It Started with a Crack by Piper James

Chapter Twenty-Five

Dakota

Dinner was fabulous, particularly since I was wrapped in a haze of happiness after our conversation in the truck. Noah said he liked me. That he wanted to be in an exclusive relationship with me and throw a dinner party to celebrate it and tell our friends and family.

I knew what we had was special—our physical connection was fucking perfect—but I had no idea he was feeling more for me than just attraction. I’d honestly convinced myself we were in a friends-with-benefits situation that would only last until he found his next flavor of the month. And I wanted him so badly, I told myself I was okay with that.

But knowing he was serious about this? That he wanted to be with me in a real, committed relationship?

Fuck. That is what he meant, isn’t it? He said he wanted to see where this goes. What if I misinterpreted his words?

“What’s that face? You don’t like the flan?”

“What? No. I mean yes. It’s delicious,” I said, meeting Noah’s eyes across the table.

We were sitting at a dimly lit table for two in the back of the restaurant, and Noah had been extremely attentive throughout dinner. Once we finished our entrees, he had the waiter bring us a small flan to share.

“Then why are you frowning?” he asked, reaching across the table to take my hand in his.

“I was just thinking about our conversation on the way over here,” I said in slow, measured words.

“Not changing your mind already, I hope,” he said, his eyes widening.

“No,” I said quickly.

Taking a deep breath, I decided to be completely honest with him. Because that’s what I want in return—honesty.

“Tell me,” he urged when I didn’t say more.

“When you said you want to give this a go, what exactly did you mean?” I asked. “I assumed it meant you wanted to be exclusive, but now I’m second-guessing myself. Is that what you meant?”

“That’s exactly what I meant, Dakota. I only want to be with you.”

My heart swelled with those words, and my mouth stretched into a wide smile. Noah mimicked my expression, using his grip on my hand to pull me forward while he stood, leaned over the table, and kissed my lips.

When he sat back down, he tilted his head to stare at me with a quizzical expression.

“What?” I asked.

“I’ve been wondering…what happened the night we met? At The Watering Hole?”

“What do you mean?” I breathed, a chill coursing down my spine.

I did not want to talk about that night. I didn’t even want to think about it.

“We were having such a good time, then you disappeared. I know you said you had too much to drink, but I’ve seen you drink since then, Dakota. I feel like there was something else.”

So much for total honesty.

“Nope. That was it,” I said, shaking my head slightly. “I wasn’t feeling great, so I left.”

He narrowed his gaze. “You avoided me after that.”

“No, I didn’t. At least, not intentionally.”

I was going straight to fucking hell for lying through my teeth. I had avoided him. Like the plague. But the last thing I wanted to get into right now was a discussion about what I’d overheard. It was in the past. I wanted to leave it there, and get wrapped back up in that warm haze of happiness I’d felt all through dinner.

“If you say so,” he said, eyeing me suspiciously.

“I was embarrassed,” I said quickly, blurting out the first thing that popped in my head. “I was really buzzed and ended up rubbing all over you. We’d just met, and I thought I’d given you the impression that I was easy, or something.”

Fuck, the lies are flowing like a river now.

“I never thought that,” he said, giving me a sweet smile. “I thought you were gorgeous, brilliant, and a hell of a lot of fun. Did I want to get into your pants? Of course, I did. But I was willing to work for it.”

After those gorgeous blondes turned you down for the threesome you requested, that is.

I gritted my teeth and silently cursed myself. I refused to be bitter or hold a grudge for something that happened when Noah and I weren’t actually together. We were together, now, and that was all that mattered.

The waiter came by with the check, and Noah handed him a black credit card. While we waited for him to return with the receipts, Noah flipped my hand over and rubbed circles over my palm with his thumb.

“I can’t wait to get you home and strip you out of that sexy as fuck dress,” he murmured, a fire banked in his dark eyes. “I’m going to show you just how committed I am to this. To us.”

A pulse pounded in my center, and I squeezed my thighs together as I bit my lower lip.

“Home is so far away,” I said. “And your truck has big tires perfect for backroads and a nice, padded bench seat.”

Noah’s nostrils flared as his hand tightened around mine. “You want to go parking?”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to it,” I said, arching a brow at him. “I know a place, but if you’re not up for it…”

“Where the fuck is that waiter?” he asked, rising in his seat to look toward the front of the restaurant.

I laughed, but my tingling nipples belied my carefree attitude. Hell yeah, I wanted to go parking with my boyfriend.

My breath hitched. Boyfriend.

How did I ever get so lucky?