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I shivered.
Nobody had ever looked at me like I was the only one in the room. Made it hard to remember why I was mad at him. When he smiled, a piece of me melted. Secrets didn’t change that his arms felt like home.
Tingling pitted my stomach. “How long have you been watchin’ me?”
“Counting the weeks you were tailing me? Not long.”
I held up my hands. “Guilty.”
He slipped an arm around my waist. His gentle touch spiraled heat inside me. “Did Elise like Patsy Cline?”
“Yeah, she did. ‘Crazy’ was her go-to karaoke choice. Said it was the only love song that got it right.”
“I prefer Sinatra. The man knew how to sing about love without making it sound like a terminal illness.”
I grinned. “What’s that say about my songs, then?”
Achille’s smirk softened. “Your music is something else. Once it’s in your blood, you can’t live without it.”
“So, I give Patsy Cline a run for her money?”
“For sure.”
I chuckled. “You mean that, or are you tryin’ to get lucky?”
His devastating smile forced me to stop breathing. He kissed the sensitive spot behind my ear, and tingles skated across my skin. “Maybe you’ll write us a song.”
“When it’s ready, you’ll be the first to hear it.”
He kissed me again. “What’re you doing out here?”
“Enjoyin’ the outdoors.”
“Aren’t you cold?”
“A bit,” I admitted, leaning into his warmth. “It’s nothing, though. Reminds me of home, standing out on the porch in fall, watching the stars.”
“What was it like there?”
“Simple, I guess. My mama would send me out to pick wildflowers from the fields behind our house. Said they were God’s decor, meant to be brought inside.”
“Nice.”
“Yeah, and there were summer nights, catching lightning bugs. My sister and I’d raced around with jars, catching as many as we could before bedtime. We believed each one was a fallen star, given a second chance to shine on earth.”
He smiled.
“Church in the morning every Sunday, then a big family dinner. Everyone would come. We’d have fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans picked from the garden.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“It wasn’t without its troubles. Small-town life. People knew your business, and if they didn’t, they’d make it up. My mama worked two jobs, trying to keep us afloat after my daddy left. I couldn’t be more different from everyone at this party.”
Achille bent forward, his lips brushing my cheek. “You’ll fit in. I promise. And as for the fireflies, we’ll find our own to chase here.”
His sweet words wrapped my heart in silk. Everything about this man made me believe in fairy tales. Was he genuine about any of this?
Achille traced lazy circles on my back. “We need to head in. People will think we’ve ditched the party to elope.”
