“I know,” he said in a droll voice.
Beneath the candy, however, under a layer of tissue, I unearthed what appeared to be a wooden car. A sixty-nine Corvette, I noted, and then realized that the top half of the car separated from the bottom to bring another car into view. Like nesting dolls, except they were all cars.
“Wow, this is amazing. Look at the detail.” Each Corvette was a different year, different color. The smallest one was no more than three inches long and two and a half inches tall.
“I thought they were fitting,” Jasper said, taking another picture.
Something rattled around inside the last little car, making me pause. I suddenly had the idea it was a ring. Refusing to break out in a cold sweat, I braced myself to not have a bad reaction, and pried off the top of the car.
Inside, nestled into the contours of the Corvette, was a key. Breathing an inward sigh of relief, I plucked up the key and gave Jasper a curious look.
“No, it's not a ring. You can breathe now,” Jasper said when he saw my reaction. At least he was grinning instead of frowning.
Sheepish, I smiled. “So, what's it go to? Did you lose my apartment key or something?”
“No. I'll show you on the way to the party. Let's finish getting dressed.”
We ate quickly, then changed into semi-formal attire. I wore slacks instead of a dress and a slinky button down shirt that Jasper couldn't keep his hands off of. I wasn't much better with his suit and the burgundy shirt he wore beneath. We piled into the Camaro, which still needed a new paint job, new seat covers and other interior work, and drove through the city. I tried to guess where we were going, what we were doing. It couldn't be a new shop, not yet. We hadn't saved nearly enough money.
On the outskirts of town, further from the busy city streets, Jasper turned into an older section of track homes. Each home appeared well cared for, with manicured lawns, trimmed hedges, and clipped trees.
I glanced across the car at Jasper, wondering what he had up his sleeve.
He smiled with his mouth and his eyes. At the end of the block, he turned into a driveway. The home sitting behind a desert-style yard, with rock and cactus and other low maintenance succulents, was a one story brick affair with a double garage facing the street and a longer drive leading deeper onto the property.
It was a cute house, nothing over blown or wildly expensive.
“What's this?” I asked.
“Our new place. No, I didn't buy it, so don't freak out. But I rented it, and we move in right after the first. There's a garage in the back, too, with a separate entrance so we can still work on cars.”
“What? We actually have a house of our own? Does it have a real kitchen and a real bathroom?”
“It has two bathrooms,” Jasper said, wagging his brows.
Laughing, I got out of the Camaro and followed him to the front door.
“This is just a quick tour, but you get the idea.” He let us in.
A decent sized living room, replete with a fireplace for cold nights, sat to the left. Beyond, separated by a half wall, was a dining area three times the size of the one in the apartment.
“Wow, look at all the space!” Compared to the apartment, this was a mansion. I wandered into the kitchen, shocked to see at least ten feet of counter space and more cupboards than we had dishes for.
“Yeah, isn't it great?”
Jasper watched me rather than the house. I caught him a few times, and smiled. He smiled once and winked, then led me into the master bedroom. There was space enough for a king size bed, if we wanted one, and at least two dressers. The his and hers closets would hold twice the amount of clothes we owned.
“This is crazy. Look at all the room.” I didn't know what to think. Even my childhood home had been smaller by perhaps three or four hundred square feet. There were two more bedrooms, too, leading me to ask what we'd do with all the extra space.
“Whatever we want,” was Jasper's reply. In the living room, back where we started, he said, “The only thing I want to know is—will you be comfortable living here with me?”
Tearing my gaze off the house, I put all my attention on Jasper. I knew he meant something different than physical comfort. He wanted to know if this trespassed on any boundaries I was still keeping between us. We were 'dating', and I was happy in that role, but I suspected Jasper worried this might be too big of a step. I said, “Absolutely. I can see us both being happy here. I love it.” And I meant it.
His shoulders sagged with relief. “Good. Because I can't wait to move. Can't wait to make this our home.”
Walking up to him, I slid my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “It's the logical next step. We're both tired of that tiny apartment, I know.” After a lengthy kiss, one that stirred heat in my loins, I leaned back to meet his eyes again.
“So now is the perfect time to give you my present,” I said.
Jasper arched his brows. “I don't see a present in your hands.”
“I know. I have some other gifts at the apartment, but this is the big one. Ready?” I said, taking a deep breath.
“Ready. I think.” Jasper looked dubious. A little nervous.
“Will you be my boyfriend?” I asked. “Because I'm crazy about you and madly in love with you, too.”
Jasper's brows skewed different directions, as if he didn't know whether to be excited or wary. “Wait, really?”
Laughing, I nodded. “Yes, really. It's not a trick question.”
He laughed, too, and wrapped his arms around me. Giving me a spin, he kissed me and said, “Yes, Finley Carson, I'll be your boyfriend. Does this mean I can get matching tee shirts that say so?”
Laughing, winding my hands in the ends of his hair, I said, “Don't push your luck.”
*
About the Author
Born and raised in Corona California, Danielle now resides in Texas with her husband and two sons. She has been writing for as long as she can remember, penning works in a number of genres. To date, she has published twenty-two novels and nine short stories. Her interests vary wildly: reading, traveling, photography, graphic art and baking, among others.
There is a black cat named Sheba involved who thinks Danielle's laptop is her personal grooming station.
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www.daniellebourdon.com
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Other books by Danielle Bourdon:
AMAZON US:
The Anything Series:
I'll Say Anything -
The Latvala Royals Series:
Heir Untamed - http://amzn.to/111ktI4
King and Kingdom – http://amzn.to/YGLau2
Heir in Exile – http://amzn.to/15s8tvP
The King Takes A Bride - http://amzn.to/149txIs
The Wrath of the King - http://amzn.to/17G2xpT
The Royal Elite Series:
The Royal Elite: Mattias - http://amzn.to/1ovf059
The Royal Elite: Ahsan - http://amzn.to/Si2drr
The Royal Elite: Chayton - http://amzn.to/1tDm4hG
The Royal Elite: Leander - http://amzn.to/1xeG2RR
The Fate Series:
The Fate of Destiny - http://amzn.to/HZ5ZMN
The Fate of Chaos - http://amzn.to/HTqRU9
The Reign of Mayhem - http://amzn.to/Wirf7n
A Crisis of Fate - http://amzn.to/VHHmKs
The Society Series:
Society of the Nines - http://amzn.to/w4CkvF
Violin Song - http://amzn.to/xylv1Z
Vengeance for the Dead - http://amzn.to/wooXnt
The Daughters of Eve Series:
Sin and Sacrifice - http://amzn.to/tucay6
Templar's Creed - http://amzn.to/u95liC
The Seven Seals - http://amzn.to/tiSkCM
Bound by Blood - http://amzn.to/ubH9EG
Dréoteth - http://amzn.to/uWGPqL
Cemetery Psal
ms - http://amzn.to/rY8BNA
I'll Say Anything Page 20