When The Cat's Away (Sunnydale Vets Book 6) by Austin Bates

Author:Austin Bates [Bates, Austin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-05-24T16:00:00+00:00

10

Jude

“So,” Andre said, swinging his arms by his sides.

We stood beneath the street light outside the bistro, both of us waiting for our cabs. Two beers and a bottle of wine between us, we faced each other in the softly lit darkness, both of us apparently at a loss over how best to say goodbye.

I never was very good at them.

“It was fun,” I said lamely.

“Yeah.” Andre smiled. “I’m glad we did this.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you really?”

“Yes,” he said with a laugh. “Genuinely.”

Outside, in the cool open air, it didn’t feel as easy to slip into the deeper stuff. I couldn’t seem to manufacture the correct atmosphere no matter where we were. “Good. And you’re…feeling…”

“What is this, a survey? Would you recommend a date with Jude to The Paper Mill to your friends and family?”

I smirked, jumping immediately on Andre’s phrasing. “So it was a date?”

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

I thought my dad’s worries about Andre being vulnerable were unfounded. I thought he seemed confident and to the point and completely sure about what he needed from me. He had handled me and my bullshit like a pro tonight, reminded me what a pragmatic and mature person he was, and not once given me the impression that he was falling hopelessly and helplessly back in love with me.

Which was precisely what I could not say about myself.

I thought, very badly, that I wanted to kiss him right now. I thought, very embarrassingly, that I wanted to get down on one knee and pop the question. I thought…dammit. I was hopelessly and helplessly in love all over again, with no assurance I wouldn’t be left alone and heartbroken.

If that wasn’t a taste of my own medicine, I didn’t know what was.

“I think I don’t want to pressure you,” I said evenly.

“How very noble of you,” Andre drawled, clearly not buying it. He stepped half a foot closer to me, leaning just so into my space. “C’mon, Jude. What are you thinking about right now?”

My breath caught in my throat as I looked down at his dark, sweeping lashes. Warmth radiated from him, his cheeks faintly flushed from the alcohol and change from inside heat to outside chill. His eyes were glittering mischievously, expecting something from me, and I didn’t even have the self-control to consider what the hell it might be.

“I want it to be a date. I want lots of dates. I want—” Marriage and babies and a bakery built for two. I swallowed the words furiously; just because Andre seemed resilient didn’t mean a spiel like that wouldn’t kick him right in the ribs. So maybe I did understand what my dad had been warning me about. “I would really love a second chance.”

Andre nodded slowly, thoughtfully. He looked down at the sidewalk between us, his lashes fanning across his high cheekbones. Was he playing coy? Actually nervous? Was he going to kiss me? His plush lips were slightly damp from the touch of his tongue, and I imagined sliding my own mouth over them…

“That’s very honest of you.

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