Nineteen

NINETEEN

Aria

"These last few days have been nothing short of exciting, Sasha. Wouldn't you agree?"

My cat was curled up in my lap as I sat, looking out the window toward Paxton's house. As I sipped on my tea and gave Sasha some love, I attempted to sort through the gamut of emotions moving through me.

Ever since I'd learned the truth about what my father was doing with my paintings, I'd leaned on Sasha, using her as a sounding board to release my feelings and thoughts, even though I was aware I'd never get any advice or response in return.

But since it often helped for me to just get out whatever was on my mind, to hear myself say the thoughts out loud, I continued to do it.

And for far too long, I'd been sharing nothing but hurt and sadness and frustration and despair with my cat.

Over the last several weeks, not long after I moved to Steel Ridge, my sessions with Sasha had become much more positive. I smiled, just thinking about everything that had changed in my life since making this move.

Sure, I still had some feelings of hopelessness about the status of my relationship with my family, but I was truly beginning to feel a level of satisfaction and pride about where my life was heading.

"Things are getting better," I declared.

Sasha meowed in response.

I sighed and admitted, "Alright. So, I get it. Things might not be as pleasant for you as they've been for me, and it's tough for you to see where there's been any improvement in our lives. I've been working a lot since we came here to Steel Ridge, but I'm not painting any longer. I can't stay home all day to work and hang out with you. I have to provide for us. And I've been doing that while building a life here. It's a good thing, Sasha. I'm the happiest I've been in a long time.

My cat offered no response. I took that to mean she understood my predicament, but her understanding of it didn't necessarily mean she was pleased by it.

Continuing to offer her scratches and rubs to make up for my absence lately, I took a sip of my tea and continued to stare out the window with my thoughts running wild.

It was Saturday, mid-morning, and it was my first full day off since last Sunday. I intended to enjoy it fully, and that started off by sleeping in this morning. Given the late hour when I returned home last night, it was reasonable to assume I wouldn't be hopping out of bed at six this morning. But I certainly slept in even later than I would have anticipated, and that was all likely due to me not being able to just close my eyes and drift off when I got home .

How could I have done that when I couldn't stop replaying my conversation with Paxton and the kisses we'd shared over and over in my mind?

When I finally woke up this morning, I could still feel his kiss lingering on my lips. Everything from the possessiveness in his kiss and how he held me close to the softness of his lips and the taste of his tongue.

Though I'd gotten a lot from having his lips on mine, it still wasn't nearly enough of him. It was like I'd been branded by the hot kisses we'd shared.

I loved it.

And I spent some time in bed both last night and this morning, allowing myself to soak up the feeling it gave me. Eventually, I got myself up and made breakfast. I'd just finished that, and now I was here with Sasha continuing to think about Paxton while I looked out my window.

He was out there with his dogs and some kids from the neighborhood, and I was trying to keep myself right where I was. As long as I was thinking about the night I had ahead of me, the likelihood of me walking outside to join Paxton uninvited was slim.

A date.

We were going on our second date—though it was the first official one as two people who had admitted through mostly nonverbal contact that there was a desire for something more than friendship between us—and I was both nervous and excited about it.

Paxton had said so much to me last night that I hadn't realized I needed to hear, and it was only just the beginning. There was bound to be more of that in store for me this evening.

On the thought of what might have been ahead for me tonight, a shiver ran along my spine. After Paxton had shown me the kind of man he was, I didn't know how I was expected not to feel some desire for him. The kindness and compassion he showed for animals or even the kids in the neighborhood were enough to make him appealing. But that wasn't all that made up Paxton.

He was the kind of man who'd get involved in a situation in the middle of the night to protect me from someone who wanted to cause me harm. He'd followed that up with coming to the place where I worked the next evening just so he could offer me the comfort and reassurance he thought I needed after that experience.

Was I expected to hold myself back from him when he had it in him to be that kind of man for me? Kissing him had been incredible, but I wanted more. And I was at the point now where I was convinced that if Paxton attempted to take things to another level, I wasn't going to turn him down.

The group of children outside had all just doubled over with laughter at something Paxton had said to them. There wasn't anything bad about this guy. He was as honest and genuine and good of a man as I could have ever hoped to meet, let alone move in next door to.

"Maybe we should call Britney for some advice," I murmured, not taking my eyes off of the sight in front of me. "I think she could offer some guidance or suggestions how I can get through tonight without making a fool of myself."

Sasha meowed her agreement.

So, I reached out to set my mug on the end table and lifted my phone in my hand. A moment later, Britney's voice came through the line. "Hey. What's going on? "

"I kissed Paxton."

"What?!"

"He's taking me out to dinner tonight."

"Oh my God."

"He might be the best man I've ever known in my whole life."

There was barely a moment of hesitation before Britney demanded, "Tell me what's going on."

I couldn't stop myself from grinning stupidly. Then, I dove in and told Britney everything that had happened. Of course, she was horrified to learn someone had followed me home from the bar, but she got over that quickly once I told her everything Paxton had done to save me and how he'd threatened the guy on my behalf.

In the end, she didn't have any real advice as to what I needed to do going into tonight. The way she saw it, Paxton liked me as I was. There was no need for me to change anything to try to impress him more than he already seemed to be.

After my call with Britney, I decided it was time to get up and walk away from the window. I busied myself with household chores for a few hours until I needed to stop and get myself ready for my date with Paxton.

I took my time primping, wanting to make sure I looked good for him, and much to my delight, the moment I opened the door to him, Paxton didn't hesitate to share his approval.

"Holy fuck. You look amazing, Aria."

I blushed and smiled coyly. "Thank you. You look great, too."

His eyes roamed over my body from head to toe and back again. Paxton wasn't the least bit embarrassed that he allowed his eyes to linger on my legs, hips, and breasts. When he finished taking me in, he stepped forward and said, "I can't wait. I was going to try to be a gentleman tonight, but I'm not waiting until later to kiss you."

I had just enough time to brace myself before his lips came crashing down on mine, his hands holding either side of my face. Despite having been kissed by him yesterday, with his mouth on mine now, it was like being kissed by him for the first time.

Because this kiss was different. Where there was a hint of possessiveness in his hold as he kissed me last night, the kisses themselves were mostly sweet and tender. They were soft and slow.

This was not the same. This kiss was rough and wet and hungry. This kiss was about a man staking a claim.

I wasn't quite sure Paxton had gotten his fill—I certainly hadn't—by the time he tore his mouth from mine. We weren't even five minutes into this date, and we were both struggling to catch our breath.

"That was nice," I whispered.

Paxton brushed his lips against mine, sending a shiver down my spine while giving me that softness again, and smiled. "Yeah," he whispered back. "If I didn't feel this strongly about taking you out, starting this night off right, and giving you the evening you deserve, I'd be content to stay here with you, so we could do more of that."

There was so much he wanted to give me; I thought it was only fair he had something to look forward to as well.

So, holding on tight to him, I brushed my lips lightly against his and reasoned, "Who said we couldn't do that when we get back?"

The grin on Paxton's face grew. "Certainly not me. "

Soft laughter spilled out of me; I was giddy with anticipation. "The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we'll get back," I teased.

"Based on what I saw the second you opened the door, it looks like you're ready to go."

I nodded. "Yes."

I had assumed Paxton would wait while I grabbed my keys and purse, so I could lock up, but he surprised me when he asked, "Are we saying goodbye to Sasha before we leave?"

My heart exploded in my chest. Obviously, I already knew he was an animal lover, but there was something about him asking if we were going to say goodbye to my cat before we left that had me ready to pull him back in for another kiss.

Instead of doing that, I asked, "You don't mind?"

Through his laughter, he shared, "I would have been here five minutes earlier if I hadn't needed to do the same with my animals."

As I stepped back and allowed Paxton to follow me into the house, I reasoned, "As much as I'm sure they miss you when you leave, they probably do okay since they have each other for company. I've been trying my best all day to make up for the fact that I wouldn't be here this evening."

"Maybe it's time for another," he suggested.

I shook my head. "Let's not get crazy now."

Unsurprisingly, Sasha strolled right over to Paxton the moment she spotted him. I watched as he crouched down to show her some love, and sighed my frustration when she started purring against him almost immediately.

We took another minute or two with Sasha, and then we were on our way .

Once Paxton had pulled out of the driveway, I asked, "So, where are we heading for dinner tonight?"

"It's this place called The Ridge."

Something pitched in my belly as soon as he shared that news. Convinced I must have misheard him, I replied, "The Ridge?"

"Yeah, it's probably the nicest restaurant in town," he shared nonchalantly.

Though his eyes were focused on the road, I stared at him, unsure of how to feel. As someone who was so used to hiding how she felt, I couldn't even begin to pretend I wasn't affected by the idea of us going to The Ridge.

Because the conversation I'd had with Mallory and Magnolia popped into my head. They said I'd know how serious Paxton was for me once he took me to The Ridge.

Granted, I knew how much I liked him and wanted more with him. But from what I'd been told, this restaurant was something I wouldn't have expected for a first dinner date. Were Mallory and Magnolia wrong? Or was Paxton that serious about me?

Paxton glanced over at me briefly and asked, "Is that okay? You haven't been there yet, have you?"

Doing my best to brush off the thoughts and questions in my mind, I shook my head. "No, I haven't been there yet, but I'm excited to go. It sounds wonderful."

"Trust me, it is."

If there was one thing I didn't need him to demand, it was for me to trust him. Because I already did.

So, I settled into the comfort that gave me, smiled effortlessly, and looked forward to all this night had in store for us.