The drive wasn’t that long, and apart from having a small chat here and there, we remained silent. For


    the first time since I can remember, the silence between us wasfortable.


    On the rare asions that we drove together, Rowan would do his best to ignore me, while I tried my


    best to engage him in a conversation. It would always leave the atmosphere feeling awkward and


    weird.


    “Why are you smiling?” I ask him when he gets out to help me out of the car.


    His smile should be a weapon of mass distraction for women. Sure, he’s hot, but when Rowan smiles,


    it just elevates his looks to another level.


    “Can’t I be happy that I’m taking my woman out?” he asks, his head tilted to the side. (2)


    For some reason, I giggle. I’m not the kind of woman to giggle. I’ve never giggled in my entire life. In


    fact, I used to find it repulsive when a grown ass woman did it, yet I was doing it.


    “I’m sorry, I don’t know why the hell I giggled.” I apologize while trying to pull myself together


    He takes my hand, and I wrap it around his bicep. The intimacy between us is wild. Sometimes I pinch


    myself just to make sure that I’m not dreaming.


    “You don’t have to apologize… It actually suits you, and I like it.”


    I’m really not convinced, but I smile anyway.


    We make our way to the entrance of the restaurant. Just like I guessed, the ce was extravagant, and


    it screamed money. I internallyughed; I knew it. Rowan really didn’t have a clue about my likes and


    dislikes.


    “Mr. Wood, your table is ready,” the hostess says the minute she spots us.


    Rowan just gives her a nod, and she begins walking, leading us to our table. I ignore the heads that


    turn to look at us. Rowan was famous, and ording to Letty, so was I because of my foundation. I


    hate fame, and as much as I had looked forward to this date, the excitement was starting to dwindle.


    The hostess leaves after serving us wine, promising that a waiter will be by to take our orders.


    “Have I told you that you look stunning tonight?” he asks, breaking the silence.


    I grin at him. “No, you haven’t.”


    “Well, you do, Ava. You look really stunning. I can’t keep my eyes off you.”


    My friends were right about this dress, because I see the heat and hunger in his eyes. I also see


    I get what he said that day, bute on! Does he know how hard it is to sleep by his side every night


    and wake up to him kissing me, or every time he grabs my waist and pulls me flush against his body,


    yet every time things begin to get heated, he steps back?


    He’s killing me slowly, and I don’t even know whether he realizes it or not.


    “Thank you,” I smile, taking a sip of my wine.


    My eyes scan the ce. Sure, it was a really lovely ce if you liked fancy ces, but it isn’t for me. I


    just didn’t know how to tell him that. 1


    “Ava?” His voice pulls me back to the present, and I look at him.


    “Yeah?”


    “You spaced out.”


    “Sorry about that.”


    I try to remain focused, but I just can’t. Gosh, I feel so fucking terrible. Here I am on a date with him. A


    date I’ve been looking forward to, yet I can’t help but wish that I was somewhere else. (3


    His softughter forces me to look at him. He was leaning against the chair with one hand on the table.


    He looked smug and had a smirk stered on his face. Tilting my head, I focus on him, wondering


    what he found amusing.


    “What?” I ask in irritation. “What’s so funny?”


    Instead of answering, he stands up and gives me his hand. I look at him confused, wondering if he has


    lost his damn mind.


    “Come on, Ava, we have somewhere to be,” he tells me almost impatiently.


    “What about the dinner?” I asked.


    “What about it? You really think I don’t know that you hate these kinds of fancy ces? This was just a


    decoy; I wanted to see whether you would tell me or suffer through it” 2


    I stare at him, not really sure I heard him right. He already knew that I hated it here? I don’t know


    whether I should be impressed or pissed off at him right now. I was leaning more on being pissed. He


    should have just said so from the beginning.


    “Come on, our real date awaits,” he says, taking my hand and pulling me up. Before leaving, he grabs


    my purse and shoves it under his arm.


    “What about the reservation?” I ask as we walk out.


    “Don’t worry about that… Gabe and I own the ce, and the hostess knew that I wasn’t


    He helps me get in before rounding the car and getting in himself. After we’re both buckled in, he starts


    the car, and I turn to face him.


    “What do you n for tonight, You’ve got me really intrigued,” I tell him


    “You really are impatient,” he mutters with a chuckle. “Just rx, I’ve got everything nned out, you’ll


    love it.”


    I would be lying if I said I wasn’t giddy, because I was. After the initial shock of how he yed me back


    at the restaurant, I was okay, to be honest. d that he knew that one detail about me. Though, I still


    don’t know how he knew that since he has never taken me anywhere.


    We make small talk. My eyes widen when we stop at a drive–through. 1


    “Seriously?” I ask in excitement.


    “Definitely,” he smiles, making my heart skip a bit. “What would you like?”


    I give him my order, and he repeats it to the server. Once we get our order, we drive away. I was so


    excited. This was shaping out to be a good evening.


    “You know I’m surprised,” I begin. “I never really saw you as the kind to have a burger and fries at a


    drive–through. You always seemed like the wine and dine sort of person.”


    He gives me a sideways look. “That goes to show that you don’t really know me as much as you think.


    Give me greasy food any day, any time. In fact, it is pretty much all I ate the first couple of months after


    you and I separated and before I hired Teresa.”


    I can’t helpughing. It’s really funny to imagine Rowan eating burgers and fries every day. “If it wasn’t


    for the fact that I went to the gym every day, I would have a fucking pot belly.”


    The image of that just makes meugh even more. I can’t imagine him without his well- defined abs.


    “Thank God for gyms then, or I would miss all the sexiness I get to see every time you take your


    clothes off,” I tease.


    His voice is husky as heughs. Heavens, this is what I always wanted. To see Rowan happy around


    me. It was finallying true, and I’m d that I was able to see this day. “We are here,” he tells me


    after a couple more minutes of driving.