Page 55 of Texting My Secret CEO
We embrace the whole boat ride home. I kiss the top of her head, inhale the scent of her hair, and gently rub my hands over her back. Always, the desire is there, thick, roaring, begging me to claim her. Hard. Over and over and over…
But something is going on here. Inside her head, within that caring heart, there’s a whole drama I know nothing about. I want to, but it’s clear she doesn’t want to talk about it. But maybe I can settle for making her smile.
“How about a diner trip instead?” I say.
She looks up at me doubtfully. “Can we go to a diner, really?”
I grind my teeth. I’m starting to get seriously sick of this celebrity stuff.
“I’m not a major celebrity,” I tell her. “I get photographed sometimes, but not all the time. How often are you recognized?”
“Once or twice a month,” she murmurs. “This city’s a big place. It’s not like everybody watches gaming streams.”
“Exactly. And it’s not like everybody reads tech news. We’ll drive outside the city, find a quiet trucker’s diner or something like that.”
Her face lights up at this far more than at the real cove. Maybe I should be hurt, offended. I’ve been liaising with a top-tier event planner all week, installing the emerald shimmer on the rock face, expanding the cave, installing the custom bed, and lighting.
But seeing her smile is all I need. Maybe we’ll go to the cove one day. Maybe not. Right now, it’s enough to see her happy.
“A diner would be great,” she murmurs.
“Something simple,” I say, looking closely at her.
She nods. “Something regular people do. I mean—a love-bomber doesn’t take his prey to a diner, right?”
I brush hair behind her ear. I love doing that because she tilts her head every time, just a little, moving toward my touch. A physical reflex that goes beyond all this emotional complexity. I’m able to savor the moment even if her words are like a cold slap in the face.
“I’m not trying to love bomb you,” I tell her sincerely.
“I know, I know,” she rushes to say. “I didn’t mean—you.”
“Who, then?”
“Are we docking soon?” She murmurs, turning away.
I chew the inside of my cheek for a moment.I told you about my mother. I’ve never shared that with anyone except Pete.But what would I gain by throwing that in her face?
I join her, wrapping my arm around her. “I think so. Time for our dinner adventure.”
She laughs, looking up at me with the setting sun glimmering in her eyes.
“I’m grateful, by the way,” she murmurs. “For the cove. For the effort. It’s just…”
“Stuff?” I say.
“Yeah.” She sighs. “Stuff.”
I cup my hands around my mouth and bellow up at the sky. “Fuck you, stuff!”
She laughs in delight. “You’re crazy.”
I yell, “Leave Dakota alone,stuff.”
She rushes forward and pulls my hands down. “You’re going to make them call out the coast guard.”
I sweep her into my arms. “For a streamer, you’re kind of shy.”
It’s easier like this, keeping it light, on the surface. But there’s no going back now. I saw a glimpse of the other side of her, and I want to see more.
