Page 21 of From the Embers

“Such a romantic.”

I grin. “Hey, I’m not just a pretty face.”

“Well, I’m glad she didn’t get her hooks into you, it would’ve been a damn shame.”

I glance at her, liking her words. I’m glad, too. Being with a woman like Hannah certainly opened my eyes and made me realize exactly what I don’t want. “You’re a good kisser.”

The words fly out of my mouth.

“You’re not too bad yourself.”

“Thanks.” I grin. “I think you got your revenge.”

“I agree,” she muses. “I think we make a good fake couple, don’t you?”

A little too good if you ask me. “I’m convinced. I mean, you did say I could go for hours back at the bar.”

She throws her head back and laughs and facepalms herself. “Oh, I did, didn't I?”

It’s then I realize we’re still holding hands.

It feels right. My hand in hers, the warmth between us, her touch. It makes me tingle all over, and I’m not a tingly kinda guy. Adelaide makes me feel all kinds of things.

She talks about Hannah turning heads across the room? But I saw plenty of guys checking Adi out, too. It made me want to rip their eyeballs out of their sockets. Fucking assholes.

There you go again, getting all broody and jealous.

“So, what about you?” I throw out of nowhere. “Any crazy exes lurking around I should be prepared for?”

She laughs a little, her hand tightening in mine. “Not much to tell. I had an-on again, off-again relationship with a guy who wasn’t emotionally available. In a nutshell, he was there for the good times, and none of the bad. He checked out when anything got too rough.”

What kind of crazy motherfucker would give this woman up? Is he insane?

I also love how openly honest she is with me, not holding back.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I was way more invested than he was. He’d only want me back when he knew I was moving on. I can guarantee you even now he doesn’t know how I like my coffee, or what my favorite color is.”

“Yellow,” I say out of nowhere.

I see her glance at me in my periphery. “H-how did you know?”

He swallows hard. “When you were younger you loved wearing yellow, and your first car was a yellow beetle.”

“Holy shit, you remembered?”

“I don’t know about the coffee, but from what I remember you were more of a tea girl.”

She blinks in surprise. “You’re right. I have one coffee in the morning: a honey, soy latte—it stops me from being a crazy person first thing—and then it’s tea for the rest of the day.”

“What kind of tea is your favorite?”

“I like all kinds.”

Noted.

“Mom bought me a coffee maker for Christmas, best present ever. It’s actually crazy how much you spend on coffee a week without even realizing.”