Free Flawed Beauty by LR Potter

but relaxed. She thought about all he’d told her
the night before. He was such an open book, and she was shut up tighter than
barrel of pickles.
     
    §§§
     
    She dressed casually in jeans and a
striped hoodie . Even though he said he’d be by at
seven, she’d started getting dressed at five. She’d tried on every shirt and
pair of jeans she owned until she finally got frustrated with herself. He’d
seen her two nights in a row in black pants and prerequisite Zeal’s T-shirt. It
didn’t really matter what she wore.
    Because she’d begun getting dressed
so early prior to her date, she had plenty of time to download the pictures
onto her laptop. She was so pleased with them. She printed out the picture of
the yoga students with their outstretched arms as well as the picture of the
couple. She’d begun clicking through old photos on her computer and was
surprised when she lifted her head and realized it was seven-ten.
    Quickly, she shut down her laptop
and checked her cellphone to see if she’d missed a
call from Jace . By seven-twenty, she was beginning to
worry something had happened to him. By seven-thirty, she was beginning to feel
hurt and rejected. She’d just decided to head downtown on her own and had gone
to get a light jacket, when she heard a knock on the door. She couldn’t stop
the pounding of her heart. With hesitant steps, she headed to the kitchen door.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to see a repentant Jace leaning against the doorjamb.
    “I’m so sorry. I got caught up at
work and couldn’t get away. I never did get your number, either, the other day
or this morning before I left and so I couldn’t reach you. Please don’t be
angry.”
    Tate knew it’d probably be better
for her if she were angry, but he was just so heart-wrenchingly handsome in his
button-up white linen shirt and black jeans. He had a five o’clock shadow
darkening his jaw, which only intensified his amazing blue eyes.
    All rational thought fled her mind.
“You’re beautiful,” she murmured before she was aware she’d said anything. She
couldn’t stop the blush which rose in her cheeks.
    Jace stopped speaking, as first,
astonishment skipped across his face, followed by a quick grin. Reaching for
one of her hands, he brought it to his lips and kissed it gently before tugging
her forward and placing his lips against her forehead and tipping her face up
to his.
    Against her lips, he whispered, “I
think you’re beautiful, too.” He deepened the kiss until they were both
breathless.
    Pulling back, he pressed his
forehead against hers. “We need to get going.”
    Tate grabbed her keys off the
counter and stuck them in her pocket.
    As they walked down the stairs, he
asked, “How’s your head? Sorry, as a doctor, that should have been my first
question.”
    She laughed. “I’m fine. Although my jaw and ego are equally bruised. I thought I
could handle guys like Blondie.”
    “You looked like you handled Blondie
just fine. It was his friends who became problematic for you.”
    “I suppose so,” she concurred.
“Where are we going tonight?”
    “I thought we’d try out that new
Brazilian steakhouse over on Ninth and Freemont. Is that okay?”
    “Steak is good. I’m easy.”
    “God, I hope so,” he smirked.
    Tate punched him in the arm.
    The steakhouse was busy when they
arrived and they ended up sitting in the bar while waiting to be seated.
    “This feels familiar, huh?” he said,
grinning and bumping her shoulder with his own as they sat side by side at the
bar.
    “Certainly does,” she agreed.
    “How do you know Thor?” he asked.
    Tate wondered how best to answer.
“He was in the service with one of my… foster parents.”
    “Foster parents? Can I ask what
happened to your parents?”
    Tate’s eyes darted quickly around,
trying to come up with anything but the truth. “They’ve been gone since I was
thirteen,” she finally answered evasively.
    “I’m sorry. That had to have