Page 31 of Cruising for Christmas
She laughed. “Why black?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why turquoise?”
“Because it’s pretty.” She took a sip of her wine and furrowed her eyebrows. “Are you telling me you think black is pretty?”
“I think black is functional.”
“Functional?”
He nodded. “Yep.”
“So you pick a favorite color based on functionality?”
“Precisely.”
“What about white and gray?”
“Also excellent choices.”
She snorted. “You’re weird.”
“I’m awesome.” He caught her smile as she took another sip from her glass.
When the server came by again, he dropped off a dessert menu. Ian selected a slice of cheesecake, while Norah selected a slice of chocolate cake.
“So what’s it like being a brother to Shay?” Norah asked.
Ian laughed. “It’s interesting. I honestly wasn’t surprised she pulled this entire scheme with our room. It’s a complete Shay move. But, you know, she is quite a bit younger than me, so I moved out when she was only eleven.”
He could see the thought process move across her face. Norah was also seven years younger than Ian, just like Shay.
“Is it weird that you’re sharing a room with your sister’s friend? Especially with the age difference.”
He leaned forward in his seat and rested his arms on the table. “I wouldn’t say it’s a significant age difference. Yes, in the context of an eleven-year-old and an eighteen-year-old, sure. But you’re twenty-three, correct?” At her nod, he continued, “And I’m thirty. I wouldn’t say it’s a big difference now. We’re adults. It’s different.”
“That’s true.”
The server came by and set down their desserts. Once he walked away, Norah smiled at Ian before sticking her fork into the cake and putting a piece in her mouth.
Ian smirked. “But if it would make you feel better to call me daddy, you’re more than welcome to.”
Norah coughed, and a chunk of cake flew across the table and hit him square on the cheek. Her eyes widened in horror as her lungs continued to spasm. He only watched her in amusement as he wiped the cake off his cheek with his napkin.
“You okay over there?”
She nodded and picked up her water glass, taking a large gulp. Ian forked a piece of his cheesecake and ate it slowly. He didn’t miss the way her eyes tracked it, and a blush worked its way up her neck as she shifted in her seat.
She picked up her fork again and put another piece of cake in her mouth, and it damn near knocked him off his chair. Her tongue flicked out, licking the frosting from her upper lip. His cock twitched in his pants, and resisted his caveman urges of hauling her out of her chair and dragging her to their room.
Once they finished their desserts, the server dropped off the check, showing the meal was complimentary with the voucher. He slipped in some cash for a tip and stood up, holding his hand out for Norah to take. He helped her up and continued holding her hand as they walked out of the restaurant.
The ride in the elevator was silent, and she seemed to look anywhere but at him. He gave her hand a little squeeze.
“Are you doing okay?”
She looked over at him and smiled. “Yes.”
He took a step closer to her. “We don’t have to do anything. You know that, right?”
