Free Chronicles of a Serial Dater - Book 7: A New Adult Romantic Comedy by Adele Huxley, Savan Robbins Page B

circling back to one question. I tried to get myself to forget it. I told myself it didn’t matter, but as we sat quietly at the little breakfast table in our hotel room, I couldn’t ignore it any longer.
    “I have to ask something,” I ventured before taking a sip of coffee.
    Clint looked up from his newspaper and saw the serious look on my face. “Okay,” he said as he folded the paper and set it to the side.
    “Why so many dates? You knew I was pretty much a sure thing,” I laughed, holding my cheek in my hand.
    “No woman is a sure thing.”
    “You know what I mean.” I rested my elbows on the table and fixed my expression. “You could’ve said two words to me and had me in bed. Hell, you probably could’ve sealed the deal that night we first had dinner.”
    He laughed a little self-consciously. “I had no interest in sealing any deal. You’re a smart woman.”
    “Even smart women get horny,” I chided.
    Clint leaned back in his chair and considered me. “You want to know what all those other guys did wrong?”
    I glanced at my imaginary watch and frowned. “I didn’t realize we had an extra week.” When he didn’t laugh, I conceded. “What? What did they do wrong?”
    “They didn’t seduce your mind. Any boy can get a girl into bed, but you aren’t a girl. You’re a woman, and a very intelligent woman at that.” He leaned forward, steepling his fingers as he spoke. “I wanted you mind, body, and soul.”
    I felt a blush rise in my cheeks when I realized he’d done just that. I didn’t know what to say. It was the first time someone had ever attempted to get into my mind as well as my pants. I reached across the table for his hand.
    “Before you go thinking I’m some kind of player, you have to realize I did it for selfish reasons too. I haven’t connected with someone in a very long time. When we met, I thought maybe…” He trailed off. He wasn’t growing emotional but I could tell he didn’t really know how to finish.
    “It’s okay. I know exactly what you mean.”
    “There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you as well,” he said. I thought I might’ve detected a touch of anxiety there too.
    “Go for it,” I said casually, inside freaking out.
    “Do you want to date? Like, see each other? I mean, exclusively.”
    I froze. I hadn’t been expecting anything like this. “Really?”
    “I know it’s difficult with our work schedules and all, but I’d like to think the last couple weeks have been good. Plus, it’s not like I’ll be traveling forever. I’d like it if…”
    I could tell he was starting to devolve into nervous rambling, a state I was intimately familiar with.
    “Of course I want to go out with you!” I jumped from my chair and rushed to his side of the table, flinging myself down on his lap. “You surprised me, that’s all.”
    He pushed the hair from my face and kissed me tenderly. This close, I could see the flecks of gold buried in his green eyes. “Don’t scare me like that.”
    “Clint English feels fear?” I gasped behind my hand.
    He took my palm and kissed it. “When it comes to the thought of losing you, yes.” I was at a complete loss for words, which he seemed to anticipate. “Want to take a shower?”
    “Sure, sounds great.”
    “I knew you’d say that,” he replied, cocky grin back in place.
    I stood from his lap, kissed him again, and watched as he approached far door. “You know, you aren’t perfect at everything,” I said.
    “Is that a fact?”
    “Your poetry kinda sucks,” Clint stuck his head out from the bathroom and waggled his eyebrows, so I added, “Demure doesn’t rhyme with adventure.”
    “It does when I say it. Beside, it got you here, didn’t it?” He blew a raspberry and disappeared.
    I giggled and pulled out my phone when I heard the water switch on in the bathroom. “You coming?” he called out.
    “One second.”
    I held my thumb on the Tinder app until the icon jiggled in place. A bright red