Garrick slides his arm along the back of my chair as he scoots in closer to my side. I look up at him, grinning like a loon as he bends down and pecks my lips. “You look beautiful,” he says, toying with the spaghetti straps on my white summer dress. “Like a ray of sunshine.” His fingers wind in my hair as he stares at me like I put the sun in the sky. I’ve noticed he always seems to be touching my hair, and I love it. Every time he puts his fingers on any part of me, I tingle all over.
“You two are so stinking cute I could puke,” Hadley says, beaming at me. I know she’s thrilled I’ve found a guy worth risking a relationship for.
“I agree.” Hudson’s deep voice reverberates in the busy restaurant. “You make a good couple.” Hudson has dark hair, worn longish and loose around his face, like Garrick. But that’s where the resemblance ends. His pale silvery-blue eyes are the opposite of Garrick’s warm hazel ones, and he’s a few inches shorter in height. Though they are both muscular, he’s stockier than Garrick’s lean build. I can see why Hadley has her panties in a bunch. He’s a good-looking guy with a smoldering presence that’s hard to ignore.
“I know.” Garrick’s smug tone is laced with pride as he wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me in close to his body. “Life doesn’t get much better than this.”
My heart thumps wildly against my chest wall as he peers deep into my eyes, conveying so much with that one look. Falling this deeply and this quickly is scary, but when his protective arms are around me, I feel like I could scale mountains and nothing seems insurmountable.
Including my own entrenched fears.
“When they get married, I’ll be maid of honor to your best man,” Hadley tells Hudson, instantly claiming my attention.
My jaw slackens, and I silently pray for her to drop this line of questioning. Garrick and I have only started dating, for fuck’s sake, and mentioning the m-word is like waving a red flag in front of a bull. My palms are sweaty as I grip the edge of my chair, wondering what is going to come out of her mouth next.
Life is never dull when Hadley is around, that’s for sure.
“We’ll probably end up banging then, so we should do a trial run.” She pops an olive in her mouth, drilling him with a pointed look. “See if we’re sexually compatible.”
I breathe a sigh of relief, relaxing against my amused boyfriend as I wait to see how Hudson responds. To give him credit, he barely looks ruffled. I’m guessing Garrick forewarned him. “I’m down to fuck.” He shrugs and rubs his neatly trimmed beard. “Just tell me the time and place, and I’m there.”
“Awesome. No time like the present.” Hads slaps a fifty down on the table and eyeballs me. “Get our food to go, and drop it by my place on your way home.” Tugging on Hudson’s arm, she stands. “Come on, mountain man. This pussy waits for no penis.”
Garrick’s chest rumbles with laughter as we watch them exit the restaurant in a hurry.
“Did that really just happen?” I turn to look at him as the waitress brings our pasta dishes. I quickly explain the situation, and she removes Hudson’s and Hadley’s plates to box them up.
“How did you and Hadley end up best friends when you’re polar opposites in so many ways?” Garrick asks, removing his arm from around my shoulders.
“I think that’s why it works.” I twirl creamy spaghetti around my fork. “She encourages me to break free of my rules, and I rein her in when she gets too crazy. We balance each other out.” I stifle a moan as I chew my food, the flavors bursting on my tongue, and it’s a close second to sex.
Which reminds me.
Glancing at Garrick, I admire his side profile, wondering if the guy ever looks bad. I run my fingers through the scruff on his cheeks, loving how I can touch him at will now. “Right now, I’m envious of my bestie because she’s getting cock while I’m over here with my weeping pussy and a constant throbbing ache between my legs.”
Garrick almost chokes on his meat cannelloni, and I smirk as I hand him a napkin quickly followed by a glass of water.
“I take it back,” he says, tweaking my nose when he’s composed himself. “You two are more alike than I realized.” He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. “It’s as hard for me, you know. Literally.” Discreetly, he pulls my hand under the table and slides it across to his crotch. He places my palm atop the obvious bulge in his jeans. “All week, I’ve been walking around in pain. The second I see you, my dick springs up. If you walk past the barn and your scent tickles my nostrils, I’m hard. When your laughter wafts through the air, I’m leaking precum and angling my body so the crew doesn’t see I’ve got a boner.” He leans in, pressing his mouth to my ear, as he returns my hand to my lap. “I’m dying to fuck you, my sunshine, and I have a plan.”
“You could have led with that,” I tease, snuggling into his side, more interested in touching my boyfriend than eating. We’re picking up some curious glances from other patrons, but I couldn’t care less.
“Do you think you could get away early next Saturday and come stay with me at the winery?” he asks. “The cabin is cozy and romantic and very private. It’s surrounded by woodland, and the river transects our property, so we can go swimming or kayaking or hiking on Sunday. I think you’ll love it there, and it’s perfect for what I have in mind for Saturday night.” He pins me with a suggestive look that has me visibly squirming on my seat and squeezing my thighs together.
“That’s a whole week away,” I grumble, resting my chin on his shoulder.
He chuckles, leaning in to kiss me as our food goes cold. “I promise I’ll make it worth the wait.”
I cup his handsome face. “I already know that.” I peer deep into his eyes. “I know I’m bitching and whining, but it actually means a lot to me that you’ve put thought into this.” All week, I’ve been thinking about what he said back in Oregon. He wants to make this different from every other time I’ve had sex because what we share is like nothing I’ve experienced before. He wants to ensure we give our relationship the respect it deserves and that we are starting out on the best footing.
As sexually frustrated as I am, I can’t fault him.
It only intensifies my feelings for him.
We’re new as a couple, but already, he cares so much. He has proven how willing he is to put my needs first. In this, I bow to the fact he knows more about what I need than I do. And I already trust him with my heart, so it makes sense I should trust him with my body too.
“I don’t want to scare you, Stevie, but I already know you’re my forever.” His fingers sweep over my cheeks while I internally battle euphoria and panic. “The memories we’re making now will stay with us for a lifetime.” His lips brush against mine. “I only ever want to give you the most magical memories, and it starts from the very beginning.”
ChapterTwenty-One
