Beastly (The Ever After Collection)
Page 21
He nudged her chin up with a finger, forcing her gaze to meet his. “I wanted to.”
“Well,” she said, glancing about the decorated yard, taken in by its beauty once more, “this is way better than any prom could have ever been.”
Heath grinned. “Of course it is,” he said, taking her hands and pulling her close. “You’re here.”
Emma huffed at the cheesy line, but while on the outside she may have appeared annoyed, on the inside she was beaming nearly as brightly as the multitude of lights strung up on the fence.
She was taken by surprise once more when Heath released her hands in order to pull out a stack of folded papers. He took a deep breath before handing them to her. Her brow drew together in bewilderment, but took them.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“One is an acceptance letter from Springfield Community College; I got in,” he said, speaking so quickly that Emma almost wasn’t able to make out the words. “The other is a congratulatory note from one of those fancy scholarship foundations you insisted that I write in to.” He paused. “They agreed to pay for my entire first semester. I… I just wanted a memorable way to tell you.”
Once the shock wore off, the unadulterated joy that followed had Emma dropping the papers and practically throwing herself at Heath. Luckily, he caught her.
“That’s great news,” she said, squeezing her arms tightly around his neck as he wrapped his own arms around her waist.
Emma would never admit it, but she’d been worried how they would manage to make their relationship work if Heath decided not to go to college next fall. She knew that she’d never willingly leave Heath, but she’d been half-afraid that after graduation next week he might use college as an excuse to get rid of her, citing that she deserved better than him as he was still sometimes prone to saying.
“You sure you won’t get sick of me?” he teased.
“Never.”
And just to make sure he knew that she meant it, Emma pulled away just enough so that she could entangle her hands in the back of Heath’s hair and press her lips to his. Heath’s hands tightened around her waist, pulling her towards him until their bodies were pressed flush against each other’s. His stubble rubbed against her chin as he nipped her bottom lip and traced her top one with his tongue. Emma sighed into Heath’s mouth, taking her time to sensually explore its depths until they were forced to pull away for air.
Emma desperately wanted to make fun of Heath’s resulting dopey smile, but knew she was likely wearing the same stupid grin.
“Hold on,” he said, gently disentangling himself from her arms so that he could pick up the papers she’d dropped and turn on the sophisticated stereo system he had set up on the patio. He pressed a few buttons before soft music emerged from the speakers placed strategically around the yard.
He turned back to her. “May I have this dance?” he asked, the same smile still glued to his face as he offered her his hand.
Still feeling giddy from the rush of pheromones Heath’s good news and their kiss had caused, she placed her hand in his. “You may.”
Without further ado, Heath pulled her out onto the grassy dance floor.
“Is it like this in your books?” Heath asked after a few minutes of gentle swaying, her cheek lying against his chest and his cheek resting on her hair. “I admit that I worried how it would measure up to all those grand gestures and happily ever afters you read about.”
“It’s even better,” Emma assured him quietly, snuggling further into his chest.
“Really?” Heath asked, seemingly surprised by her answer.
“Yeah,” she confirmed, rising on her tiptoes to plant a chaste kiss on his lips. “Because this happily ever after is with you.”
END
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About the Author
Noelle Marie is a full time stay-at-home mom and a part time writer. When not being driven wonderfully mad by her two adorable (read: deranged) toddlers or staring woefully at her keyboard, she can be found curled up in a comfy chair reading a book or attempting to bake in the kitchen. Occasionally, she might be pestered into golfing with her husband, but she is largely an embarrassment to the sport.
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