Free Once Written, Twice Shy (The Broken Men Chronicles) by Carey Decevito Page A

pulled
away to look around before looking me in the eyes.
    “Was that a question or a statement of preference,
honey?”
    I figured I’d test the proverbial waters when she
didn’t answer right away.
    My eyes locked on her lips and I went for it.  She
sighed into my mouth when I opened for her.  We took our time.  It was nice.  I
was swimming in all things Alissa.
    Her arms wrapped around me and she pressed her
front as close as possible to mine.  The feel of her peaked nipples over my
bare chest heated me up more than the sun ever could.  My hands left her derrière
and rubbed up her back and settled on either side of her neck with my thumbs rubbing
just below her jaw.  She nuzzled my nose.
    I stood there with her wrapped around me, trapped
in our moment.
    “What are you thinking about?” I asked.
    “How wonderful that was, how happy, comfortable
and relaxed I feel,” she said.
    “How are those muscles doing?” I asked. 
“Better?”  She nodded.
    If there was something I appreciated more than
Alissa’s physical attributes and her sense of humor, it was her blunt honesty
and her willingness to speak her mind.
    “I’m glad,” I said.  “What do you say we get out
of here?”
    ***
    Bocconcino , although slightly upscale, was a
favourite dinnertime haunt of mine that served the best Italian food.  It was
also where I planned on taking Allie for dinner if she’d hurry up.  I sat in
the living room, waiting.
    Before I could check up on her, I turned to find her
standing before me in a strapless fire-engine red number that could make a
blind man turn his head and claim that his vision had returned.  One word came
to mind— hot .
    She grinned.  “I guess this’ll do.”  I had yet to
say anything.
    Collecting my thoughts and closing my mouth, I
walked up and kissed her on the cheek.  “You look gorgeous,” I said in her ear.
    Her warm breath fanned up my neck.  “Oh good,” she
said, “I thought it wouldn’t meet your standards.”  She pulled away with a
small laugh and laced her arm around mine.  “You ready?”
     
    We were seated at the rear of the restaurant in a
rounded sofa booth.  After a bottle of wine and a few antipasti, we were served
our main courses.
    Opting to share a dessert, I let Alissa pick
something— torta di ricotta .  As we waited for it, she shifted in her
seat.  Her thigh pressed against mine, her elbow was propped on the back of the
sofa and she leaned forward as if studying me.  I set my goblet down and
smiled, her eyes set on mine in an assessing way.
    “Spill, what’s going on in that sexy mind of
yours?” I asked.
    She grinned at my inquiry.  “How there seems to be
many sides to you that I don’t know yet,” she said, “but despite that, I feel
like you’re one of the simplest men I’ve ever met.”
    I draped an arm over the back rest and feathered
my fingers over the bare skin of her shoulder.  My eyes followed the lazy
action before returning to her gaze.
    “I am a simple guy,” I said.  “I live a
quiet life ruled by my job and my son.”
    “ And your writing.”
    I smiled.  “That too.”
    The waiter came around and deposited the Italian
cheesecake between us with two forks.  Alissa grabbed one and handed it back to
the waiter.  She winked at me.  “We’ll only need the one,” she said.  The man
nodded and left.
    I shook my head at her.  “You manage to surprise
me at every turn.”
    She dug into the cake and brought the fork to my
lips.  “You’re just full of compliments today, aren’t you?”
    “I’m only stating what I’ve observed,” I said.  She
looked down and her face darkened but for a short moment.  “What’s that look
for?”  I reached for her chin and tilted it.  “Alissa, please don’t hide from
me.  I don’t know everything about your past but I know enough.  It seems like
you’ve never been good at taking compliments.”
    “You could say that.”
    She tried to feed me another bite but I