"Any men in the picture?"
"That's some more of your business." I smiled sweetly up at him.
He didn't return my smile. He stared at me sternly while crossing his arms over his chest. I knew this routine. He wouldn't budge until I answered him. It had been the same way for as long as I could remember. He really should have become a defense lawyer or something.
"Fine." I crossed my slender arms over my chest to match him.
"Just tell me, Erica. You know you can't keep this up when your tacos get here."
He was so right, and it made me furious. He always had more willpower than me.
"I'm going on a date tonight."
"With?" He asked.
It wasn't that I was scared to tell him that my date was with Gabe, but he wasn't Gabe's biggest fan. He hadn't even met Gabe, but he had been one of the shoulders that I leaned on when Gabe had left, and I didn't think he was going to be too happy that I let him walk back in.
"One of Blake's friends," I said evasively. It wasn't a lie.
"Please tell me you aren't that stupid, Erica." His voice was filled with anger.
"Don't call me stupid."
"Don't act stupid," he countered.
"You don't even know who I'm going on a date with."
"Let's see." He wiped his hands on his napkin. "Number one, you are grumpier than usual. Number two, you're going out with one of Blake's friends." He held up finger quotes when he said Blake's friends. "I'm not an idiot. I know you're going out with Gabe."
I shoved a few chips in my mouth to give me time to think about what to say to him. He was overbearing, but he was my big brother. Everything that Jon did involving me was done out of love. I knew that, but it didn't always make him easier to take. If I ever tried to get involved in his love life, he shot me down with no problem. It was maddening.
My mother has always told me to just except it. "It's what big brother's do," she would always say. While I understood that, it didn't make it easier to deal with.
He came about it honestly though. Our parents' had always been overprotective. I had hated it when we were growing up, but when I became an adult and saw where many of my childhood friends who had the "cool" parents ended up, I was thankful. I knew that I may eventually be thankful for Jon being overprotective as well, but right now all I felt was irritation.
I was irritated that he was in my business, but mostly I was irritated that he was probably right. Going out with Gabe probably was stupid.
"Do you remember what you were like after he left?" he asked sternly.
"I think I remember better than anyone else." I crossed my arms over my chest. I was no longer irritated. I was getting pissed.
"Then don't forget it. I'm not saying that you shouldn't go with him. I know you're a grown woman and all that, but I don't want you to forget either."
I blinked up at him and let his words set in.
"If he is what you want and he wants you, then he damn well needs to work for it."
"Okay." I moved my hands from their pissed off position and started digging into more chips and salsa.
"That's all you're going to say is okay?" He sounded confused.
"Yes. I agree with you. Gabe Lawson is going to have to work if he wants me to ever trust him again."
At seven o'clock on the dot, I arrived in front of Erica's house in my truck. It felt weird driving my truck. I was so used to riding my Harley now. I missed the wind in my face and the vibrations in my hands. I don't think Erica would be opposed to riding with me, but I didn't think that was a good first date idea.
It felt odd calling it our first date. Technically, it was, but we had also passed the first date stage a long time ago. I was an asshole, though. I never took her on a date or treated her the way she deserved. I wouldn't be making that mistake again.
I heard the click of her heels behind her front door after I knocked. My heart was pumping in my chest. I felt excited and nervous to see her. I felt like a pussy.
When she opened the door, every thought left my brain. My nerves seemed to calm, but my dick didn't. She looked incredible.
"You look fucking beautiful." My voice was rough and filled with awe.
A blush worked up her chest and onto her cheeks. "Thank you."
I knew I looked like a creeper, but I couldn't help staring at her. She had a pair of skin tight blue jeans on that looked like a second skin. She had on a black lace top that showed a hint of her breast but would make every single male we encountered wishing for more. On her feet were a pair of black heels that made me want to fuck her in nothing but them. Her blonde hair was curly and wild. Exactly how I liked her.
She turned away from me when I didn't say another word and grabbed her small leather jacket and her bag. When she turned back to me, I couldn't stop myself. I needed a taste. I needed to mark her as mine before she or anyone else got the idea that she wasn't.
I grabbed her upper arm and pulled her closer to me. She let out a little gasp as her heels clicked on the floor. I didn't give her time to figure out what was happening, though. I ducked my head into her neck and ran my tongue up her soft neck and sucked on the spot where her neck met her shoulder. I felt like a starving man, and she was my first meal. She tasted fucking divine.
I moved my lips across her jaw, and my thick beard drug across her sensitive skin. She whimpered right before my lips met hers.
I devoured her in a kiss. I buried my hands in her curls and tilted her head back so I could have better access. She kissed me just as hard. She kissed me like she had no plans to leave her apartment.
I pulled away from her before I forgot about my plan. I wasn't here to get laid. I was here for her, and she needed to realize that.
I leaned my forehead against hers and tried to catch my breath. Her deep breaths were dragging in and out against my lips.
"Did I tell you that you look amazing?" I asked between breaths.
I felt her lips form a smile before I heard her laughter.
I leaned away from her and reached out for her hand. She followed behind me as I opened her front door then she locked up. We walked hand in hand toward my truck, and I opened the door and helped her inside.
I may have been an asshole, but Blake's mama would kick my ass if I didn't at least attempt to be a gentleman.
I took off down her street toward our date. I hadn't given her any details of the date so far, and she hadn't asked. It made me feel guilty that she still trusted me enough to not even question me. If she was smart, she should have never trusted me again.
We pulled into the parking lot of a great little restaurant right on the lake. I saw her eyes twinkling as soon as we pulled up. There was one thing that Erica used to talk about all the time when we were "just friends" and that was spending time on the lake with her family. Her face lit up every time she talked about it so I thought this would be a good idea. I wanted to surround her with things that she loved. I wanted her to constantly have a smile on her beautiful face.
I climbed out of my truck and walked to her side. I opened her door and helped her out as she looked all around us. The lake sat directly behind the restaurant and its magnificent view was everywhere we looked.
We walked into the restaurant hand in hand and waited at the hostess stand.
"Can I help you?" the young woman asked.
"Yes. We have a reservation. It's under Lawson."
Erica threaded her arm through mine and squeezed. I looked down at her, but she wasn't looking at me. She had her eyes narrowed on the hostess.
"Okay, Mr. Lawson. Your table is ready if you will please follow me."
We followed the hostess to the back of the restaurant and to a table that sat against a full wall of windows that overlooked the lake. It was perfect.
I pulled out Erica's chair for her and took my seat. The hostess handed us our menus and hovered around the table.
I looked up from my menu to see her smiling down at me. "Please let me know if there is anything else that I can do for you," she said sweetly.
"There's not."
My head jerked toward Erica's voice to see her staring daggers at the hostess who was now looking at Erica with a similar expression. It took me only a moment to realize that Erica was being possessive. It was hilarious and hot as hell. I hadn't even paid attention to the hostess, but now that I thought about it, she had been staring at me for a bit too long and she was a little bit too eager to please.
The hostess took a step back from the table when Erica's stare didn't waiver. As soon as she had turned her back to us, Erica looked down to her menu and said, "What are you thinking about getting?"