I’d always liked to hug and cuddle. But Franco hated that, calling me an attention seeker. “That I’m clingy.”
“No.” Hunter squeezed my body closer like he couldn’t get enough. “I like it. Cling to me all you want.”
Enamoured, I peered up into his handsome face. “I really like you.”
My sentence transformed Hunter’s entire face. He practically lit up, lips parting and eyes widening with glee. He tried to play it off like it was no big deal, but I saw through it.
Hunter waited so long for me to say those words. I wished…I wished I’d started falling for him over a year ago, like he had for me, when we first locked eyes at Josh’s birthday party.
If I’d just paid more attention to him, we could have been dating long before now,I thought regretfully.
“Is that so?” he asked, not in a way that stated he needed reassurance, but more in the playful manner of his I was coming to love.
“Yes.”
“What a coincidence.” His nose skimmed over my cheek before he brushed a kiss on my blushing skin. “I really like you, too.”
Nothing more needed to be said. We were finally on the same page. I’d caught up to Hunter and now our real story could begin.
I listened to the gentle pitter-patter of his heart as we waited for the line to advance.
Fifteen minutes later, we walked out of the store with bags filled with books and a cloud of bliss surrounding.
I’d never felt happier in my life.
Hunter wasn’t kidding when he said he planned an entire day for us. This was easily the best date ever. Food, books, shopping, and good conversations really were the key to my heart.
Presently, we were at a mall in a formal menswear boutique. Hunter needed to pick up a suit he’d had altered. As he spoke to one of the employees, I wandered around until a row of ties caught my attention.
Amongst the neat display, there was a hunter green one and a light blue one. The latter reminded me of the exact shade of my boyfriend’s eyes.
Thankfully, he had his back to me, still in discussion with the employee, so he didn’t see when I quietly purchased the two ties and hid them in my purse.
“I’m parched,” I told him when we stepped out of there.
“Let’s get you something to drink, doll.”
He directed us towards a coffee shop in the food court, where he proceeded to buy me a hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles. The barista eyed Hunter flirtatiously and I burned with jealousy. It was unlike me. I’d never felt territorial over my ex-boyfriends or flings. But Hunter was different.
He was beginning to feel like my forever.
And the energy inside of me bordered on unhinged. I wanted to mark him as mine in a way that was visible to the entire world. So every onlooker knew to keep their interest to themselves.
Would he consider getting a tattoo for me—something that said ‘I belong to Gabriela’? I sipped my hot chocolate almost furiously on the bench as I pondered, Hunter sitting beside me. Or maybe I should go Josh’s route and make Hunter wear a ring with my name on it?
No, stop it, Gabriela. Your crazy possessiveness might spook him.
Or…he might love it.
“What are you thinking about?” Hunter teased as if watching my thoughts play out on my face in real time. I practically chugged down half of my drink to avoid telling him. “You really are addicted to chocolate, huh?”
“And you’re addicted to me,” I countered in a singsong tone.
“I can’t help it.” He kissed me and sucked the whipped cream from my top lip. “You smell good, look good, and taste good. I just want to take a bite out of you.”
“You’re insatiable.” But secretly, I loved his answer. It tamed the green-eyed monster inside of me. “Didn’t you have enough last night?”
Earlier, Hunter’s hair came undone from his low bun and since I liked him with his hair open, I’d stolen his hair tie and worn it around my wrist. Now when he leaned into my space, those tousled strands brushed my neck and I shivered, right before he confessed in my ear, “I’ll never have enough of you, Gabby.”
