Page 53 of Cruel Delights
“Would you like to do coffee this morning?”
I glance down at my clothes. I’m dressed in the same outfit as yesterday. I begin collecting my things and rushing for the door. “Sure,” I answer in a sudden rush. “But in an hour. I’m handling some business right now.”
“An hour works.”
“The Java King on Thirty-Fourth?”
“I’ll be there,” she says. Then as if sensing I’m about to hang up, she adds, “and Kaden?”
“Yes?”
“It was a very good dream.”
Halfway down the old building’s stairwell, my grin widens. “I bet.”
14Lyra
Girl is A Gun - Halsey
Ihad no plans to date anyone new. I’m equally as surprised as Imani when, after two lunch outings and a coffee meetup, I find myself not only dating but dating a man I never thought I would.
Kaden Raskova, polished and kind-hearted vascular surgeon who drives a luxury vehicle and wears designer threads. He’s impossibly good looking and earns double takes from women wherever we go. And yet he only has eyes for me.
He’s gone so far as to give me a hookup for a potential job at theEaston Opera House.
It’s like some freakish dream I’m not waking up from.
The first week flies by in a whirlwind of careful coffee meetups, casual lunches, and an evening where we order pizza.
The latter is when I finally agree to call what we’re doingdating. Up until that point, we’ve hidden behind the “platonic friends” excuse despite the fact that each time I see him the chemistry between us grows.
It becomes undeniable that he’s checking me out when he thinks I’m not looking (but really, I am), and that I’m flustered and flirty whenever around him. Considering I’m not the flirty type, it’skind ofa big deal.
“You mean to tell me you haven’t fucked him yet?” Imani asks over smoothies. “That man is too fine and available for you to be dragging your feet.”
I slurp down another mouthful of my peanut butter smoothie and shrug. “Not just that. I haven’t even kissed him yet.”
Imani nearly chokes on her mixed berries. She coughs and then smacks a hand to her chest. “Ly, what?! What are you doing?”
“We haven’t kissed yet. I’ve only known him for two weeks. And most of our time spent together was as friends. It wasn’t ’til the pizza gate where we agreed… we’ll go out.”
“Are you sure he’s into you?”
“I’ve caught him checking out my ass, like, ten times. He’s into me.” We walk down the side of the street at a lazy pace, the sun following us wherever we go. “I might not know much, Mani. But trust me. I know when a guy is into me. He’s started finding any reason to touch me.”
“Has he done the hand on the small of your back thing?”
My nod is my answer, my lips returning to my straw.
“Heisbasically hooking you up with a job. All signs do point toward interested. Which brings me back to my original question—why haven’t you fucked him yet?”
“We’re taking things slow. He’s been respectful. He didn’t get pushy last night when it ran late, and I mentioned I was tired. Grady would’ve insisted on spending the night.”
“Ly, we’ve established Grady’s an asshole.”
“Who is blocked for real this time. You know he showed up at the Velvet Piano again?”
He hadn’t had as much luck accessing me. Since Maximillion’s death and the spontaneous performance Erma saw of mine, she’s made me into a regular dueler. Something I wouldn’t mind so much if it didn’t feel like I were the new Maximillion.