Page 12 of Bliss

Nodding, she stepped back but didn’t immediately shut the door. “I’m assuming the gala is black tie.”

“Yeah.”

“Then I guess I need to go shopping. Two days isn’t nearly enough time to find a dress, but I’ll make it happen.”

Pulling out my wallet, I removed one of my black Amex cards. “Get whatever you need. Dress. Shoes. Spa day.”

She frowned at the card I offered her. “I don’t need your money, Kavanaugh. I have plenty of my own.”

“Please, Bliss. I want to cover everything.” For a long moment, we had a staredown, her glowering up at me and me pouting down at her.

Finally, with a heavy sigh, she accepted the card. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Something you used to love about me,” I reminded her, then stepped back before she changed her mind. “Have fun shopping, meleğim.”

Bliss

I couldn’t believe I’d agreed to go on a date with Noah. When he’d asked, he’d looked so unsure of himself. The man I’d fallen irrevocably in love with all those years ago had only ever been confident. Seeing him all adorably nervous had further weakened the walls around my heart, and I’d found myself agreeing.

Plus, I needed to see how he handled being seen with me in public.

It was a test that he needed to pass with flying colors or we would never stand a chance. And, I could admit, if only to myself, I wanted there to be a chance. I’d never stopped loving him, even when I tried to convince myself I hated him for walking away. Finding my one, I’d expected to get the happily-ever-after instantly, just like my sisters had.

Only, I needed to remember that theirs hadn’t actually been instantaneous. Nevaeh had met Braxton when she was too young. And they’d had to wait, which must have been torture for Braxton. Then there was Arella’s whole thing with Jordan. They almost didn’t get their HEA, firstly because Jordan was a dumbass, and then because of Arella’s stubbornness. Not to mention the whole stalker situation that still made us shudder when we thought about it.

A do-over didn’t sound completely unreasonable. Noah just had to prove to me he deserved one first.

Then there was that kiss to consider. I’d nearly spontaneously combusted when he’d grabbed me like he was starving. Having to peel myself off him had nothing to do with agreeing to the date since I’d already said yes before he kissed me.

It was just an added bonus.

One I couldn’t stop thinking about as I searched for the perfect dress for Ted Hawkins’s gala. Since Noah was so insistent on my spending his money, I wasn’t going to disappoint him.

There had been a pair of heels I’d been eyeballing for a few weeks. In an attempt to contain my shoe addiction—something I’d inherited from my mom—I only allowed myself one new pair a month. That was my first stop. And since I had the perfect heels, I built the look around that. I went with a deep V-neck, mermaid-style gown. It was mesh with black beading that was fully handsewn. It was elegant yet sexy but wouldn’t cause my dad’s blood pressure to shoot through the roof once he saw pictures of me wearing it when they eventually showed up in all the media outlets and tabloids.

I spent Saturday at my favorite spa, getting the full princess treatment. For the event, I could do my own makeup and hair, but I needed a mani-pedi and a wax. The massage and all the other little add-ons were only because Noah had been so, so insistent and not because I was petty and wanted to drive up the bill as far as I possibly could just to see how he reacted.

Jewelry was the only thing I didn’t buy, and that was because I had plenty of my own that would look great with the dress. Although I had considered stopping by my favorite shop and texting if the card had a daily cap. There was a difference between being petty and attempting to bankrupt the man.

That seemed more like a second-date kind of thing anyway.

My doorbell rang at exactly five Sunday night. I would never admit it to him, even under threat of death, but I’d been watching him since four thirty. He’d already been standing on the other side, dressed in an all-black tux, no tie, looking devastatingly dashing.

He’d paced in front of my door for a while, then stopped and stared at it for several minutes before resuming the repetitive back-and-forth. At one point, Noah had combed his fingers through his hair, one of his tells that he was anxious. Then he’d realized he’d mussed his hair, and he’d started combing it back into place. I’d had to slap both hands over my mouth to stop myself from giggling. Or swooning. A man nervous about a date was adorable and, unexpectedly, a huge turn-on.

After his hair was perfectly in place once again, he stood statue-still while staring at his watch. Through the little peephole, I could see the yearning on his face, like he was willing time to go faster. It was another strong strike to the protective walls surrounding my heart.

Heart fluttering like a hummingbird on Adderall, I smoothed my hands down over my gown, mentally counting to ten before opening the door so he wouldn’t suspect I’d been spying on him for the past half hour.

Pulling it open, I let my eyes drift up every inch of seven-foot-two perfection standing in front of me. Many men that tall were lanky, their long limbs causing them to be clumsy and awkward. At one point, Evan had been so uncoordinated, it was like watching a baby giraffe learning how to walk.

For as long as I’d known Noah, he’d always been statuesque without making me feel like he towered over me. His shoulders were thick and as wide as the door itself, causing him to have to bend and enter at an angle so he didn’t shoulder-check the frame. I loved the height difference between us. It made me feel dainty, even with my more generous curves.

He took one look at me and bit his fist. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever set eyes on, meleğim.”

“Thank you.” I couldn’t tear my gaze from him. “You clean up nicely too.”

“I got you a little something.” Reaching inside his jacket, he pulled out a long jewelry box.