I set my fork down and wipe my mouth. “Maybe we can start over. I’m Linc Caldwell. It’s nice to meet you.” I thrust my hand across the table to her.
She takes it and gives me a firm shake as her face lights up. “I’m Ever Montgomery. It’s nice to meet you, too.”
We both go back to eating and I try hard not to look at those luscious lips.
“So, how long have you been friends with Kyle?”
“Probably about two months now. I come to the cancer ward a lot. Several of my teammates come, too. But I met Kyle a few months ago, and he’s...special. We hit it off and I’ve tried to visit him at least once a week.”
“Is he going to get better?”
My heart turns heavy. “His parents say his outlook isn’t good. But I’m holding out hope.”
Ever reaches across the table and takes my hand. It’s as soft as silk, and reassuring as it lightly grips mine. “I’ll add him to my nightly prayers. I’ll add you, too, so that you have continued strength.”
I swallow hard. I’ve never had anyone say something like that to me and it warms me to the bone. It makes Ever so much more fascinating to me and the final dredges of anger I had been holding onto sort of melt away.
There is no telling why I have this sudden and deep interest with Ever. My feelings toward her have gone from an instant attraction, to anger, to vengeance, to amusement, to attraction and now fascination. In any other circumstance, if I was this attracted to a woman, I would be putting some moves on her.
But that’s not something I can do with Ever.
I’m not about to give her fodder for her article. Plus, she’s too distrustful. There’s no way she’d be receptive to me.
“Do you want some popcorn?”
I look behind me and Ever is standing there. She and I are getting ready to watch a movie in my living room. She has on a pair of sweatpants and a Duke t-shirt. She f**king looks amazing and I want to slap myself silly for even thinking that.
“I’m good,” I tell her. She heads back into the kitchen and I settle back into the couch cushions. I hope I don’t get sidetracked with every piece of popcorn she places between those full lips.
When she returns and gets settled on the other end of the couch, I flip through the movie channels. I suggest Terminator 3 but she says no. She suggests one of the Harry Potter movies and I resoundingly say no. We finally agree on Monster’s Ball, mainly because she loves Halle Berry and said she heard she got an Oscar for this movie, and I think Billy Bob Thornton is a genius. But Halle Berry is hot, too.
The movie is intense. I glance across the couch at Ever at one point, and she has her hand clasped over her mouth when Billy Bob’s son kills himself. She gasps out loud, causing me to glance over at her again, when Halle’s son gets killed. I have a feeling that by the end of the movie, she might be in tears. That, at least, has my lustful thoughts toward Ever on hold.
What I wasn’t prepared for was an emotionally raw and bordering on p**n ographic sex scene between Billy Bob and Halle. Holy shit, but I’m uncomfortable with all of the slapping of skin and moans coming from the TV, and f**k if my imagination doesn’t run right toward Ever. Wondering what she would feel like beneath me and I feel my dick starting to get hard.
Son of a bitch.
I glance over at her and her face is flame red. She swallows hard once but doesn’t take her eyes off the screen. I wonder what she’s thinking right now, and if it’s anywhere near as dirty as what I’m thinking.
The scene goes on for what seems like forever, and then it’s finally over. I look again at Ever and she sneaks a glance at me.
“That was...intense,” she says.
“I get why Halle won an Oscar.”
The corners of her mouth lift up in a grin, and then we both bust out laughing. It eases the tension and we both return to watching the movie.
By the time we get to the scene where Billy Bob goes down on Halle, I don’t even bat an eye and I even laugh when Ever says, “Now that was brilliant acting”, referencing Halle’s orgasm.
I’ll have to admit, the movie was excellent but I’ll make sure we refrain from watching any other movies that have sex scenes in them. That almost bordered on painful.
“Want to watch something else?” I ask her.
“Harry Potter?” she asks playfully.
“I’m not watching Harry Potter with you. I’m not about to have you put that in print. How about The Walking Dead?”
“Sounds scary.”
“It’s a bit intense. Are you up for it?”
“Sure. But let me go to the bathroom first.”
I take the opportunity to get me some water and then I pull out my DVD set of The Walking Dead. I put in the first disc and then turn the lights off. If we are going to watch scary, then it’s gotta be fully scary.
When Ever returns, she doesn’t say anything about the lights but takes her seat back on the opposite end of the couch from me.
“Prepare to be scared,” I say ominously as I hit the Play button.
“If I have nightmares tonight, I’m so going to kick your ass.”
“You can always come crawl into bed with me.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them and I’m afraid she’ll take them the wrong way.
She just arches a perfectly shaped eyebrow at me and says, “In your dreams.”
Good. She knows I was just joking and not trying to come on to her.