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

took the fork
from her and set it down.
    She sighed at my forcing her to talk.  “I’m used
to the whistles, the cat-calls, the sexually overt comments.”  She rolled her
eyes.  “It’s not that I can’t take compliments, it’s just that yours...”
    “Aren’t what you’re used to,” I finished for her
and she nodded.  “You’ve never heard anything sincere, huh?”
    She acquiesced and looked past me.  “Not from men
I’ve dated.  You’re different than the others.”
    “Maybe that’s what you need.”
    Her eyes came back to mine.  “What do you mean?”
    “Maybe you need someone who’ll pay you a
compliment with sincerity more often than not,” I said, “someone you can talk
to, laugh and cuddle with into the wee hours of the morning, someone who cares
how your day has gone and who’s there to kiss and hug the stress of that day
away or listen to you rant,” I kissed her nose, “and I know that at the end of
the week, you’re not going to be able to let go of all of this like you thought
you could, I sure as hell know I can’t and the week’s not up yet.”
    I heard her breath catch and she shifted in her
seat again.  “Where is this coming from, Pax?”
    “I heard you speaking with Julie before I came in
to interrupt.  Actually, I heard the close to the entire argument,” I said and
felt my face warm at my confession.
    Her eyes grew in surprise and worry made its
appearance.  “So, that bit about m-me…” Her voice faltered.
    “About you not giving up, that if things would
end, it would be my call, yeah, I heard it.”
    She huffed.  “Well that’s just-”
    “Wonderful,” I said and tilted her averted face so
I could get a better read on her.  The back of my fingers grazed her jaw bone
before I trailed a gentle hand to the back of her neck.  “Allie?”
    Her gaze darted back and forth between my eyes and
mouth.  “Hmm?”
    I leaned toward her, stopping right before our
lips touched.  “I’m not letting you go.”  I closed the distance, gently
pressing my lips to hers for all too short a time.  She kept her eyes closed
and leaned forward as if expecting more but I pulled away.  “Here.”  I grabbed
the fork to feed her a bite of the dessert.  The sound she made when the
flavour engulfed her taste-buds was borderline orgasmic in nature.  “Holy hell,
Allie,” I said and she blushed.  “That was…uh-”
    “You like your women vocal,” she said and took the
second bite I offered her.
    I gave her a curt nod and leaned in to kiss her
neck.  “I never knew I would this much, though.  You do something to me when
those sounds escape…”  Her hand gripped my thigh then rubbed up.  I nuzzled her
jaw.  “I’m beginning to think that dessert would have been better in a to-go bag,” I said.
    “We should finish this.”  She took the fork out of
my hand and scooped another bite and fed it to me.  “It’s too good to waste.”
    “And then what?” I asked.
    “And then you can take me home.  I need out of
these god-awful heels.”
    “I don’t know why you women bother with those
torturous devices but I do have to admit,” I said and began to rub my hand up
from her knee to her inner thigh, inching higher, “I definitely appreciate the
sacrifice.”
    She dropped the fork onto the tabletop.  I heard
its clang as it toppled onto the tiled floor beneath the table.  She was the
first to get up, straighten her dress from its high position, and raise her
hand to be noticed.  “Check please.”

Chapter 9
    After parking the car, I ran around to open the
door and escorted Alissa out.  She followed close behind me until we made it up
the front steps.  I was unlocking the door when I felt her arms come from
behind with a hug.
    “What’s that for?” I asked as I pushed the door
inward, urging her ahead of me.
    “Just because.”
    She turned to face me as I turned the deadbolt.  “You’re
a sweetheart,” I said.  “You do things without