Her response surprised me. I never thought she’d be able to see through me. A warmth spread throughmy chest, and I was grateful to be around someone who understood me so well.
“Well, you’re not wrong,” I admitted with a smile. “Trust is everything to me. But I do also value loyalty. To me, loyalty encompasses both honesty and trust. It’s the unwavering commitment to stand by each other’s side no matter what challenges may come our way.”
Ayla reached out and placed her hand over mine. “My thoughts exactly. I trust you and I hope you feel the same way about me.”
All I wanted was to tell her everything, to let my secrets be known so there’d be none between us. It was all on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t tell her now . . . not at dinner. I’d have no choice if our relationship ever proceeded to the next level. I wouldn’t be able to keep her in the dark forever. She needed to know who I really was, what I’d done, and what I was capable of.
When our food finally arrived, we went back and forth, asking each other questions. I answered all of hers correctly, and she did the same with mine. Her favorite color was green, she preferred cheeseburgers over salads, she once stole an eraser when she was five, and she loved dancing in the rain. There wasso much more I wanted to know about her, and I hoped I’d get the chance to find out.
After we finished dinner, there were no leftovers to take home. As promised, I took Ayla to get a Butterfinger ice cream milkshake, and I got a Snickers one for myself. We walked around the quiet downtown streets of Magnolia Grove while we ate our ice cream, talking and laughing about anything and everything. Being around her filled me with so much warmth and contentment. However, underneath it all was that gnawing fear in the pit of my stomach. I did all I could to ignore it.
Once we were done walking off our milkshakes, I drove Ayla home and walked her to her front door. Her porch light cast a warm glow as we stood there, lingering in the quiet night. Ayla looked up at me with those big green eyes, filled with a mix of emotions that I couldn’t quite decipher. I wanted to reach out, to pull her close and never let go, but something held me back. I wanted to wait for her to make the first move. I didn’t want to assume she wanted me to stay the night.
“Well, I had a great time tonight,” Ayla said softly, a small smile playing on her lips. “Thank you for dinner and the milkshake.”
“It was my pleasure,” I replied, dying to touch her.
Ayla stepped closer, the space between us nearly nonexistent. I could feel the tension crackling in the air, a silent question hanging between us. And then, without another word, she leaned in and pressed her lips to mine. Time seemed to stand still as we kissed, the world fading away around us. In that moment, there was only Ayla and me, our connection growing stronger by the second.
When we finally pulled away, she looked up at me, her eyes searching mine. “Good night,” she murmured, slowly reaching for the door handle. She opened the door and smiled one last time before disappearing behind it.
As I walked back to my car, I could not deny my feelings for her. I wanted Ayla to be mine more than anything I’d wanted in my entire life. Normally, I was a patient man. But with her . . . I didn’t want to be.
Chapter 13
Ayla
Iknew I’d made a mistake the second I shut the door. I’d never been afraid to go after what I wanted. What I wanted was to drag Declan into my house, straight up to my room, and rip off his clothes. I knew he wanted it, too. But, of course, he was a gentleman, just like I knew he would be. Even though he never said it, I knew he was waiting for me to make the first move.
Even though it was dark outside, it was still early in the evening. I hung my purse on the back of one of my kitchen chairs and grabbed my phone out of it before heading upstairs to my bedroom. If I wasn’t going to be having fun under the sheets with Declan, then I might as well spend it reading, which was typically what I did every night anyway.
Once upstairs, I changed out of my dress into my favorite plaid pajama shorts and a T-shirt. Thunder rumbled outside, and a flash of lightning lit up my room through the window. Summer storms in Alabama can be pretty intense sometimes.
I grabbed a blanket off my bed and turned on the small lamp by my window seat. Reading during a storm was my favorite, especially if it was a mystery novel. It always set the mood perfectly.
As soon as I opened my book, a text came through on my phone. I was hoping it would be Declan, but it wasn’t.
Linda: Hey, darling. I need you to do something for me.
She never asked for favors, so her text intrigued me. I typed back a reply.
Me: What’s up?
Linda: I need you to search through Declan’s kitchen drawers until you find his grandmother’s coconut cake recipe.
My mouth dropped as I stared at her text. Was she beingserious?
Me: I have never been inside of his house! How am I going to do that?
Linda: It’s only a matter of time. I heard through the grapevine how close you two were tonight walking through town with your ice cream.
Shaking my head, I had to smile at that. The woman had eyes everywhere.
Me: I’ll try to get it.
Linda: Try hard. I need it before next Wednesday. He literally said it was in one of his kitchen drawers. Should be easy to find.
That woman was going to get me in trouble. Then again, if I got caught, Declan would understand. He knew how crazy Linda was. However, I was surprised she didn’t just sneak into his house and get it herself. If I failed, I had no doubt she’d find a way.
