hard-on.”

I almost choke on a bite of toast. “You probably shouldn’t just say whatever pops into your mind, you know.”

He laughs, violet eyes twinkling. “Are you shy all of a sudden, Vi?”

“I’m just saying,” I reply, shrugging my shoulders, feeling a little amused and embarrassed at his comment. Mainly because I had no idea when we’re going to sleep together. I know there are no rules for things like this, but I don’t want to rush into it with him, even though my body definitely wants to. “And for the record, I slept well, too.”

“Good,” he murmurs.

We finish our breakfast, and then Dash drives me home so I can get ready for work. As soon as I get there, I jump in the shower, brushing my teeth while I’m in there, and then dress in black tailored pants and a white blouse. I put my hair in a high ponytail, and add some light makeup, checking the mirror to make sure I look put together and professional. Happy with my appearance, I slide my feet in my black pumps and get in my car, trying to focus on the day I have ahead of me, instead of the man who I can’t wait to see again.





Chapter Thirteen


“Did you make these sandwiches yourself?” I ask Summer, impressed. They are club sandwiches, and seriously delicious.

“No,” she says, taking a huge bite out of her own. “We have a chef here. The place is a restaurant during the day, although we closed it for a little while to renovate and only just reopened it. It will start getting busy again soon, and we’ll need to hire some more employees.”

“Well, the chef is awesome,” I tell her. “I’ll have to start coming here for lunch every day.”

“Please do,” she says, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “Reid always says I come in and work too much, but what am I going to do? Sit at home? I get bored. I’d rather keep busy.”

“I’m the same. I don’t think I could not work.” I pause. “I could use more holiday time though.”

“Yeah, I think everyone could,” Summer agrees then changes the subject. “So have you slept with him yet?”

I shake my head. “Does no one have a filter anymore?”

“We don’t have any boundaries in our group,” she admits, leaning back in the booth. “What are the fun in boundaries anyways?”

“No, we haven’t slept together,” I confess. “We’ve only been on two dates, and I know it’s kind of different circumstances, but I don’t know. I think rushing into everything could be a mistake. Plus, there’s the whole ‘he had a girlfriend just the other day’ thing.”

“Oh, that little chestnut,” she says, waving her hand in the air. “I kind of felt like he was just with her for the sake of being with someone. She was a bitch, after all.”

“Yeah, but that’s exactly my point,” I say, sighing dejectedly. “I don’t want it to be like that with us. If he just wants to be with someone, that’s not exactly a good way to start a relationship.”

She puts her hand up. “Don’t twist my words, Vi. Those circumstances were with Vanessa, not you. You’re the exception to his every rule. You’re the one for him; I just know it.”

“I’m glad someone knows what’s going on,” I grumble.

“I see it from the outside in,” she continues. “Trust me; the two of you are meant to be. Stop being stubborn and let him in.” She pauses. “Between your legs and in your heart.”

I throw a fry at her, but she just catches it and eats it.

“I don’t get how he can have no concerns though. He just seems so sure of everything, and we haven’t even spent much time together since reconnecting.”

“You’re totally overthinking everything,” Summer says. “Listen to me, babe. Dash is a great man. He’s wonderful. And with your history… It’s your call, but to be honest, I don’t think you can turn away. You’re already in too deep, Vi, because, you see, he’s your exception too.”

I cover my face with my hands. “I crave him so badly, even right now.”

“Don’t fight it,” she says, shrugging. “Just go with it. Sometimes, things just work out. There are no dating rules, so just go with your gut instinct. Go with what feels right.”

“Summer, leave the poor girl alone,” Ryan says, walking toward us with a smile. He takes a seat and steals some of Summer’s fries. “Dash knows what he’s doing. He can handle his woman. You don’t need to be advising her.”