Zipless
Page 7
“I suppose I can help you out,” Lou replied, smiling. “Anything else you need?”
He approached and tipped the carton up to her mouth, helping her take little sips. “Need to keep your strength up,” he muttered, his other hand encircling her waist. “Because, yes. There are other things I need.”
She swallowed her juice. “And what might they be?”
He kissed a dribble of juice off her chin. “Oh,” he said nonchalantly. “Just everything.”
She sighed, then kissed him back. “Be more specific, please.”
He nuzzled her neck. “Was planning on buying something pretty big.” He grinned lopsidedly. “Wouldn’t wanna get lonely.”
Lou smiled inwardly. She was going to make him tell her exactly everything he wanted. She could guess it. And she knew what she would say. She giggled softly. “Yes, I’ll move in. What else do you want?” She heard him sigh happily.
He looked at her, more seriously. “The music, Lou. We…fit. We…”
“Complement each other. I start a lyric and you finish it. I play a note, you find the perfect chord. I sing a line…”
“I harmonize.” He stroked the hair back from her face. “So, I want us to continue making music together.”
“Yes,” she said. “I want that, too.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips delicately. “Anything else, Zip?”
He looked down at her, his face slightly flushed. “Um. Yeah. If…” He swallowed audibly. “If everything works out, I want to… I mean, we haven’t known each other even a week yet, but I’ve got such a good feeling about us. So, if everything stays good, well… Would you, I mean…” He dropped to his knees. “You’re younger than me and I don’t want to rush you into anything, but in exactly six months time I want you to tell me yes or no to the question…” He leaned forward and kissed her belly. “Will you marry me?”
He wasn’t kidding. He wanted it all. “Marriage?”
“Don’t answer me yet. Wait six months. You may discover you don’t like me that much after all.” He grinned adorably.
“Um. Children?”
“When you’re ready, if you want to, but yes. Like I said. Everything.”
Lou sank to her knees and grabbed him, pulling him to her as hard as she could, latching onto his mouth like she would never, ever let him go. Which, of course, she knew she wouldn’t. She pulled back, smiling. “First things first, Zip. Let’s go look at that brownstone.”
Diane Dooley
Diane Dooley was born in the Channel Islands and grew up in Scotland. After many years of moving and traveling she finally settled down in Upstate New York where the summers are short and the winters just might kill you. She lives with her best friend/husband and two obstreperous boy children in a falling-down farmhouse in the sticks.
She writes short stories and novellas in a variety of genres and has been published in a variety of online and print publications, as well as by several digital-first publishing houses.
You can find her on Facebook, Twitter and her blog.
Lyrical Press books are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp. 119 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2014 Diane Dooley
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
Lyrical Press and the L logo are trademarks of Kensington Publishing Corp.
First Electronic Edition: July 2014
ISBN-13: 978-1-61650-537-0