His Vanilla Girl | ✔

Chapter Eight

“What about dinner,” Maria murmured.

“Your lips can be my dinner.”

“I still don’t know you.”

“Our bodies seem to though.”

Her heart fluttered and for a second she wondered if she was experiencing a heart attack. She couldn’t even form the words which he wanted to hear, so she simply nodded her head. The second his lips closed over hers, she was lost in a whirlwind of sensations, vibrating down to the very core of her being.

His taste was like a four-course meal with all the trimmings at the finest restaurant, sweet, savory, and even a little spicy, making her insides heat considerably, like she was just dropped into a volcano. Lava was quickly filling her veins with hunger, as his mouth moved over hers, taking her deeper yet.

Turning on the couch, he slipped one hand behind her neck to deepen the kiss, but he groaned and pulled back, touching his head slightly as he grimaced. “Damn it.” he grumbled.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not you, hun. It’s my head, it hurts whenever I apply any pressure to my face. It’s getting friggin' annoying.”

Maria giggled. “Friggin'?”

“I’m trying to respect the lady in the room,” he replied, flicking her on the nose.

She wiggled her nose, trying to stave off the sneeze that was building. Super polite manners wasn’t something she expected from him, given how blunt he was the last time they were together. Mind you, they had gotten into some pretty intense situations so it didn’t surprise her in the slightest.

“I appreciate that. Did you need anything for the pain?” she asked.

“Once we eat, I can take the meds I have in my pocket,” he said. “We’ll have to try that again sometime.”

Maria blushed. “I’d like that.” She should have known that he wasn’t ready to have dinner yet, let alone anything more, and she instantly felt bad for inviting him over. “I’m sorry. I should have waited until you were better.”

“It's okay, I wanted to go out with  you tonight...Shit,” he said, and then he looked at her apologetically. “Sorry. I almost forgot about the taxi waiting downstairs. We should get going. The reservation is for six, and it’s already quarter to six.”

“We don’t have to go out. We could always stay here, and I could cook something.”

“I couldn’t ask you to do that, and besides, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off you if we stayed, and you did say you wanted us to get to know each other.” He pushed himself up off the couch.

“Well played, Caleb,” she replied, putting great emphasis on his given name.

He raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess; my sister, right?”

She nodded. “How does the name Sylvester play in all this?”

“In my world, we all have a nickname so that others don’t recognize us, although in my case, I use the one on my store, and it’s my middle name. Come, hun, let’s go to dinner.”

Since she was basically ready to go anyway, she just grabbed the essentials, her jacket, purse and keys, and then followed him out the door. They looked at each other as they passed the elevators.

“I’m never getting in one of those again,” she grumbled.

“I’m with you on that one.”

As they were walking down the stairs, Sylvester called the cab and told him they’d be right out. Nearing the first floor, she glanced over at him and noticed him grimacing each time his foot hit the next step.