Page 10 of Ironside
“You have to use your words, petal. I can’t do anything unless I know exactly what you want. Is that a yes? Or a no?”
Lena bit her lower lip to hide a small pleased smile. Her fingers idly followed the outline of my VP patch.
“Yes,” she replied, without a hint of hesitation this time. “I’d love to have dinner with you.”
Chapter four
Lena
What have I done?
That thought replayed on a loop in my mind for hours. Ironside was miles and miles out of my league. And the way he kissed me…God, my toes had curled and every inch of my body had been alive with desire…
“You’re shaking like a leaf,” Pepper said, slightly garbled around a mouthful of hair pins.
I had practically begged her to help me get ready for my date tonight. She curled my hair, pinning it back from my face in loose, romantic ringlets. Standing behind me in my bathroom, she studied me in the mirror. I could have done my hair on my own, but I really needed her here for moral support, so I didn’t chicken out.
I liked Ironside. I really, really liked him.
And that worried me. Actually, that scared the hell out of me.
Pepper set aside the curling iron and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, kissing the top of my head.
“You have nothing to be nervous about, Lena,” she said. “From what you’ve told me, it sounds like he already adores you.”
I nodded and tried to muster up a smile, but it just looked like a grimace. I swallowed around the lump in my throat and glanced down at my hands.
What if that wasn’t enough? Despite the obvious attraction between us, my struggles with penetrative sex might kill the mood and drive him away in the end.
“Here’s the plan,” Pepper said. “If this guy dumps you, then you and I will buy a house together and eat gelato for breakfast every day until we become fat little old ladies. When we get bored and we need a little drama to spice things up, we’ll call the fire department. We’ll make up some excuse that isn’t true—like our cat got stuck in the tree, even though we don’t have a cat—and we’ll ogle the hot firefighters when they rush to our aid.”
I laughed.
“That sounds like a pretty good deal actually.”
She hummed with amusement and turned me around to face her.
“It’s just a backup plan. You have to go on this date with your biker first.”
I sighed with a nod. Pepper took me by the shoulders and held me at arm’s length, looking me over.
“I think you’re ready,” she declared.
“I don’t feel ready.”
“Just think about him naked. Flexing muscles, tattoo ink, and finding the source of that big dick energy he’s carrying around,” Pepper added with a wink.
My cheeks warmed.
“Oh God, Pepper, that’s not helping.”
She cackled and gave me a playful shove toward the door.
“Go get ‘em, tiger.”
When I arrived at the Old Spruce Pub ten minutes early, Ironside was already near the front door. Those butterflies in my stomach now exploded into a whirlwind, fluttering against my ribs, all the way up my throat.
Don’t be sick, don’t be sick,I pleaded, clutching my steering wheel.
