by Noelle Adams
“I do.”
“So you didn’t see any other guy here you want to date?”
“Not a single one.”
“Just me?”
“Just you.” She was close to tears as she smiled at him. “You’re my last date of the evening—and maybe the last date of my life.”
His expression broke in obvious relief, joy, love. “I’ll work hard to make sure you never regret it.”
“So can we get out of here now?”
“Yes. I think my speed dating days are over for good.”
***
A few hours later, they were both in Jace’s bed. His head was between Isabella’s legs, and he was doing amazing things to her with his tongue and lips.
She was sobbing out a lot of loud, helpless sounds as an orgasm rose and broke inside her. She clutched at the headboard as she shook through the waves of pleasure, and she was smiling sappily down at Jace as she finally came down from the climax.
He was straightening up, clearly proud of himself for this accomplishment.
“Don’t get smug,” she told him, pulling him down into a hug. “I was just in desperate need of an orgasm. You weren’t particularly skillful or anything.”
Jace chuckled and brushed a kiss against her mouth. “Understood. No smugness from me.”
He did look smug, but she didn’t mind. She’d never been happier in her life.
When they’d gotten back to his apartment, she’d thought they were going to talk, but instead they started to kiss. Things had gotten urgent, and they’d ended up in the bedroom, making love with rough, naked passion.
They’d talked through things afterwards, tangled up together under the covers.
They didn’t come to any new revelations, though.
They’d known each other for so long. They understood each other perfectly.
And now the one remaining wall between them had finally come down.
They loved each other all the way. Both of them knew it now.
“Are you hard again?” Isabella asked, when she felt his erection rubbing against her thigh.
“What do you think?” he asked hoarsely, moving over her and settling between her legs.
“And you think I’m up for another go?”
He smiled. “Are you?”
“I suppose I can muster the energy.”
So he took her slowly, gently this time, and they rocked together in perfect unity, kissing deeply as both of them came to climax again.
She was tired—and utterly sated in a way she could never remember being before—when Jace finally rolled off her and pulled her against his side.
“I love you,” he murmured, brushing his lips against her messy hair.
“I love you too.”
“I can’t believe this is really happening.”
“Well, it is. And I think it’s pretty great.”
He chuckled. “Me too.”
Isabella was about to drift off to sleep when she jerked in surprise at a loud squawk from the living room.
“Idiot! Idiot!” Beau declared to the world.
Isabella giggled. “He hasn’t caught up to the most recent happenings with our relationship, I guess. We’re not idiots anymore.”
“He’ll learn soon enough. He’s pretty smart.”
“Oh God!” Beau squawked. “God, God, God!”
Jace burst into laughter, as Isabella’s cheeks burned with embarrassment, realizing when Beau had learned his latest vocabulary.
She must have been too loud in her vocal responses.
“I think he’s caught up,” Jace murmured, stroking her hair and her back.
“How long is Erin leaving him with you this time?” Isabella demanded. “I hate to think what else he might learn to say.”
“She’s coming to get him tomorrow. He was just borrowed for the day, since I was so depressed. Honestly, I think I’m going to miss the old fella.”
“Oh God! Idiot! Idiot!” Beau pronounced. “Oh God!”
Isabella giggled as Jace’s arms tightened around her. “Or maybe not.”
Epilogue
Jace paced in the back room of the bar and looked at his watch for the tenth time in five minutes. He hated relying on other people, but there was no other way for this to play out and be what he had worked out in his mind.
It was going to be perfect.
If he could get over his own anxiety and get his sister to be on time for once.
Peeking through the door, he almost sagged to the floor with relief. They were there.
A smile tugged at his lips as he saw Erin and Isabella walk through the door and then the look of utter confusion on Isabella’s face. This was the bar where they had first speed dated. It was set up for that again, only this time each table had people from their little town of Preston. People who knew them and knew their story.
He watched as she turned to Erin, and he could almost hear her say “I don’t understand.” It was exactly what he had hoped she’d say.
The event was being called “Date Your Neighbors,” and the whole town was encouraged to participate. By going from table to table, they were going to get to know your neighbors and find out things about them that they might not have known before. Jace had claimed that he had to work late, so Erin had convinced Isabella to come with her.
“I don’t want to go without you,” Isabella had said to him. “Besides, I already know everyone in town. I do most of their hair!”
Jace had laughed and told her it would be fun and that it would be a good time for her and Erin to go out. Then he had gone on about how his sister needed to go out more with the girls because she spent way too much time home with either just her husband or Beau. Lucky for him, Isabella had a soft spot for helping people so she’d agreed to go.
And now here they were.
“Attention everyone!” their original speed dating hostess called out. Yes, he had asked her to help him with this little endeavor, and she had been more than thrilled to comply. She was wearing her leopard print again, and if anything, her hair was even bigger than it had been that first night. How it was possible, he had no idea.
“Okay, tonight is very special, and this is the first time we’re trying this format so please just play along! We want to encourage everyone in the community to get to know one another, and we thought this would be a great way to do it. Obviously everyone wouldn’t fit in here, but we’re thrilled with the turnout.”
Jace sighed and wished she’d get on with it already. He was beginning to sweat back here.
“We’ve assigned half the room with tables, and they are the established families in the community. The rest of you have been given a number of which table you’ll start at. You have three minutes per table and when you get together, you will introduce yourselves, tell each other what you do for a living, and share something that you love about our beloved community and what makes it a great place to live. Are we ready?”
Everyone in the room shouted yes as they cheered and clapped.
“Everyone please go to your first table, and we’ll begin in one minute!”
Jace watched as people scrambled and saw Isabella frown as she looked at her number.
Number one.
There were fifteen tables, and he could tell by the look on her face that she was already trying to calculate how long she would be here for. One hour. He had one hour until the event ended.
A hand on his shoulder had him spinning around.
“Here’s a glass of water,” Vinny, the owner of the bar, said to him. “Now go and get this started.”
With a sigh, Jace took a drink and then walked out and made sure he blended into the crowd before he met up with Isabella.
Her smile was wide and welcoming when she spotted him. “You’re here! Thank God!” She launched herself into his arms and held him tight. When she pulled back, she looked at him. “Does this mean we can go? I mean, we know everyone.”
“Nope,” he said lightly, tapping her on the nose.
“Let’s check this out. Who knows, we may learn some interesting facts about our neighbors tonight.”
“Jace, even our parents are here. What are we going to learn about them?”
He shrugged and looked around. “C’mon. It looks like it could be fun. And, besides, we’re surrounded by friends. How bad could it be?”
She sighed but didn’t argue any further. Together they went over to the first table and waited for the bell to ring. When it did, they faced their first neighbor.
It was Mrs. Pendergast.
Isabella playfully elbowed him in the ribs as they smiled at her client. “How are you, Mrs. Pendergast?”
“I’m doing well, doing well,” the woman replied as she looked at the two of them. “Do you know one of the greatest things about living in Preston?”
Jace and Isabella shook their heads. “It’s the way everyone in town looks out for one another. We may not always agree with each other, but we are protective. It’s the kind of community where you’ll always feel loved.”
They couldn’t argue with that, Jace thought. So for the remainder of their time with Mrs. Pendergast, they shared stories of times they’d felt that same way.
Then the bell rang.
Jace’s boss sat at the next table. Mr. Channing smiled at them both and took a sip of his drink and said, “Steady employment.” Then he nodded his head. “I see great things for you with the town, Jace. I dare say that you’ll be taking over my position within the next five years. So you see, that makes Preston a great place to live.”
Isabella gave Jace an odd look and then smiled at his boss. “Well, that’s good to know. I’d like to think that we’ll both always have a good job and hopefully that will be here in Preston.”
The next eight tables it was more of the same—older “hosts” talking about the stability of Preston. It seemed as if most of the local businesses were represented—the caterer, the photography studio, the real estate office, the florist, the printer, and the bakery.
“I guess I had forgotten or not even noticed some of these places,” Isabella said as they made their way to the net table. “I’m so focused on the salon and the places that we tend to frequent that I didn’t pay attention to all of these other businesses.”
“Me too. Who knew that our little town had such a variety.”
Their next table had Jace’s parents, and rather than talk about the town itself, they talked about what it was like to raise a family in Preston—the good schools, the taxes, the cost of owning a home of their own. Jace noticed a look of longing on Isabella’s face, and he wrapped an arm around her waist and tucked her in close beside him, kissing her head.
“I know I always appreciated everything you two did for our family,” Jace said.
The bell rang out, and Isabella’s parents were at the next table. Like his, they shared the joys of raising their family here—adding how much they loved their local church and how they had gotten married their and their other daughters had gotten married there as well. “It’s a lovely tradition,” her mother said.
“Maybe someday I will too,” Isabella said wistfully, but Jace could tell she was fighting to not look up at him as she said it.
The next table sat their neighbors, Heather and Chris. They were both beaming as Jace and Isabella sat down. “Needless to say, we both have a fondness for the town,” Heather said as she smiled at Chris. “It’s where we first met, and it’s the place we both came back to and found each other.”
Chris nodded. “Someday we hope to have a house of our own, but for now we’re kind of fond of our little apartment in Preston Mill. We’ve made some great friends and found the direction for our lives. And I can honestly say that without the support of the people around us, it wouldn’t have happened.”
Jace smiled and nodded too. “You guys are certainly blessed. I remember watching your relationship just from a neighborly standpoint, and I’m so happy to see where you’re at now.”
Heather hugged Chris and put her head on his shoulder. “And it’s only going to get better. The wedding is only a month away, and we can’t wait!”
“We are so happy for you both,” Isabella said.
“Mrs. Harris’ bridal shop has been amazing. I’m telling you, she has been the best person to work with.”
The bell rang out, and they wished the other couple a good night and when they turned, they both sort of paused.
Estelle.
Jace couldn’t speak for Isabella, but this was certainly the first time he had seen the older woman without her trademark pink curlers.
“Come on, come on, you two,” she snapped at the two of them. “We don’t have all night. As it is, I’m missing Wheel of Fortune for this.”
Beside him, Isabella groaned, but he nudged her forward. “It’s nice to see you here, Mrs. Berry,” Jace said. “I would think that you knew everyone here.”
“Oh, I do,” she said. “But every once in a while, I like to get out and see some fresh faces. It’s nice to see the younger generation coming out and taking an interest in local events.”
“So,” Isabella began, “did you used to work here in Preston when you were younger?”
The question seemed to take Estelle by surprise. “My dear, my husband Edgar—God rest his soul—used to be the mayor of Preston! We were like the first family of this town. I never could imagine living any place else. You see, like most of the people in this room, we met right here in town. Went to school together, became friends and then we fell in love.” Her eyes welled a little with tears. “I’m sure as you made your way around this room, you heard similar tales. There’s just something about this place that brings people together.”
Isabella snuggled closer to Jace. “Yes it does.”
“I’ve seen it happen, and even though it ain’t right the way you young people play the field these days, it’s nice when you figure it out sooner rather than later that hanky-panky with too many partners isn’t a good thing!” She paused and her eyes narrowed at the two of them. “You ain’t hanky-pankying around anymore, are you?”
“What?” Isabella said, almost choking on her response. “No! No, ma’am. We’re not. We don’t… I mean, it’s not…” She looked up at Jace for assistance.
“Excuse me a minute,” he said mildly. “I need to get another drink.”
As he walked away, he could hear Isabella—in hushed tones—asking him to come back and Estelle talking about young men these days not having manners.
He could live with that.
As he walked toward the bar, the bell rang out, and he knew Isabella would be more than a little annoyed that he wasn’t there with her to get to the last table. But he would be.
In a minute.
He saw everyone moving around, and at the bar he grabbed what he’d come for and then made his way back to Isabella who was standing next to an empty table. Jace motioned for her to take a seat on one side, and he took the one opposite her.
“I don’t get it,” she said when they were both seated. “I could have sworn people were at this table all along.”
Jace just shrugged and put his glass down on the table before reaching for her hand. “Doesn’t matter. I’m just glad that I’m sitting across from the neighbor that I’m actually dating,” he said with a sincere smile. He felt some of his anxiety leave him when she smiled back.
“I have to admit, I thought this was a silly idea, but we definitely heard some great stories here tonight.”
He nodded. “We did. We learned that Preston is a great place to meet the love of your life.”
She blushed adorably and nodded with him. “That we did.”
“And how stable the economy is and how it looks like I’m going to have a job that just might take me into retirement.”
Isabella squeezed his hand. “That was brand new information but very cool.”
“That one kind of shocked me,” he admitted.
“But in a good way, right?”
“Absolutely.” He pa
used and rubbed his thumb over her fingers as he continued to hold her hand. “We learned that there are a lot of amazing businesses here in town that neither of us was fully aware of.”
She giggled. “I always got my flowers from the grocery store! Now I’ll have to check out the florist.”
“You should. You definitely should.” He looked into her eyes and just felt peace. “We learned that Preston is a great place to buy a home and raise a family.”
“We can personally attest to that. After all, we were both born and raised here.”
“I think what I—personally—have come away with from all of this, is that Preston is almost perfect.”
“Almost?” she said with a small laugh. “How could you say that? Everything we heard tonight was positive.”
He shook his head. “Well, I think there’s one last thing I would need to hear to make it perfect for me.”
Isabella looked at him oddly. “Like what?”
And then Jace stood before dropping to one knee—Isabella’s hand still in his. Her soft gasp was her only reaction, and around him he could have heard a pin drop.
“Isabella Warren, tonight we heard about how this town was the perfect place to have a future. But for me, it would only be perfect if it was our future that we were talking about. Together, I want us to plan a wedding, buy a home, have a baby, and grow old surrounded by the loving community that we have right here.” He paused and had to resist the urge to wipe away the tears that were slowly rolling down her cheek. “Be my wife, Bella. You’re already my everything.” Then he chuckled. “Well, you’re my everything else. But now, I want you to marry me and have the kind of future we learned about here tonight.”
Isabella looked around the room,, and he knew the instant she realized that everyone was in on this—they had all moved closer and were watching and waiting for her response. When she turned back to Jace, she nodded. “Yes,” she said softly. “Yes, I want to be your wife because more than anything else, I want to be your everything.”
Jace stood and reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box and opened it. Inside was a beautiful princess cut diamond—one that he knew she favored. “It’s always been you, Bella. You complete me.”