“Ye-yes.” He clears his throat. “Sorry. I-I know you like lemons, but showing up with a bag of them seemed silly.”
“Don’t be sorry. This is beautiful. Come in. Let me put these in the kitchen.” I take the bouquet of yellow and orange gerberas, lemons, and baby’s breath, with beautiful eucalyptus leaves. It’s stunning and right up my alley.
He plants a soft kiss on my cheek, lingering when his lips touch my skin, engulfing me in leather and wood. “You smell good,” he whispers, leaving goosebumps in places he’s not even near. “And you look beautiful.”
“Thank you. So do you.” I smile sheepishly, turning to place the flowers in the off-white empty vase on the dining table. It’s been needing flowers for a while, but I keep forgetting to bring some from the store. “I mean handsome.”
He smiles. I roll my eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“I don’t know about you, but I love being called beautiful, so I’ll take it,” he mocks.
“Then you look very beautiful, Mr. Clay.” He pulls me straight into his arms, dipping low to kiss my lips this time, swallowing my gasp.
"I couldn’t wait any longer to do that. I mean, I could’ve, but I really didn’t want to.” His hands roam down my back, resting above the curve of my ass, carefully holding me in place so it’s impossible for me to miss his face.
“That’s quite alright. I like it when you kiss me.”
“Mmm,” he murmurs against my lips.
“Green looks good on you.” My cheeks hurt from smiling, but there’s nothing new about that, not when I’m around him.
“I figured if I started wearing your favorite color, maybe I’d become a favorite too.”
I snort a laugh. “You’re so silly.”
He drops another quick peck and then leaves me in the cold air without his warmth around me. He groans. “Let’s go, or we’ll miss our reservation, because I won’t be able to stop kissing you.”
The giggles slip out immediately as he practically drags me out of the house and into his car.
37
YOU’RE EVERYTHING
Constellations–Piano Version by Jade LeMac (Cont.)
Holden
“Can I interest you in dessert?”Max, our server, asks. Natalie shakes her head no, declining politely, and I’m having a hard time not saying exactly what’s on my mind—I wantherfor dessert.
Selfishly, I’m glad she said she’s ready to go. I want her to myself a little longer before I need to get her home.
“Ready?” I ask after I pay, holding my hand out to help her stand. Her cleavage deepens as she tilts forward, making it unbearably impossible to keep my eyes away from her body. It’s often I find my gaze drifting to her body, to her thick thighs, her full breasts, wondering,dreamingabout how they would feel in my hands, how they would fit in my mouth. I strive not to look at her all the time so she doesn’t think I don’t have self-control, but it’s hard. Her body and her green eyes constantly pull my focus, but then there’s her hair, her lips, her, well, everything.
I walk right beside her, my hand resting on her lower back, and I’m suddenly jealous of the way her dress smooths down her skin. I’m itching for it to be my hands, my lips, my tongue, all over her body. But not until she’s ready. The mere thought of it has me fucked, though, ready to burst.
“I had fun tonight,” she says, spinning to look at me, her back to my passenger door. “The food was delicious. I loved this place.”
“It’s very special to me, so I’m glad you liked it.”
“Oh yeah? You bring all your dates here?” she teases.
I shake my head. “I told you I don’t date.” I didn’t mean for the words to sound so dry and clipped, but they do, and I know she assumes it’s a lie. I can see how the light leaves her eyes before she drops her gaze. I slide my thumb under her soft chin, lifting her face so she can see the truth behind what I’m about to say. “I meant it, Natalie. I don’t date. I’ve never wanted to before you.”
“Why me?”
“Why not you? You—” I sigh.You’re breathtaking. You’re smart, kind, and funny. You’re one of a kind. You might be the love of my life.All things I want to say, but none that I do, because I don’t want to spook her. Baby steps and all. “You’re everything.”
She gasps, the same way she does when we’re this close or when I mention something she wasn’t expecting. I want to figure out other ways she’ll gasp like that for me.
