“Really,” I said, trying to keep my tone light. “I guess it goes to show, you never know.”
“In my experience, it’s not always about falling in love at first sight,” Mr. Malone said with a warm smile. “Sometimes you have to look again.”
Despite Mr. Malone’s kinder words, Ford must have sensed me tensing up beside him. A thrill went up my spine as he linked our fingers together. Even though I knew he was probably just doing it for the benefit of all the eyes on us, I still relished the contact.
His mother, however, couldn’t keep her mouth shut.
“After all these years,” she went on grandly, “we really just thought of you as a piece of the furniture.”
Her words felt like a slap across the face. I wasn’t sure what to do or say, frozen in my seat with that stupid fake smile on, my cheeks burning with humiliation, squeezing Ford’s hand.
And on she went, “I can’t imagine what suddenly changed my son’s mind out of the blue, especially when he and—”
“Mother,” Ford cut her off, a warning edge to his voice. Her voice was loud enough that several heads were turning in our direction now.
“Oh Ford, dear, do calm down,” she said, pausing only long enough to sip her wine. “I’m simply saying we were so used to seeing her in the background all the time…following you around like a little shadow…”
She was making it seem like I was some pathetic little thing that had shown up in their lives one day and then refused to leave. My face had grown even hotter—everyone was staring at us now—and I wanted to sink under the table and crawl away.
As if he could sense my desire to run, Ford’s hand tightened around mine.
“Mother, stop,” he said, his voice quiet.
But she didn’t.
“She’s just so quiet and unassuming, not your usual type at all,” she said, taking another drink of wine. She was obviously tipsy. “More like a mouse, really.”
She laughed at that, and the friends sitting around her laughed as well.
Okay. Enough. Time to go.
I started to push my chair back, but clearly Ford had other ideas.
He let go of my hand and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. I didn’t realize what was happening until it was too late, until his other hand was warm and gentle on my chin, tilting my face toward his. I didn’t have time to prepare. I didn’t have time to do anything, really. My body knew what was coming, though, and my eyes closed instinctively as his mouth pressed against mine. Hot, firm, and just a little bit wet.
Sweet Jesus.
I’d dreamed about kissing Ford ever since I was sixteen. I’d fantasized about it happening a million times, in a million different ways. But I’d never imagined it would happen in public, in a crowded restaurant, surrounded by his family and business associates.
This was our first kiss. In front of unfriendly eyes, yes, but so soft and sweet and reassuring that for a second it made everything else melt away. For a moment, I completely lost myself in the feel of Ford’s arms around me, his lips on mine.
For a moment, it was perfect.
My entire body buzzed with the pleasure of his touch. The kiss was chaste, as far as kisses went, but I felt it everywhere. Especially between my legs.
And then I heard his mother’s gasp, snapping me back to reality.
“Come now, Ford,” she scolded as we pulled apart. “No need to be vulgar.”
“There’s nothing vulgar about kissing my girl,” he said, cupping my cheek. My heart was still pounding in my chest. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his.
The kiss was everything I’d ever dreamed of.
And that was exactly why I had to break this off.
Emzee
Chapter 8
