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“Hey,” I said, a smile tugging at my lips despite my attempt to look calm and collected in front of my mom.
“Hey,” he answered.
“Daniel brought these flowers for me,” Mom said, taking them from him. “They’re wonderful, sweetheart.”
“I’m happy you like them,” he said. “I picked them from the field by my house.”
She raised a brow meaningfully at me. “You picked them yourself? My goodness.”
“Well, I’d have bought some, but these were prettier than many at the store, so—”
“They’re lovely,” she said, sniffing them. “Thank you so much.”
Daniel’s eyes were back on me, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him either. He wore a navy shirt and well-fitting dark-wash jeans, and the thought that before long I’d take them off him and get to touch his skin, rub against him, and pull him down on top—and inside—of me was amazing.
“Where are you headed, and when will you be home?” Mom asked.
I almost snorted. There was no way she was getting to play the mom role tonight. Oh hell no. “I’m not sure, but I won’t be home tonight. So don’t wait up.”
She blinked at me. “When are you going to have dinner with us, Daniel?” she asked. “I think you told me ‘soon’ the last time you swept in and stole my son for the night.”
He blushed, and my mom looked victorious. “If you invite me, I’ll make sure I’m available.”
She was happy with that answer, and I was too, because I knew as soon as she got her head stuck back into a new book, she’d forget about inviting him until the next lull in her creative process.
I glanced at Daniel and said, “All right, well, we’re off.”
Mom cocked her eyebrow again and then said, “Okay, have fun. Use condoms.”
“Mom!”
She gave me an innocent smile and then looked at Daniel and said, “I’m very keen, as the Brits say, on you boysalwaysusing condoms.”
Daniel’s expression ran through shocked to amused. “So am I, Mrs. Mandel. I promise.”
“Good,” she said, and then turned to take the flowers into the kitchen.
“Oh my God,” I breathed, flames of mortification burning my cheeks as I turned to go. “I’m so sorry. She has boundary issues.”
“Didn’t we already agree to forgive each other for our families?” he whispered, and then said, “Besides, she loves you. That’s a good thing.” Daniel’s hand rested on my back as we walked out the door toward the driveway. The warmth of it penetrated my shirt and tingled against my skin.
“My mom loves the flowers,” I said. “Thank you for them.”
“Well, I did owe her for the ones she bought me,” Daniel teased as he opened the door. I climbed in and let him shut it for me, too.
Once he was in the driver’s seat, he turned, his eyes glowing as he looked me over. “You look amazing. I want to kiss you.”
My grin nearly split my face. “Go for it.”
He laughed and leaned in, and his lips were warm, and his mouth tasted like mouthwash. When the kiss started to grow heated, and my hand had grabbed a fistful of his short hair, Daniel pulled away. “Let’s go. I’ve got reservations.”
Naples was a tiny Italian restaurant and a staple of the Knoxville restaurant scene. It smelled of garlic and spices, and the tables were pretty much on top of each other, but off to the side, in a separate area, there were several booths recessed into the wall with curtains hanging in front of them for added privacy.
On prom night, a lot of kids vied for reservations in the curtained booths, hoping the added romance would increase their chances of getting laid. I mentioned it to Daniel as we sat waiting for our table to be ready.
“Did you go to prom?” I asked.
“I had a bonfire at my place instead,” Daniel said. “Most people didn’t harass me at my school because, you know, my folks had money. Fair or not, that changes things.”
