Come Back for Me (Arrowood Brothers #1)(54)

“Then we figure it out.”

I don’t know why I hoped for something else. It’s unfair of me to expect him to make promises of more, and I really am grateful he doesn’t. Connor tells me the truth—always. He’s honest with me, knowing that I can’t handle games.

“Okay, we figure it out,” I say in solidarity.

“Now, tonight, we’re on our first official date, and I plan to woo you.”

I lean back and extend my hand. “By all means, woo away.”

The dinner is great. Connor and I laugh, tell more stories of when we were younger, and talk about good times. We both steer clear of heavy topics and enjoy each other’s company. He had the bar serve us mozzarella sticks for an appetizer on plates he brought from home, cheeseburgers for the main course, and he had the fries separated to be our side dishes. It was cute, thoughtful, and absolutely perfect.

“Tell me about your parents,” Connor says as we sit, waiting for the desert.

“Not sure what to say. They were amazing, really wonderful. They died tragically, and it’s all still a mystery as to what happened.”

“A mystery?”

I nod. “They never found the car that hit them, so the case went cold.”

“I’m so sorry.” His voice is filled with empathy.

For the first time, I don’t feel quite so sad. It’s funny how healing happens in ways you don’t realize. Before, talking about them would make me depressed, but in this moment, I want to remember the good and not the bad. I’m tired of always going back to what it was like when they died.

“I’ve been stuck for so long and . . . I don’t know. I guess I forgot just how much my parents loved each other. It was sometimes almost gross to watch. My father was always kissing her.” I laugh once. “I remember one time I walked into the kitchen and he had her up against the wall. I was sixteen, so I fully knew what they were doing.”

Connor smiles. “I never saw any of that, thank God. To me, my mother died a born again virgin.”

He’s so stupid. “From what you’ve told me about your father’s undying love for her, I’m going to guess that isn’t true. Also, she had four boys in five years. That’s a lot of sex.”

His face scrunches. “No, that’s one time each, and they never touched again.”

“Is that what you’d want if we were together?” My fingers slide against his palm.

He clears his throat. “No. Once I have you, Ellie, you’re going to want more time with me as well.”

“Is that so?”

Not that I doubt him in the least. I want him now. Touching him, kissing him, is a drug that I can’t quit. I can’t imagine how it will be when we finally make love again.

“Most definitely.”

“I look forward to the challenge.”

Connor rises to his feet and comes around the table. “They say that dancing is like having sex with your clothes on.”

“They do?”

“Yes. Will you dance with me?”

“Now? But there’s no music.”

He grins as he extends his hand. “We don’t need it.”

I place my hand in his and we walk a little away from the table, which took up most of the dance floor. Connor stops, and I step into his arms. Together, we sway, our cheeks resting on each other’s, arms holding on to one another. He was right. We don’t need music.

I close my eyes and commit this moment to memory. Here we are, in the bar where we met so many years ago, dancing just like we did that night.

I feel it all, the warmth of his body, the strong muscles that make me feel safe, and the way I seem to fit perfectly against him.

Connor pulls back so our eyes meet. “I could stay like this with you forever.”

“Me too.”

And I want to. With him, the world is filled with possibilities and safety.

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” Connor urges.

I want to confess it all to him because he needs to know what I’m feeling. “That when I’m with you, I’m not the broken woman I sometimes feel like. That you look at me in a way I only dreamed was possible. It scares me, yes, but it humbles me as well. I think about how much I want something more with you even though it feels like it should be way too soon.”

His thumb strokes my cheek. “I think if we were anyone else, it would be. You’ve been mine since the night we met in this bar. When we gave ourselves to each other, it wasn’t the way either of us planned. I know you, Ellie. I see you for all that you are, and I think that maybe you’re just starting to see yourself.”

He’s the man who wants to slay dragons and has the fortitude to do it. I don’t fear telling him things. He is the calm in the storm that rages around me.

I shake my head, looking away. “I don’t deserve you.”

His thumb lifts my chin so our gazes lock once more. “It’s me who doesn’t deserve you, Angel, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to give you up.”

We stay like this, just moving to the sound of our heartbeats, making our own music.

After a few more beats, I look up at him, hoping what I’m about to say doesn’t destroy the perfect night we’ve been enjoying. “I got something today.”

“Is it about the court case? I got my subpoena today too.”