I put my dick back in my pants and jerked my shirt down, just as the door opened without the courtesy of a knock or so much as a word of warning.
A tall, blonde girl locked eyes with me, curled her lip, and then glared at Crystal. “You know the rules.”
“Wh–? I mentioned that Anthony would be stopping by to meet everyone. You said it was–”
“I said I’d have dinner ready. You chose to sneak him up here for lunch instead.”
“We were just leaving,” I decided, as I hauled myself off the bed and stepped toward the woman.
She was tall enough to make any basketball coach proud, but I couldn’t find anything else to recommend about her with all that sneering.
“Right, sorry Tindra,” Crystal mumbled, before hurrying me down the stairs.
“Sorry,” the laundry gal quietly murmured as we passed.
“Nice to meet you,” I quipped, as I took Crystal’s hand and led her along.
I didn’t like her being so far away, and I damn sure, didn’t like her living arrangement. So, I drove us straight to the mall.
“You in the mood for those buttery pretzels or something?” she teased, as we approached the front entrance, and I realized I had been unusually quiet.
“Nah, sorry. I guess I was still stuck on that girl acting like that toward you.” I shook my head and gave her hand a squeeze while scanning the stores. “What mall doesn’t have a jewelry store?”
“‘A jewelry store…?’” Crystal blinked up at me, not following along.
“You thought I was gonna fold a dollar bill up like some kind of origami ring and take you to the courthouse? You’re fucking crazy.” I kissed the back of her hand and led her along.
I could feel her bewildered gaze on me, and the absent way she allowed me to guide her.
“You’re serious?” she whispered, her feet planting just outside the Zales entrance.
I turned back when my fingers nearly slid free from hers as I kept walking, “Wh–? Yeah. I told you. We’re getting married.”
Her lips twitched in that quirky way and bloomed into a smile.
“You told me?” She repeated the words back at me, and I apologetically licked my lips.
“Trust me, love? Let me get the ring, and I’ll make sure you never forget the way I ask you to put that thing on.”
I gave her hand a little tug, just to see what happened, and when her feet moved, I stepped into her and rewarded her with a long kiss, “I’m going to make sure you never regret this.” I promised.
She looked away, but not before I saw the way her eyes misted.
“Can I help you?” a lady behind the counter asked.
“Absolutely,” I answered, without even wasting a glance on her, “Tell her what catches your eye, baby.”
Crystal stared at me, and though there was excitement in her gaze there was something else lingering in the depths.
She hesitantly stepped toward the counter and pulled her hands toward herself. She looked like she was afraid to touch the glass counter, let alone dare to look at the precious stones inside. I saw her gaze linger on one that was about the same rich, blue shade as my eyes. It was set in gold and surrounded by a halo of tiny diamonds. She squinted before her eyes widened and swungtoward the other end of the counter. She leaned forward, toward a simple band with a tiny stone and a ninety-nine-dollar price tag.
I gently hooked her arm and led her back to the pretty one.
“I saw you look at it, what size?”
“Wha–? No,” she denied, with a nervous laugh. “It’s too–”
“I didn’t ask what it was, I asked what size your finger is.”
