25. Leilani

My body is still warm and electrified as we drive back to Huxley Hall. I did it. I crossed that barrier I’d been worried I wouldn’t be able to overcome, and it was so good.

Lightning bugs swarm my stomach and I fight yet another grin, resting my head back against the seat and gazing out the window as small-town Nolan rolls by. We amble down Main Street, the lack of human traffic eerie. It’s usually bustling, but not at 3:30 a.m. I can’t decide if I like this quiet stillness or not. I guess I’m just not used to it.

Asher indicates left, the blinker sounding loud and intrusive.

He turns to grin at me, and I feel those bugs surge and dive. This is ridiculous. I don’t want a man to have this kind of effect on me, but he’s so freaking hot and gorgeous—I’ve never been this attracted to someone before. My body betrays me every time I’m around him.

But he’s also smart and sweet. In the back of his truck, he wanted to make me feel good. He gave me control, and I knew I could trust him to stop if I asked him to, so I let myself go, and it was better than I could have imagined.

His truck slows outside Huxley Hall, and I feel this weird sensation ride through me. What now? Was this just a onetime thing to prove I could have sex again? Or do I want something more with this lumpatious asshole?

My lips twitch with a grin and I stare down at my hands while he parks the truck and taps his finger on the steering wheel.

“So…” He clears his throat. “I feel like I should probably take you out on a date now.”

I glance across at him. The streetlamp nearby casts a soft glow over his handsome face. I love the contours of his nose and chin. He’s chiseled and… wait. Why did he just say it like that?

I should probably take you out…

My eyebrows dip together. I can feel my face tightening. He doesn’t have to take me anywhere. Like I’m this big drag on his time. Tonight was an obligation-free encounter, and I don’t want him to feel like he’s now got to take me on a date. What a load of bullshit. I’m not some girl who needs pampering!

Anger simmers through me, making my voice terse. “Why?”

“Huh?” He looks at me like I’m stupid. “Because we just slept together.”

“So?” I cross my arms and glare at him. The bugs are still flittering through my belly, but they’re sparking now and I cling to that sense of indignation. “It’s not like you owe me anything. I wanted it just as much as you.”

He’s still staring at me like he’s trying to figure out what my problem is, but then his lips start to curl up at the edges. “Good. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“I did, but you don’t have to take me out now. Tonight wasn’t some services rendered kind of deal.”

“Of course it wasn’t, which is why I’m so confused by why you’re turning it into that.” His voice is tightening now, too, a touch of annoyance creeping into his tone.

“I’m not turning it into that. You’re turning it into that.”

“I just want to take you out to dinner because I like your company!” he snaps, throwing his hands up in the air. “Why is that so hard for you to grasp?”

His outburst shuts me up, and I stare at his incredulous expression until a soft laugh bursts out of me.

“What!”

“Sorry,” I giggle. “You’ve just got a really cute angry face.”

“Don’t,” he growls.

I clamp my lips together but can’t help my shoulders shaking with amusement.

“You are so annoying,” he mutters.

“Yet you love my company.”

“I know!” He flicks his hands up again. “You make me lose my fucking mind, woman! I should be running for the hills, but all I can think about is hanging out with you. So, just fucking say yes to the date, okay?”

His angry look dissolves, replaced with a frown of sweet desperation that I understand completely. I’m becoming obsessed with thoughts of him, too, and I swear it’s a form of torture.

“Okay.” I finally nod. “I’ll go on a date with you. But I’m paying.”

“No.” He shakes his head. “Forget it, then.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’ve paid the last two times we’ve eaten together. I’m not taking you out unless you let me pay.”

I blink and gape at him for a second. “Are you that much of a chauvinist pig that you won’t let a woman pay?”

“I let you pay twice!” He holds up two fingers. “And you probably have zero idea how hard that was for me.” Swiveling in his seat, he angles his body toward me and reaches for my hands. “I want to take you out and show you how much I enjoy your company by buying you dinner and treating you like a fucking queen. Why won’t you let me do that?”

It’s tempting to rip my hands out of his grasp and bolt from this truck, but that would be so rude, and I need to try and explain this or his brain might explode.

With a little frown, I finally admit, “I don’t need you to look after me. I’m not some helpless woman who needs saving. I don’t want to be treated like a high-maintenance drama queen.”

He gives me a long, hard stare, then huffs, letting my hands go and spinning back to look out the front.

“Fine. We can split the bill,” he mutters. “But can I just say that I think it’s really unfair that men get criticized for wanting to be a gentleman or chivalrous—which has nothing to do with helplessness, by the way—but women are allowed to be as feministic as they like and we just have to lump it.”

Interesting. My lips fight a grin as I try to argue his point. “You have no idea how many men assume you owe them something if you let them pay for a meal.” I scoff. “Do you honestly not get how hard women have had to fight over the years? How hard some of them are still fighting just to be seen as equals?”

“Yes, I’m well aware of the power struggle. But there isn’t one between us.” He turns back to face me, his tone lightening like a soft breeze. “At least I don’t want there to be. And you don’t owe me anything. It will never be like that between us.” His gentle words embrace me. “I just want to take you out for dinner. I want to show you that you actually mean something to me.”

My heart spasms, this foreign sensation spreading through my chest as he looks away, running a hand through his hair with a sigh.

I mean something to him.

Even though I make him lose his mind.

My lips start twitching again, and I let them relax into a smile as I reach for his wrist and curl my fingers around it. “I guess I did pay the last two times.”

He gives me a cautious side-eye.

“So… I’ll let you pay. I’ll let you take me out to dinner…”

He harrumphs like he doesn’t believe me, and I can’t help laughing.

He’s still pissed, but I can feel him thawing out pretty rapidly, so I throw in another comment to lighten the mood. “And it better be a fancy-ass dinner, because from what Caroline’s told me, you’re one rich MOFO, and I’d kind of like to see what you’re made of.”

He snorts and shakes his head. “You drive me crazy.”

“Thank you.” I give him the sweetest smile I can muster.

A breathy laugh pops out of him as he reaches for my face, cupping my cheeks the way I love so much and planting his lips on mine. I fist his shirt, keeping him close to deepen the kiss into something rich and passionate.

We let our tongues linger, playing and teasing until we’re out of breath.

Finally pulling away, he brushes his nose against mine and whispers, “Good night, my little Hawaiian Hottie.”

“Good night, Mr. Chivalrous.”

“Careful,” he warns me. “Saying shit like that might have me jumping out of the car and opening the door for you.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that.” I give him one quick peck on the lips, then pop my door open and jump down to the curb. Gripping the frame, I turn back to give him a look that I hope is meaningful enough. My throat swells with emotion as I rasp, “Thank you for tonight.”

His smile is beautiful as he nods. “Anytime.”

With a grin, I shut the door and head for my dorm. I hear the window go down behind me, and I glance over my shoulder. He’s still sitting there behind the wheel, watching me walk away.

“I’m fine!” I shoo him off with my hand. “I can get to my dorm without a protection detail! You don’t need to watch me get inside.”

“I’m just enjoying the view!” he calls back.

I can see his smile even in this dim light and can’t help a laugh.

Turning away, I feel his gaze from my shoulders to my toes… and it feels good. As I swipe my card and step into the building, I refuse to let myself look back.

My insides are reeling.

I never thought I could feel this way about someone I thought I should hate forever, but that Mr. Bensen is full of surprises, and I can’t deny myself the giddy jitters that burst through me as I think ahead to our fancy-ass date night.