Duck. Well that was a new one. “So, I should roll in glue and then feathers, then?” he said with a little grin on his face, so she wouldn't think he was making fun of her. She spoke of her own nickname and he arched an eyebrow, then chuckled when she explained it.
“But you aren't stinky. And I don't know what you taste like in vinegar, but I'm sure it's better than cabbage.” Another joke. His herbal confidence was on the rise.
I'm not dangerous, she told him. And David pondered that for a moment.
Danger was... relative. A weird thing. Allie hadn't been dangerous, in most senses of the word. But she had been dangerous in a way she wasn't even aware of. David's heart was a fragile place. He made bad judgment when he was his own judge. Tended to set himself up for inevitable disappointment.
But at the same time, Ellie was his friend. And she had been for quite awhile. If there was anyone he could trust, it was a friend. Right?
It was also... difficult to reason with himself when she was pressing her body against his. He may have been patient and he may have been shy and kind, but there was only so much he could take. And... this was definitely pushing that limit.
“I... know you're not, but...” he breathed in the smoke she was breathing out and then breathed it back out slowly.
It had... been a good long while. That was for sure. Since Allie left. Yeah, before Allie had come into his life, it had been a couple years, but people often said that situations like that were like feeding a starving man. And it was difficult now... to say no. She could probably feel his growing... interest... pressing against her, and it was definitely tough to tamp down his instinct.
Swallowing thickly, he let his eyes trail down to her lips. “I want to. Definitely. But... c-casual...” he murmured. “We have to... we have to keep it casual,” he told her, flicking his eyes back up to hers. “Just in case...”