One Day at a Time (Starting Over Series Book 4) by Evan Grace Read Free Book Online Page B

wait and see. He sat them on the table and excused himself to grab the rest of their food.
     
    ***
     
    “That was so good,” Tessa said as she pushed her plate away from her. He was glad she had enjoyed the meal. They both cleared their entire plates. Conversation had been minimal while they ate, but it was comfortable.
    She got up and grabbed their dishes. “Let me take care of these.” She didn’t even give him a chance to answer before he watched her retreating back into his house.
    He pulled out a cigarette, placing it between his lips and lighting it. He blew out the plume of smoke, leaning back in his chair. Last week he’d asked her if his smoking bothered her, she had shaken her head and told him no, and that her brother used to smoke, but quit, except for the occasional cigar, when his wife got sick. Through the screen door he could hear her puttering around in his kitchen, and it filled him with an unexpected peace. He shouldn’t feel this way about someone he was still getting to know, but he couldn’t help it.
    Deciding he didn’t want to be away from her any longer, he snuffed out his cigarette and went into the house. He looked around and saw everything was cleaned up already. “Thanks for this, but you didn’t have to do that.”
    He watched her wring out the dishcloth he didn’t even know he had. After drying her hands, she came to him with the same sweet smile that always seemed to be on her lips. He snagged her around the waist and pulled her to him.
    “Cash, it’s not a big deal. You made such a delicious dinner, it was the least I could do.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he buried his nose in her hair. It smelled lemony and fresh. He pulled away but tilted her head back so he could reach her lips. The kiss was gentle at first. Just the lightest touch of his lips against hers, but he quickly deepened the kiss.
    He licked the seam of her lips, coaxing them open; the taste of her mixed with lemonade caused a moan to escape from deep in his chest. Her tongue touched his shyly, but the shyness quickly evaporated as her hands slid up into his hair, gripping it and pressing her body fully against his. Their touches had been pretty innocent so far, but now, now he had to really touch her. His hands slid down and up under her tank top. The skin of her back was soft and warm. He let one hand slidedown her ass until he felt the smooth skin at the back of her leg.He squeezed with just enough pressure, his fingers slipping up her shorts until he reached the satin panties she was wearing.
    His dick was hard and aching, and as much as he wanted things to go further with her, he wanted to wait. At thirty years old he’d never had a healthy relationship, and fuck if he was going to rush things now. He pulled his lips away first, his hands still touching her bare skin. Resting his forehead against hers, he caught his breath and tried to get himself under control. She still had her hands tangled in his hair.
    “Cash?” she whispered.
    “Yeah, darlin’,” he breathed out
    Her cheeks went a deep rose color and she closed her eyes. “There’s something I need to tell you.” He tightened his grip on her. He was scared to even think what it could be. She looked up at him. “I’m…I’m a virgin.”
    Wow , he was floored. That was not what he was expecting her to say. Not in the least. He wasn’t sure how to respond. Was she telling him because she didn’t want him to try anything? His hands left her body with a jerk. He knew he screwed up when her eyes looked wounded, and he knew it was because of his knee-jerk reaction. She tried to back away from him.
    He grabbed her face. “No, no, no. I’m sorry. I’m just…I’m just surprised is all. Why are you telling me this?”
    “I-I just wanted you to know…you know, if things…if they went further between us.” Her cheeks were beet-red. “You know, if that’s what you want.”
    He was beginning to think this was all a bad idea. He