“Does that change anything that you said?”
My eyes snap up to hers. “No,” I say quickly. “It changes nothing. It only makes it easier on me. I was trying to figure out how to do this long distance.”
She smiles that gorgeous smile that I fell for the first day I met her. “Well, no need to worry about that. I’m not going anywhere.”
I’m a little shocked and having a hard time processing everything. Relief floods through me, but there is one thing I know, and it’s that I want to date this woman. I want to show her that we’re perfect for each other.
So I reach out and take her hand in mine. Looking her in the eyes, I say, “Then can I take you out on a date tomorrow night?”
Her fingers tighten around mine. “I’d like that.”
A euphoric feeling beats through me.She said yes.I had the fucking courage to ask her out, to take my chance with this amazing woman, and she said yes, which means the opportunity is there.
The opportunity to make her mine.
I lift her hand to my lips, and I press a soft kiss to her knuckles. “Then it’s a date.”
She smirks and then leans in. Standing on her toes, she kisses my lips softly before pulling away. “It’s a date.”
She releases my hand, and she walks off to her bedroom, where she shuts the door.
I grip my hands together on the top of my head and let out another deep breath.
Fuck, I did it.
A large smile spreads across my lips.
I fucking did it.
Turning away from her, I grab my duffel bag and head into my bedroom, where I strip down and get ready for bed, thinking how proud Holden would be. If he were here right now, I’d texthim that she said yes, and he’d probably say something like, “Finally, you dickhead. Took you long enough.”
Just the thought of it makes me chuckle as I finish brushing my teeth.
I turn off the light to the bathroom just as Blakely walks into my bedroom wearing the shirt I gave her to wear.
My mouth goes dry as I take in how the fabric nearly swallows her up, draping well past her elbows on the sleeves, and the hem hits her mid-thigh.
I move my hand over my mouth, looking her up and down with a slight shake of my head.
“That looks amazing on you.”
“It’s my favorite shirt to wear.”
“Good,” I answer as I take her hand and lead her to her side of the bed. I pull back the sheets and comforter and help her into bed. That makes her smile.
I lean down and kiss her head before moving to my side of the bed and slipping under the covers. I turn off the light and roll toward her. I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her into my chest, where I nuzzle my head against her neck.
“Is this okay?” I ask her.
“Why wouldn’t it be?” she asks.
“I don’t know the limits now that I’m taking you out. I feel like the paradigm has shifted. I want to make sure I’m not doing anything that’s crossing the line.”
She chuckles. “Halsey, your face has been buried between my legs, so snuggling is not crossing a line.”
I laugh and kiss the side of her neck. “I don’t want to assume I can touch you.”
“Touch me all you want,” she whispers as she brings my hand under her shirt. “I love feeling you against me.”
