Free Pitching for Her Love by Tori Blake Page B

time,” I said and reached over, putting my hand on his.  His smile got even wider, and he appeared to blush a bit in the candlelight.
    We sat like that for a few moments until a busser came to clear our dessert plates.
    “I don’t think I can ever eat again!” I said.  “That was truly amazing, but next time I insist that you cook yourself.”
    “Next time?” he asked, raising an eyebrow with a proud-looking smile.
    “Next time,” I said, no doubt in my voice.
    The quiet came upon us very quickly, and we sat there in silence, just holding hands for some time, as if neither of us wanted to be the one to break the silence.  When I glanced at my watch, I realized that it would have to be me.
    “I have to get going,” I said. “I have to get in to work early tomorrow.”
    I pulled my hand away, stood up, and had to try my hardest to stay on my feet.  How many glasses of wine did I drink?  I felt Grayson’s large, reassuring hand on the small of my back as he guided me to the front door.
    “Do you want me to call you a car?” he asked.
    “No, that’s fine,” I said quickly.  “I can catch a cab easily.”
    “Are you sure?” he asked.  “I don’t mind.”
    I turned to face him, feeling more confident than I had in weeks.  I leaned up and kissed him on the lips.  It was soft and gentle.  His lips tasted like wine and chocolate, and I couldn’t help but smile as our lips parted.  He reached up to stroke the side of my face and smiled back at me.
    “I don’t think I’ve smiled this much in a long time,” he said, and he put both his arms around my waist, pulling me closer.
    I didn’t want to go.  He was right.  I hadn’t been this happy in a long time, and I was thrilled that it was with him, but I knew I had to be responsible and take this relationship seriously from the beginning, which meant acting like a lady and going home at the end of the night.
    “Call me tomorrow,” I said before I planted one more short kiss on his cheek and walked out the door.  I could tell he was still watching me from the open door as I passed down the stone driveway and out onto the sidewalk.  I immediately pulled my phone from my purse and started to text Megan.
    I was walking slowly, head bent over, when I realized there were no cars on the street.  All that meant was that I would have to walk a little farther for a cab, which was fine.  My pace quickened a bit, and I was getting a little hypnotized by the clacking of my heels.  The sound that came from behind me was quiet, and I only noticed it because there was no noise on the street.  I turned to look over my shoulder, and before I could register anything I was seeing, I felt a sudden, dull pain on the side of my head and everything went black.

Epilogue
    T he vibrations were the first thing I felt.  My cheek was pressed into the rough carpeting of the car trunk, and I could feel every bump we hit reverberate through my skull.  The right side of my head was in so much pain that I doubted I could open my eyes even if I wasn’t blindfolded.
    I tried to piece together everything I could.  I think it had been a man, but that could be because I could hear a gruff, muffled voice now.  Was that a man’s voice?  Or was my hearing messed up too?  I couldn’t tell.  The only thing I knew was that this had something to do with my date with Grayson Hunter.
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    F ind out what happens next in Pitching For Her Love Book 2! Available Now!
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