Read Online Tin City Tinder (A Boone Childress Mystery) by David Macinnis Gill - Free Book Online
Authors: David Macinnis Gill
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am I overwhelming?”
“Come on, you have to know. Your soldier swagger. The firefighter hero thing. Plus you’re really smart in class.” She took another sip of wine as I shook my head. “Seriously, all the cool girls think you’re hot and all the hot girls think you’re cool.”
“What about you? What do you think about me?”
“I wonder why you’d be interested in a nerd like me.” She ran a finger around the lip of the glass. “Since you just admitted I’m neither hot nor cool.”
“Nice maneuver there.” I lifted my glass. “But you’re just being coy.”
“I’m not!”
She fired a cornbread muffin at my head. I ducked, and it sailed straight into the lake below.
“Missed me.”
“I meant to miss you.”
The server cleared his throat. “Ready to order?”
“Oops,” Cedar said. “I haven’t even looked at the menu. What’s good?”
“Do you trust me?” I asked.
“You run into burning buildings to save possums,” she said, smiling, “and you ask if I trust you to order for me?”
I turned to the server. “We’ll start with she crab soup, followed by the spicy strawberry salad and the filet mignon, medium rare. For desert—you like chocolate, right?”
“Stupid question,” she said.
“For desert, we’ll split the chocolate torte.”
The server caught my eye and winked. “Excellent decision, sir.”
He meant my decision to order for both of us. From Cedar’s body language, she liked a take-charge guy. I hoped I was interpreting her right.
“So,” she said.
“So. What shall we talk about?”
“Something intriguing yet stimulating.”
“That’s my kind of conversation.”
“Awesome! Then let me tell about my research project.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh yeah. Totally seriously. You’re going to love it.”
While we waited for their appetizer, she told me all about her literature review. Over the salad and entrée, she outlined the design of the project and described her methods for collecting data.
We split the bottle of wine. She matched me glass for glass until the chocolate torte made its appearance and I poured the last few drops in her glass.
“Are you trying to get me drunk, Petty Officer?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing.”
“I’m not a petty officer.”
“That makes you a pretty officer, then.”
A blush bloomed across her cheeks. “Shut up and eat your dessert.”
“You first.” I cut the torte with my fork and gently placed the chocolate on her tongue.
“Oh my god!” She covered her mouth.“That’s the best I’ve ever had.”
I offered another piece. “Care for more?”
“That’s all,” she said through the next bite. “It’s delicious but too rich. I have to watch my figure.”
“I could watch it for you.”
“Haven’t you already been doing that?”
“Guilty as charged.” I signaled the server to bring the check. “Care for a walk by the lake?”
“You read my mind.”
“That’s why I suddenly had visions of differential equations dancing through my head.”
She threw her napkin at me. “That time, I meant to hit you.”
A few minutes later, we were strolling on the shore, shoes in hand, fingers locked together. The tips of the waves nibbled at our feet, and the shadows of the coming night silhouetted the trees. The wind had picked up, and Cedar shivered in the cold.
“Hang on.” I placed my coat on her shoulders. “How’s that?”
“That,” she said and turned her face up to mine, “was about the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Technically, you didn’t see it, since it’s already dark-thirty.”
“Just shut up,” she said and leaned into my chest, “and kiss me.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Running the back of my hand along her cheek, I slipped my fingers into her hair and pulled her closer. Our lips touch together, gently at first. Then I pulled her tight, one hand on her neck, the other on the small of her back.
Cedar eased her petite body into my embrace. She
“Come on, you have to know. Your soldier swagger. The firefighter hero thing. Plus you’re really smart in class.” She took another sip of wine as I shook my head. “Seriously, all the cool girls think you’re hot and all the hot girls think you’re cool.”
“What about you? What do you think about me?”
“I wonder why you’d be interested in a nerd like me.” She ran a finger around the lip of the glass. “Since you just admitted I’m neither hot nor cool.”
“Nice maneuver there.” I lifted my glass. “But you’re just being coy.”
“I’m not!”
She fired a cornbread muffin at my head. I ducked, and it sailed straight into the lake below.
“Missed me.”
“I meant to miss you.”
The server cleared his throat. “Ready to order?”
“Oops,” Cedar said. “I haven’t even looked at the menu. What’s good?”
“Do you trust me?” I asked.
“You run into burning buildings to save possums,” she said, smiling, “and you ask if I trust you to order for me?”
I turned to the server. “We’ll start with she crab soup, followed by the spicy strawberry salad and the filet mignon, medium rare. For desert—you like chocolate, right?”
“Stupid question,” she said.
“For desert, we’ll split the chocolate torte.”
The server caught my eye and winked. “Excellent decision, sir.”
He meant my decision to order for both of us. From Cedar’s body language, she liked a take-charge guy. I hoped I was interpreting her right.
“So,” she said.
“So. What shall we talk about?”
“Something intriguing yet stimulating.”
“That’s my kind of conversation.”
“Awesome! Then let me tell about my research project.”
“Seriously?”
“Oh yeah. Totally seriously. You’re going to love it.”
While we waited for their appetizer, she told me all about her literature review. Over the salad and entrée, she outlined the design of the project and described her methods for collecting data.
We split the bottle of wine. She matched me glass for glass until the chocolate torte made its appearance and I poured the last few drops in her glass.
“Are you trying to get me drunk, Petty Officer?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing.”
“I’m not a petty officer.”
“That makes you a pretty officer, then.”
A blush bloomed across her cheeks. “Shut up and eat your dessert.”
“You first.” I cut the torte with my fork and gently placed the chocolate on her tongue.
“Oh my god!” She covered her mouth.“That’s the best I’ve ever had.”
I offered another piece. “Care for more?”
“That’s all,” she said through the next bite. “It’s delicious but too rich. I have to watch my figure.”
“I could watch it for you.”
“Haven’t you already been doing that?”
“Guilty as charged.” I signaled the server to bring the check. “Care for a walk by the lake?”
“You read my mind.”
“That’s why I suddenly had visions of differential equations dancing through my head.”
She threw her napkin at me. “That time, I meant to hit you.”
A few minutes later, we were strolling on the shore, shoes in hand, fingers locked together. The tips of the waves nibbled at our feet, and the shadows of the coming night silhouetted the trees. The wind had picked up, and Cedar shivered in the cold.
“Hang on.” I placed my coat on her shoulders. “How’s that?”
“That,” she said and turned her face up to mine, “was about the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Technically, you didn’t see it, since it’s already dark-thirty.”
“Just shut up,” she said and leaned into my chest, “and kiss me.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Running the back of my hand along her cheek, I slipped my fingers into her hair and pulled her closer. Our lips touch together, gently at first. Then I pulled her tight, one hand on her neck, the other on the small of her back.
Cedar eased her petite body into my embrace. She
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