Page 51 of Falling for the Unexpected

Chapter 13

Simone

Why did time move so slow when you were looking forward to something? At least I had Stella, school, and work to keep me busy while I anticipated my first date alone with Kyle.

My evening shifts at the restaurant were finally producing decent tips again. I was happy about that because I was tired of struggling for money at every turn, and taking handouts. When my car had broken down, Kyle had made a good point about accepting help, although this wasn’t about me being ashamed that I needed help because I knew I did. It was about proving to myself that I had it in me to provide for my daughter. People treating me with kid gloves would only stop when I could show them that I wasn’t broken—because I wasn’t. I wasn’t where I needed to be yet, but I would get there someday, and that was the point.

Kyle was also motivating me. He was successful, driven, and had an incredible life. He could have any woman, be with any woman, but for some reason, he saw something in me. Our long conversations made me feel like he really wanted to know me. No one had ever shown that kind of interest in the small details of my life. It was the difference in dating a man versus an immature boy. Like Brad, and all the other guys I’d dated in the past.

When Saturday finally rolled around, the anticipation I felt about a day alone with Kyle was both exciting and nerve-wracking. One would think the fact we’d already had sex would alleviate some of the butterflies I had swarming my stomach. Instead, the opposite was true. We could easily chalk that night up to getting wrapped up in the moment—a crazy night that became something that was never meant to be. Now that we had decided to start seeing each other, I felt like there was all sorts of pressure.

After Trent had picked up Stella, I spent the rest of the morning going through my closet, searching for just the perfect outfit. I wanted to look my best for Kyle since I felt like he was completely out of my league. I still didn’t understand what a young, attractive, successful lawyer would want with an uneducated, average-looking, divorced mom.

I told myself I needed to let those insecurities go and instead focus on having a good time. I really wanted to give him a chance and see where things would lead. Seeing him interact with Stella the other night made him even more attractive. He paid more attention to her during our date than Brad ever had when we were together as a family. Kyle was making it too easy to fall for him.

I knew it was crazy, and moving fast, but I felt strongly for Kyle. It had only been six months since I filed for divorce, but I’d known for a long time things weren’t right. A lot of good intentions had brought Brad and me together, but neither of us had brought any real emotion to our union. I didn’t think I had ever felt this way about a man before.

Searching through my closet one more time, I settled on a pair of dark skinny jeans with a cream-colored sweater and brown boots. I figured that was casual enough if we went for a walk on the pier and would keep me warm since it was overcast today. I decided to wear my new bra and panty set I had purchased for my birthday. I wasn’t necessarily planning on a repeat of last weekend, but it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared. Besides, they made me feel pretty and I could use the self-esteem boost.

We had agreed that I would come over around noon. Seeing as it was twenty minutes ‘til, I grabbed the cookies I had baked with Stella’s “help” last night and went downstairs to my car. I was still slightly embarrassed that Kyle had been in my old vehicle the other night. He must have thought my car was just awful compared to his gorgeous BMW. He never said a word about it though, just rode around like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Once I reached Kyle’s house, I parked in his driveway. I grabbed my purse, then the cookies off the passenger seat, and made my way to his front door.

As soon as I knocked, I felt the butterflies increase exponentially. When he opened the door I was overwhelmed, once again, by just how gorgeous this man was. I loved that his six-foot-two-inch frame towered over me. He made me feel safe and protected. His eyes shone like perfect emeralds and his smile lit up his entire face.

“Hi there,” he said as he leaned in and gently kissed me on the lips. One thing was for sure, Kyle knew how to kiss. And he showed affection easily.

Breathlessly, I returned his greeting. His smile said he knew just how much he affected me. “This is a gift from Stella.” I smiled as I handed him the plate of cookies.

“Oh wow, chocolate chip is my favorite. How did she know?” he asked with an endearing grin.

“Lucky guess,” I replied as he led me into his house.

The night of my birthday, I hadn’t really gotten a chance to truly appreciate the beauty of his home. The living room had large bay windows facing the ocean with a masculine black leather couch and large screen television. There was a dining room connected to the living room with the kitchen just past that. The kitchen had beautiful white cabinets and dark black granite countertops. All the appliances were stainless steel, and it was almost too beautiful to want to cook in. Just beyond the kitchen was another small seating area.

I followed Kyle into the kitchen where he placed the cookies on the counter. He pulled out a glass container filled with chicken that appeared to be marinating and then grabbed some utensils out of the drawers.

“I thought we could grill this chicken for tacos. How does that sound?” he asked.

“That sounds great,” I answered. “What can I help you with?”

He pointed to the fridge with the tongs. “How about you grab a couple beers out of there and come keep me company upstairs.”

I liked that he could cook; he even seemed to enjoy it. Cooking had never been enjoyable for me, but I did it because Stella and I needed to eat. I had a feeling cooking with Kyle could be something I could get used to. I followed him up to the rooftop deck where his grill was. As soon as I walked out I was flooded with memories of our night together. To say it was the best sex I ever had would be putting it mildly.

Kyle must have been able to read my thoughts because I looked up and found him staring at me with a knowing look on his face.

“This became my favorite part of the house last Friday,” he said with a wink.

My smile grew wide from the simple comment. Knowing that ithadmeant something to him as well made me happy. I mostly watched Kyle as he grilled and I drank my beer, occasionally looking out at the ocean to watch the waves crash against the shore. The beach below wasn’t busy at all since it was off-season, though I did see a few surfers.

After the chicken was done grilling, we went back down to the kitchen. He cut it up while I got out the toppings he’d prepped earlier. We made our tacos and sat at the dining table. Once again, conversation between the two of us flowed naturally. There weren’t any awkward silences or small talk just for the sake of talking. Being with Kyle felt comfortable.

“Do you want to walk down to the pier?” he asked, after we had cleaned up.

“I’d love to!” I said.

The pier was just about half a mile down the street from his house so it was an easy walk. As soon as we were on the sidewalk he grabbed my hand, lacing his fingers with mine. It was a simple gesture that made me feel good. This was exactly how a date should be.