An unwanted moan slipped free from my lips and he hummed in response.
This man was a deadly potent force to my senses.
His thumb brushed my bottom lip and I ached for his kiss.
I’d agreed to this date, believing I was strong enough to make it a one-time thing, but I had no strength when it came to Hayes.
Before I could beg him to kiss me, and maybe even to take me right there on his kitchen counter, he pulled away and resumed his position beside the grill.
I was panting, my whole body aching for his touch, and he stood there smirking at me. He knew exactly what he did to me. Damn him.
I moved my chair back into place and picked up the wine glass.
“Tell me something else about yourself.”
Despite the fact that I’d known Hayes for months we still didn’t really know each other.
“When I was six I set a trap to catch the tooth fairy…my dad was pissed when he tripped over my booby trap. My childhood was also ruined in that moment because then I began to think everything my parent’s had ever told me was a lie. I cried for like…” He tapped his chin in thought. “Three days. My dad finally gave me a hundred dollars to shut me up. Not that I really had much concept of how much money that was, I just knew I could buy some Hot Wheels.”
I laughed. “I hope Mia never tries anything like that. I want her to believe in that stuff as long as possible. When you’re a child magic and possibilities seem endless. All too soon you grow up and that innocence disappears in the blink of an eye,” I mused, a frown down turning my lips.
Hayes checked the steaks and returned to his propped position against the counter. “It’s your turn again, tell me something else.”
“My favorite color is pink…cliché, I know,” I laughed.
“Come on, you’ve gotta give me more than that.”
“That was something!” I defended.
He shook his head. “A color doesn’t tell me much about you personally.”
“I’m not a very good cook,” I admitted.
He chuckled. “Oh, I doubt that.”
“I burned water one time. Wat-er.” I drew out the word. “I’m lucky Mia is pretty easy to cook for. And I do make a pretty awesome grilled cheese.” I grinned. “But it’s definitely not that.” I pointed at the steaks.
“Well, aren’t you lucky to have me now.” He gave me a half-grin. “These should be done now.” He muttered to himself before checking the steaks. “Yeah, they’re ready.”
He removed the steaks and grilled the vegetables before pulling the baked potatoes from the oven.
I offered to get the plates, but he insisted on doing everything on his own.
He refilled my glass of wine—his still untouched, and guided me into the dining room. He set the plates down at seats across from each other and then pulled out a chair for me. I hadn’t expected Hayes to be such a gentlemen, but I was discovering that he was full of surprises.
He turned on the chandelier that sparkled above the table and then dimmed it so that it wasn’t so blindingly bright.
“One second,” he said, running from the room.
When he returned he had two candles clasped in his hands.
He lit them and sat down, all the while I watched him in awe.
“You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”
He shrugged sheepishly. “I tried. I’m sure I’ve forgotten something, though.”
“You’re amazing.” I whispered the words. I wouldn’t normally have said such a thing, but I thought he deserved to know.
“I’m just me.” He reasoned.
“Hmm, you’re being humble, I’m shocked.” I laughed as I cut into my steak. I took a bite and let out a moan. “Oh my God, that’s fantastic.”
He grinned, lifting his glass of wine to his lips. “I’m glad you approve.”
“Can you cook for me all the time?” I asked, taking a bite of my baked potato.
He chuckled, cutting into his own steak. “While I can cook, I must admit this is a rare occurrence.” He winked. “The lure of ordering take-out is far too potent for me to resist.”
“Ah,” I nodded, “I should’ve known.”
“But hey, if I had a beautiful woman to cook for every evening I might change my mind.”
“When can you move in?” I joked.
He let out a laugh, the kind that came from deep within your gut. “Would I get to sleep in your bed?” A smirk lifted his lips.
I pretended to ponder his words. “Possibly, although I hear dogs like sleeping on the floor.”
He let out another laugh, this one even more booming than the last. “Fuck, I like you. You’re a spitfire, you know that, right?”
“So I’ve been told.” I shrugged.
We continued to chat as we ate and soon my plate was empty.
“I’m stuffed,” I declared, rubbing my stomach. “I don’t think I can move.”
“That’s okay. I’ll let you sleep in my bed,” he jested, sliding his chair away from the table.
He began to gather the dirty plates and I said, “How very accommodating of you.”
He shrugged, trying to hide a smile. “I like to think so.”
I managed to push myself away from the table and followed him into the kitchen where he stopped at the sink and ran hot water for the dirty dishes to soak.
“Come on.” He took my hand, leading me back into the family room.
He turned on a few lights, but kept the room relatively dim. With a push of a button the fireplace roared to life and I gasped in awe.
We sat down in front of the fireplace on the fluffy rug and he reached for a blanket, wrapping it around our shoulders.
Everything about tonight had been simple, but so overwhelmingly perfect.
I found myself scooting closer to him and laying my head on his shoulder.
He smoothed his fingers through my hair and his lips touched my forehead.
“Wanna know something?” He murmured, the sound of his voice vibrating against the sensitive skin of my neck.
“What?” I prompted, reaching up to cup his jaw.
He turned his head to press a tender kiss to my palm.
He swallowed thickly, his Adam’s apple bobbing with fear.
“I’m terrified that tomorrow, I’m going to wake up and you’re going to have changed your mind…that you don’t want me as much as I want you.”
I stared into his eyes, seeing the fear shimmering in the twin blue pools. “I might be stubborn, and prideful, and a bunch of other things, but I’m not stupid. I tried ignoring what I feel for you,” I sucked in a breath, “but look where I am now. I’m here, with you. Hell, I even swore to myself that this date would change nothing, but I was wrong. What I feel for you transcends logic. I’m done denying myself what I want.”
“And what exactly is it that you want?”
“You,” I breathed, “only you.”
He closed his eyes, his whole body shuddering with my words.
“You have no fucking idea how badly I’ve wanted to hear you say that.”
Before I could respond, his lips stole my next breath and I dissolved into his arms.
I hadn’t been lying when I told him I wanted this. I did. So badly. I’d resisted for so long because of silly fears, but everything he shared with me tonight—his kind words, and the little tidbits that made him him—was enough to crack my resolve for good.
I just hoped I didn’t end up getting burned.
BLISS.
It was the only word to describe how I felt.
Well, maybe that and giddy.
I felt like I was in school again, enjoying the high of a new relationship.
I knew it had only been a week and that it wouldn’t always feel like this, but I was determined to enjoy it while it lasted.
“So, things are going good?” Sadie asked me from where she stood at the register while I refolded a stack of shirts.
“Yeah,” I smiled at her over my sho
ulder, “we haven’t seen much of each other this week since the guys are busy in the studio, but he calls me every night when he gets home.”
“That’s so sweet.” Sadie swooned—I’m not kidding, she put a hand to the back of her forehead and did a little dip.
“Yeah, I just hope it works out,” I mumbled.
She frowned. “You don’t sound so certain that it will.”
I finished with the shirts and turned around to face her. “I fell for a guy once before and he turned out to be the complete opposite of who I thought he was.”
“Well,” she grinned, “the good news is, you thought Hayes was a bad boy through and through, so if he’s the opposite of that then it means he’s perfect.”
Leave it to Sadie to come up with that reasoning.
“Your brain must be a strange place,” I commented, heading into the back of the store for a box of new clothes that had arrived earlier.
“You guys are good together,” she called to me, “and I’ll be saying I told you so on your wedding day.”
I shook my head. “Not likely.”
I was saved from her response by the sound of the chime above the door dinging and signaling a customer.
“Hayes is here!”
Or not exactly saved.
Not that I wasn’t happy he’d stopped by, but I knew Sadie would give me hell for this later.
I emerged from the back with a smile on my face.
Hayes stood by the counter with his skateboard clutched in his hands. He was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a logo I didn’t recognize. A beanie hid his normally perfectly styled hair.
“I brought you ladies lunch.” He proudly held up a bag from Chick-fil-A.
“Aw, how nice of you.” Sadie nudged my shoulder as if to say, see he’s a nice guy.
I already knew that, though, and I also knew it was wrong of me to expect him to change like my ex had. Most people weren’t like Todd. But when you’d been treated as horribly as I had by someone it became harder to trust. I was making the effort to work on that, because I really did like Hayes, and I didn’t want the ghost of my past relationship to hurt a good thing.
“I would’ve gotten you drinks too,” he explained, setting the bag down on the counter, “but I couldn’t really carry drinks, a bag of food, and skateboard.”
“This is more than enough.” I reached for the bag, suddenly ravenous.
“Also…” He paused, shrugging his shoulders like he was afraid to say what he needed to say. “I wanted to see if Arden could possibly have next Thursday through Sunday off?” He addressed Sadie.
“Uh, don’t you think you should ask me if I want to be off first?”
“Shh, woman, I have to find out if this is even a possibility before I make plans with you.” He threw up a hand, silencing me. I would’ve been mad if it wasn’t for the fact that he said it jokingly and his smile was large.
“Yeah, she can be off…if the reason you want her off is for what I think it is.”
“What is going on?” I asked, groaning in irritation. “I feel like the odd man out here.”
Hayes turned to me, his smile even more beaming than before if that were possible. “The guys and I are making an appearance on The Today Show. They want to interview us and have us play one of our songs.” Shrugging, he said, “We all decided to head down Thursday and make a weekend out of it.”
“You’re going too?” I asked Sadie.
She nodded, sweeping her brown hair to the side of her shoulder. “Yeah, of course. Do you really think I’m going to let a bunch of fan girls fawn all over my man and try to touch his hair? That hair is mine.”
Hayes and I both laughed.
“I’m pretty sure the hair that resides on Ezra’s head belongs to him.” Hayes informed her.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “He belongs to me, therefore so does his hair. I’ve seen your groupies try to pet him before. Only I’m allowed to do that.”
Hayes snorted. “Okay, then.”
“Shouldn’t you be getting back to the studio, Joshua?” She sneered.
He chuckled, rubbing a hand over his smooth jaw. “Why does everyone start calling me by my first name when they get pissy?”
“Because, you don’t like your first name and I want you to be as pissy as I am.” She joked, reaching for the bag of food and pulling out a container of waffle fries. “Thanks for this, though.”
“You’re welcome.” He cracked a grin, the dimple I adored making its appearance.
“So what do you say Little Bird? You, me, Ms. Mia, and NYC next weekend?” His eyes pleaded with me to say yes, but I was worried. Not about me, but Mia. The trip we went on to the beach with the Willow Creek gang had been the only time she’d ever been away from home and slept in a bed that wasn’t hers. But even then we’d been staying in a house not a hotel.
“I don’t know,” I hedged, “Mia might not be too happy about it.”
“I can handle a cranky three-year old—not that I think she’ll be bad—but I do deal with Mathias on an almost daily basis, and he’s worse than most children.”
Sadie snickered. “He can be bad. But he’s getting better.”
“Eh,” Hayes shrugged, “a bit. He’s at his best when he’s around Remy and the baby. When he’s on his own he starts to get a bit grumpy and he bitches about,” he lifted his fingers into quotation marks, “’Missing out on important milestones in Liam’s life.’” He lowered his hands. “The kid’s only like a month old, all he does is shit, eat, shit again, and throw up on himself. What exactly is there to miss?”
“You’d be surprised,” I replied.
“I guess I’ll understand one day.” He winked at me and my stomach dipped with…excitement? Fear? Nervousness? With a wave he started towards the door. “Don’t back out on me, Little Bird.” He stopped and pointed a finger warningly at me. “It’s going to be a blast and Mia will love it, you’ll see.”
He disappeared, hopping onto his skateboard and zooming down the sidewalk.
“Little Bird?” Sadie eyed me with one brow raised in questioning. “He gave you a nickname?”
“Yeah,” I admitted reluctantly, reaching for the bag of food.
“You’ve been holding out on details with me, haven’t you?” She looked me up and down, scoffing under her breath. “And here I thought we were friends.” She laughed.
I stuck a fry in my mouth and said, “I don’t kiss and tell.”
“Hmm,” she hummed, “whatever. Keep the details for yourself. It’s not like my panties are dry and I need the stimulation. I’ve got a smokin’ hot bass player waiting for me at home, and let me tell you, that boy might look all cute and innocent…but you get him into bed and BAM! it’s a whole other guy. He’s quite rough in bed and I love it.” She waggled her brows and reached down to open a box that contained a chicken sandwich.
“I didn’t need to know all that,” I told her, holding up a hand in an effort to halt anything else she might say.
“I know, but I can’t help but brag.” She joked with a smile. “Especially since you don’t want to share.”
“I think some things should be kept private.” I reasoned. “Besides, we only slept together the one time.”
Her jaw came unhinged and she grabbed my arm, forcing me to look at her. “You mean you didn’t have sex the other night? I sent you a text and told you to make sure he got it in.” She began to thrust her hips. “You need some lovin’.”
I rolled my eyes at her crudeness. “That night was…special without that.”
“Aw,” she clasped her hands. “I bet it was sweet, but I wouldn’t know since you won’t tell me anything.” She jutted out her bottom lip.
“That doesn’t work on me when Mia does it and it won’t work on me now, either.”
“Fun sucker.” She pouted. She picked up the sandwich once more and smiled. “Just kidding. I can’t be mad when I have Chick-fil-A. I’m pretty sure the inside of Chick-fil-A is wha
t heaven looks like.”
I tossed a napkin at her head. “You’re insane.”
She grabbed the napkin from where it landed on her boobs and set it on the counter. “Where’s the fun in being sane? Because apparently you’re implying that you’re sane, and you’re not having sex, so I want no parts in sanity.”
“You’re worse than a guy,” I muttered, munching on a waffle fry.
She wiggled her hips again. “Only with Ezra. I could ride that boy all day and all night.” She winked.
“Gross.” I wrinkled my nose.
“Prude,” she countered, bumping my hip with hers. “Now shut up and eat this delicious food your man brought us. He’s a keeper, I’m tellin’ you.”
I shook my head, fighting a smile. “I hope so.”
She stared at me for a long moment. “I know so.”
I HAD NO idea what to pack for New York Freaking City.
I was a small town girl. I’d been born and raised in Virginia and my traveling had been kept to a minimum. Sure, I’d been to the beach plenty, and D.C. since it was so close, but I knew that didn’t compare to New York City. It was a whole different ball game out there.
Irritated with my lack of presentable clothes I decided to pack Mia’s stuff first. You’d think since we were only going to be gone a few days that I wouldn’t need to pack much. Wrong. A three-year-old could get into more messes than you’d believe. Not that Mia wasn’t well behaved, but accidents did happen.
I pulled out Mia’s carry-on size hot pink suitcase and sat down on the floor in front of her dresser.
It wasn’t long until she found me, a half eaten popsicle dripping onto her hand as she struggled to finish eating it.
“Aw, Mia,” I groaned, standing up. “You’re going to be all sticky.”
“I taste yummy, momma.” She proceeded to lick her hand.
I took a deep breath and guided her into the kitchen where I lifted her onto the counter and cleaned off one hand while she finished the Popsicle with the other.
Once she was completely clean I put her down.
“I’m going to pack your stuff. You want to help?” I ruffled her hair as I smiled down at her.
Take A Chance Page 6