Hanging On (Jessica Brodie Diaries #2)(19)

My joy came from my toes. I beamed as I accepted them, taking a big whiff. His eyes went starry and his lips curled. His body leaned, like he couldn’t stand the distance between us. A flick of his eyes at Gladis, though, had him sitting back down slowly.

“So, a long time in the making, huh?” Gladis said amicably. “The date?”

William leaned forward to put his elbows on his knees. “That’s my fault. I should’ve asked her out the first night I saw her.”

“That would’ve been awful!” I laughed. “I still had dog food in my hair and a stinky mouth.”

“I like ‘em trashy,” William smirked.

“Willie,” Gladis warned.

William straightened up, trying to uphold her expectations, but wanting to be alone with me. Wanting to let down his guard and say anything that came to his mind. He didn’t want to have to try so hard.

“Sorry, ma’am.”

“Oh alright, get going, you two. It’s obvious you want some time alone,” Gladis acceded, leaning back.

We were like two kids told it was the last day of school. I could barely feel my feet as he escorted me out of the door.

We walked hand-in-hand through the subdued evening, enjoying the last rays of the sun and the smell of fresh cut grass.

“I didn’t expect her to be so formal,” William said in a quiet voice as he pulled me off the path toward a weeping willow. There was a cute bench surrounded by blooming flowers, emitting a beautiful scent nowhere near as delicious as that coming from him.

“Sit for a moment?” he asked, pulling me closer. His lips got within inches of mine and stopped. “You’re going to let me kiss you?”

“Weird question. Yes, but I am not going to wait for you to kiss me.”

A smile soaked up his face as his lips connected with mine. Sparks of electricity jumped from him to me, frying my logic, making me cling onto his large frame, nearly trying to climb up.

“Okay, okay. I need to stop. We have a reservation,” William said, backing off, his mouth still nearly touching mine.

I took my tongue back.

“I wanted to give you something.” He reached into his pocket.

“Why wouldn’t I let you kiss me?”

“Oh, that’s just what I usually hear. It ruins lipstick.”

“I’d be more worried about your own face if I was you. You now look like a clown. Good thing I chose a nude color.”

William kissed me again, his delicious bulge pushing up against my stomach.

“Quickie?” I asked with a husky voice.

“The death of me,” he said softly, chuckling.

He took out a square, black velvet box and brought it to the side of us, there not being enough room between our bodies.

“I got this for you. I’d be honored if you’d wear it.”

The velvet was so soft. I opened the case slowly, seeing the sparkle before I even saw what was in it.

“William, no!” I breathed. “Too much.”

It was a diamond and ruby tennis bracelet.

He leaned his face into my neck and ran his lips up my skin. “Nothing is too much for you.”

Well, he had that wrong.

“It matches the necklace Ami gave me.” My hands were shaking as I allowed him to fasten the bracelet around my wrist.

“Exactly.”

“How’d you know I’d be wearing it?”

“Because you said you were dressing up. And you have shockingly few nice pieces. For now.”

“I’m going to ignore that last comment, and just say, thank you!” I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him soundly, tasting sweet red wine and him.

“We should go,” he said quietly, giving a last meeting of lips before he led me out of the tree into the darkening night. Lights were twinkling on as we made our way along the path.

The night was quickly becoming perfect.

Until I saw our transportation.

“Is that…shut up!” I stopped dead, looking down at myself.

“What’s the matter?” William asked, following my gaze. “What’s wrong?”

“William, I can’t get in a freaking Aston Martin looking like I do! Everyone’s going to know I’m a fraud!”

He started laughing, loudly, pulling me toward the car. “Oh stop it. You outshine the car in jeans.”

Shaking my head, I tried to put on the breaks the whole way. I’d never been inside a car that nice. Never even looked inside a car that nice! How the hell was I going to pull off that I belonged when I had to aspire to this? Audi, okay, yeah, I can make that happen. A freaking Aston Martin?

I tried not to feel the sudden hopelessness as he opened the door and handed me in.

William got in the other side, still smiling. “If it makes you feel better, this is my dad’s car. He has a thing for collecting cars. I told him I was going on a date. With you.”

My heart stopped. “What did he say?”

“In so many words that I am a grown man and can make my own decisions. He told me that he hoped I wouldn’t spread this news to the office. I told him you said the same thing. Repeatedly. He seemed to approve after that. I told you—he likes you.”

William's dad had never been the problem. “What did your mom say?”