Chase Me (Broke and Beautiful #1)(51)

Louis blew out a long breath and kissed her forehead. “I don’t go on a lot of dates, but I’m almost positive blow jobs are reserved for after dinner.”

“Are you complaining?”

“As God is my witness, I’ll never complain about anything ever again.”

Their quiet laughter filled the apartment.

Maybe she could stop waiting for the other shoe to drop. Just for tonight.





Chapter 17



AT LEAST ONE question had been answered tonight. Somebody up there definitely loved him.

Louis threw his arm around Roxy’s shoulder as they weaved through pedestrian traffic on Grand Street. He tried not to smile like a jackass when she leaned into him. Fine, the evening had definitely not started as he’d planned, with her knocking on his door as he’d performed the holiest of acts, but damn. How beautiful were the stars tonight? He’d never really noticed before!

What had gone according to plan so far with this girl? Oh, that’s right. Nothing. Not being able to pin her down had driven him crazy in the beginning. It still did. But he’d just started to realize Roxy couldn’t be situated or handled. She handled herself and decided when and how she wanted to include him. He hoped that would change as she got to know him better, but for tonight, he was pretty damn content to hold her close as they walked down the street. If he had to struggle not to look at her mouth every time she spoke to him, well, he was only a man. And this man had just had his world rocked.

It was more than the amazing things she’d done to him, for him. Amazing didn’t even begin to cover it, actually. It was the way she’d been afterward. He’d expected her to clam up, make an excuse to leave. He thought he’d truly f*cked up letting himself get carried away with her, when he’d gone to such lengths to convince her of his good intentions. Then she’d smiled up at him without a hint of remorse on her face, and he’d kind of fallen half in love with her. Stop kidding yourself, you’re more than halfway there. Louis didn’t know exactly where he fell on the love time line; he only knew that the cautious happiness he’d watched transform her since they’d left the apartment was having a direct effect on his own. It made him feel like a f*cking rock star, and he wanted her to stay happy. To be the reason she stayed that way.

For now, though, he needed to get himself in check before he scared her back to Chelsea. He knew he shouldn’t make plans, should just let everything happen naturally, but he couldn’t help it. He’d always been a planner, and his job only exacerbated the trait. Tonight he wanted to find out more about her. Everything, if possible. He wanted to make her laugh more . . . and Jesus Christ, he wanted her to spend the night in his arms. No interruptions or impromptu popcorn parties. His sisters were at a dinner party in Brooklyn tonight. He’d triple checked.

“You’re thinking awfully hard about something, McNally.”

Relax, idiot. You’re being too obvious. “I’m trying to figure out where you’re taking me.”

“Scared?” She tugged him down a side street, throwing him a smile over her shoulder that made him want to pick her up and squeeze her against his chest. “I’m going to feed you the best meal you’ve ever eaten. I’m going to do it for free, too.”

“A free meal in Manhattan?”

“That’s right.” Her hair lifted off her shoulders in the breeze. “How are your acting skills?”

“You’re assuming I have some.”

“Right.” Excitement danced in her eyes. “I guess this is going to be a one-woman show.”

She reached down and twined their fingers together before pulling him to a stop at the corner of the block. The action temporarily distracted him until he realized they’d stopped moving. He looked around for a restaurant but didn’t see any for another block. Roxy appeared to be scoping something out on the adjacent side street, so he followed her line of vision and saw two food trucks. They were on opposite sides of the road, a scattering of college students eating on the curbs beside them. Both trucks had giant signs on their roofs boasting The BEST Falafel in New York City.

“Follow my lead,” she instructed before strolling down the center of the block. Louis immediately wanted to pull her back to the safety of the curb, until he realized the street was closed down for foot traffic only. He watched curiously as she stopped in the middle of the street, an equal distance between the two food trucks. She tapped a finger against her lips, looking from one truck to the other. “I’ve heard only one of them has the best falafel,” she stage-whispered. “But I can’t remember which one. Do you know, honey?”

Louis bit back his smile. Crafty girl. God, she was full of surprises. “I don’t know.” He did his best to appear torn. “Maybe we should try that dumpling truck I saw on the way over. I don’t want to get a bad falafel if we pick the wrong one.”

A hint of surprise made its way into her expression, but she hid it just as quick. “You’re right. We should g—”

“Hold on now,” a man called from the truck to their left. “I’m the best truck. You come to me.”

“Bullshit.” A man poked his head out the window of the opposite truck. “You wouldn’t know a good falafel if it grew legs and danced in front of you. I am the best falafel in this city.”