When I left him this afternoon he’d already had the start of a five o’clock shadow and his dark hair was a mess from the water, sweat, and my fingers. Now he’s clean-shaven with his hair styled back. Gone is the teenage jock, and in his place stands a young man who looks like he’s winding down after a long day of meetings.
Devin is unbelievably handsome, and from the confident way he carries himself, he knows it. Which is even more of a turn-on for me, not less. So much so that he should come with his own warning label.
He does. It’s called ‘Still years away from the legal drinking age’, dummy.
I’m starting to rethink this whole thing, but when he stops in front of me, thinking becomes impossible. He’s so tall, even in heels I have to look up to meet his dark eyes, and his cologne is intoxicating. I don’t even realize he’s taken my hand until he places a warm kiss to the center of my palm and my entire body comes alive.
“You look nice.” It’s a ridiculous understatement, but I already mentioned my inability to think.
The hint of a smile peeks out, like he’s amused but trying not to show it. “I know how to clean up when the occasion calls for it. But you...” He runs the backs of his knuckles across my cheek, sending shivers down my spine. “You’re absolutely stunning, Miriam.”
Stunning. It’s not a soft word like beautiful or pretty or even gorgeous. Stunning has power behind it, force. As silly as it sounds, his choice of words instills me with some of his confidence, and the thorny vines of anxiety that have been winding through me all evening start to retract.
“Thank you,” I say sincerely. “I can’t believe you did all this.”
He shrugs one big shoulder and faces the patio as he holds my hand, intertwining our fingers as naturally as though we’ve done it a hundred times. “Wasn’t hard. I plugged in a few strands of lights and set the table while the potatoes and asparagus were roasting in the oven then threw the steaks on last. How do you like yours cooked?”
“Medium rare.”
He smiles. “I knew I liked you. Come on, they should be about done.”
Devin surprises me when he holds out the chair for me as though we’re at a five-star restaurant instead of my backyard patio. Then he settles his large frame into the chair to my side, making an already intimate atmosphere even more so. I try not to think about that as we fill our plates with delicious smelling food and dig in.
Unfortunately, my brain has no intentions on letting me forget exactly what it is I’m doing--sitting at a candlelit table with Devin Adler, enjoying a meal he prepared at my house, while dressed in what can only be described as date attire. The whole thing is so surreal I wonder if maybe I’m in the middle of a fever dream. Lowering a hand under the table, I test my theory with a quick pin-- Ow! Okay, not a fever dream.
We eat in silence for a few minutes, me self-conscious about everything I do and him casually taking in every move I make. I’m ten times more nervous right now than any first date--not that this is a first date--I’ve ever been on, but so far I’m doing a good job of hiding it. I mean, I haven’t knocked over my glass of wine or anything.
Wine...
I didn’t notice anything odd about our place settings until just now. I have a glass of red wine and the very underage man next to me is currently taking a long pull from a bottle of beer. I stare at the innocuous wine in front of me, unsure what to do. Normally I wouldn’t think twice about drinking it, but when the weight of my sins is already so heavy, I’d rather not add “contributing to underage drinking.”
“Relax, it’s NA beer, Miriam.” Devin sets the beer down and spins the bottle so I can see the label.
“Non-alcoholic?” I release a breath of relief. “Sorry, I guess I jumped to conclusions based on things I heard in the Teacher’s Lounge.” Things like how much Devin enjoyed country keggers. Not that he ever got in trouble for it. As long as the cops didn’t have to bust it up, the faculty and coaches looked the other way. Benefits of being the Golden Boy in Small Town, USA.
“Teacher’s Lounge, huh?”
I blush when he stares at me with wicked thoughts in his dark eyes. I can almost hear him questioning if I’ve heard about other things he’s known for. The answer is yes, and if half of the rumors about Devin are true, he’s a teenage anomoly--a young god among men in the bedroom. Or dorm room as it were, since he’s known for preferring college co-eds after a growth spurt sophomore year helped him pass as older.
Change the subject, Miriam!
Clearing my throat, I nod at my glass. “Is that NA as well, then?”
“No, that’s the hard stuff. ” he says playfully. “Thought you could use a little something to take the edge off. Normally a beer at dinner isn’t a big deal for me, even at home, but I wouldn’t put you in a position where you’re breaking the law for me, even if no one knows about it.”
My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline. “That’s an odd thing to say, all things considering, don’t you think?”
“Not at all.”
No hesitation, no shrug, no sly smile that says he knows I’m right. “How do you figure?”
“Not figuring anything. It’s fact. There’s nothing illegal about what we did earlier.” He pauses to rake his hot gaze over my breasts, and my nipples bead
