After several hours, he finally said he’d have to go. They’d spent literally the entire day together, and Caitlyn knew he had work early in the morning. Luckily, she didn’t have any meetings scheduled tomorrow, knowing she’d potentially be wrapping things up from Saturday’s party. Little did she know exactly how much that would involve.
She walked with Troy to her front door, thanking him again for coming over.
“I had fun, Butterfly. I wish it had been under better circumstances, but you have all of your belongings back. And like I said, the investigation is ongoing, but if you notice anything or anyone suspicious at your office, let me know. Call 911 too, of course, but we have no idea how deep this goes.”
“I will,” she assured him.
“And I’ll be in touch about Saturday. Can I pick you up at your place?”
“Do you even live near me?”
His lips quirked. “I’m closer to base, but I don’t mind. We’ll eat, walk on the beach, and hopefully catch the sunset.”
“Sounds good to me,” she said with a smile.
Butterflies began to fill her stomach as they hovered there in her doorway. He was so close, she wondered if he was going to kiss her. She’d literally fallen asleep on the man, and she wouldn’t be opposed to a kiss. This wasn’t even a real first date though.
Before she could wonder anymore, he gently cupped her chin, tilting her head up. Moving slowly, so as not to spook her, he lightly brushed his lips over hers. The kiss was soft and sweet, but that didn’t stop her heart from racing. Anytime she was near Troy she felt goosebumps. Her body reacted to him without any rhyme or reason to it. She felt the warmth radiating off his large frame. She inhaled his delicious, clean scent. And when those soft, full lips brushed over hers? She wanted to throw herself against him and paw at the man. Not that she’d be doing any of that at the moment.
“I’ll talk to you soon, Butterfly,” he said as he pulled away. She swore his voice sounded deeper than before, like he was equally affected.
“Okay. Bye Troy,” she said softly.
He stepped out into the breezeway of her garden-style apartment building, but he didn’t leave until she closed her door. Her skin heated at the memory of their chaste kiss as he walked away. It was almost six at night. This was the longest “first date” ever, and she couldn’t wait to see him again.
Chapter 15
Troy smiled to himself as he crossed the parking lot of Caitlyn’s apartment building three weeks later. They’d gone out several times since he’d taken her for seafood, with each date growing more intimate than the last. Two nights ago, they’d eaten at a quiet, romantic restaurant and then stood kissing in her doorway until she’d tugged him into her apartment. They’d ended up on her sofa, and while they’d remained fully clothed, he’d been hard as a rock when he’d left.
Caitlyn had invited him over for dinner tonight, and since he’d taken her out a few times, he loved that she wanted to do something for him. She’d offered to split the bill on their dates, but he’d declined, saying he enjoyed paying for her meals. There was no way he was letting a woman buy him dinner. Cooking for him, he’d happily accept though.
He clutched the bouquet of flowers he’d bought for her in his hand. A moment later, he was jogging up the steps to the second floor and knocking on her door. He felt eager as hell to see her, and given the string of texts she’d sent him throughout the past few days, he knew she missed him, too. It was crazy how quickly things had progressed between them, but it was like after their reconnection on the boat, they’d each known they had to see where things went between them.
Caitlyn opened the door a minute later, grinning up at him in another sundress and sweater. “You look amazing,” he said, ducking down for a kiss. “And wow. Dinner smells fantastic.”
“I like to cook,” she admitted. “It’s a new recipe, which I realized after the fact was probably a bad idea.”
“No such thing when it comes to food,” he said with a grin. He stood there in her doorway smiling like an idiot. Her green eyes sparkled as she looked up at him, and she’d clipped back some of that gorgeous red hair. A pretty necklace hung low in her cleavage, and he had to remind himself to keep his gaze on her face. Not that he’d mind exploring more of her later. The dress was appealing as hell on her though. The top seemed to crisscross and wrap around her gorgeous breasts, drawing his gaze. It wasn’t meant to be overtly sexy, but it was scorching hot on her. Hell. Caitlyn could’ve answered the door wrapped in a towel, and he wouldn’t have complained. He liked everything about her.
She took his hand, tugging him inside.
“I brought you flowers,” he said after he’d locked her door. She took them from him, guiding Troy toward the kitchen.
“They’re amazing. So beautiful! I don’t think a guy’s ever brought me flowers before.”
“Seriously?” he asked in amazement. Maybe it was because he had sisters and realized women liked girly things, but damn. He thought flowers were a classic date move.
She shrugged, getting a vase from her cupboard. “Fill this with water, will you? I need to flip the pork chops.”
“Is that some kind of fruit in them?” he asked, peering over her shoulder at the stovetop.
“Apricot. And I’ve got rice in the air fryer. It tastes better that way,” she assured him. “It crisps it up a bit.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” he said, setting the vase filled with water down on her counter. He
