“And even though I know I shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t be thinking about you so fucking much, I don’t think there is a minute that passes by through day or night you’re not living in my head rent free, and I’m still here. I’m still waking up nomatter how late I get home to be at the park by the time you get there for your run.”
“Austin… I swear sometimes, I think you’re here even when I’m asleep.” The words slipped out almost like an angry accusation.
“Why do you say that?” His eyes didn’t leave mine.
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “I dream of you being here with me. Holding me. Petting my hair. Watching me sleep. Stupid, huh?”
“Nothing about you is stupid, Elizabeth.” His forehead dropped and leaned against mine. “I need you to promise me something.”
“What?”
“I know she’s your baby sister and you would literally do anything for her, but no baskets and no bachelor auctions,” he ordered, and I couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled up through me.
Laughter he didn’t find amusing with the way his brows bunched as he turned even more serious.
“I’m not kidding.”
“I can see that.” I was completely amused by him.
“And absolutely no speed dating unless you want me pushing every motherfucker out of the way.”
“Austin—“
“You’re mine, Elizabeth.”
“Am I? That’s… crazy, considering?—“
“What?”
“We’ve never been on a date,” I pointed out.
“What do you mean? We work out together every morning.” I blinked because there was no way he could be serious. “We’ve gone dancing and—“ He was serious! He considered stalking me dating me?!
“Well, in that case, what was I thinking? We’ve been dating for a month or so. We should just get married.” I was being sarcastic, but he grinned like a cat who ate the canary.
“I wouldn’t mind a trip to Vegas.”
“Austin.” My eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my head.
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t.” I shook my head, but he didn’t let go of my face. He simply held on to it like I was something precious. A piece of fine art he was afraid to drop.
“Fine.” He swallowed. “Tonight. Get dolled up for me. Wear a dress. Panties are optional.”
“Panties are—“ My face heated up, but he simply gave me a charming smile and winked.
“I’ll pick you up at five,” he said like it was law.
“Five? What makes you think I’d even want to go out with you?” I tried to take his ego down a notch. But there was something about the way he was staring at me, knowingly, with a wicked gleam, that told me it’d done the exact opposite.
“That journal you write in after your run?”
“What about it?”
“Do you write random thoughts“—I opened and shut my mouth when he kept talking—“or do you write to me?” I licked my lips while trying to figure out how the hell he knew the journal was filled with letters to my sexy stalker. If that wasn’t enough, Austin kept shaking up my world with his questions.
“At night, do you dream of me? Feel me around you?”
