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As soon as we were outside, I walked ahead of her and held open the passenger door. She smiled at me, once again showcasing her plump lips, and I had to hold in my groan. Tonight was not going to be easy.
I closed the door behind her and then got into the driver’s side, not paying any attention to everyone who was gathered around the front door, watching us leave. I gripped on to the steering wheel as tight as I could, trying to calm myself down on the way into town. Neither of us spoke, and I flicked my gaze over to her, spotting her hands clutched in her lap. I could feel the nerves rolling off her, but I wasn’t sure what to do because I was just as nervous. So instead of saying anything and messing up this date before it had already begun, I stayed silent, much like she did.
I needed to get ahold of myself—and quick—which was why, as I pulled up in front of the restaurant, I gave myself a pep talk. I was nervous, but so was she. We were in this together and—
Someone opened Belle’s door, pulling me out of my own thoughts. I could do this. I could be the man Belle needed me to be. So I pushed out of my side of the car, trying not to let my emotions show because I had wanted to open Belle’s door, but I’d been too slow. I’d allowed my thoughts get the better of me, and now some stranger had opened her door instead of me.
My legs pumped fast as I moved around the car toward Belle, where she was now waiting on the sidewalk for me. I pulled in a deep breath, my gaze flicking around us, not able to focus on any one thing, and then she placed her hand on my chest, quieting all the thoughts.
“Hey,” she said a second time. Her fingers curled into the material of my shirt, and she stepped closer, her body nearly touching mine. “I’m so nervous.”
My body sagged, and I wrapped my hand around hers, keeping it against my chest. “Me too.” I stared down at her, captivated by her twinkling blue eyes. “I’ve never felt like this before.”
“Me neither,” she whispered. She turned her head to stare at the restaurant I’d booked and bit down on her bottom lip. “Is it bad that I don’t want to go in there?” I frowned, not sure what she was trying to say. Did she not want to go in there with me? Or did she not like the restaurant? Had I made a bad choice?
“I…” I swallowed and swiped my tongue over my drying lips. “Where do you want to go, then?”
She dipped her head back and stared up at me, her beautiful face calling to me like nothing else ever had. “I’d have been happy with a burger and fries.” She smiled. “I don’t care where I am, as long as I’m with you, Ford.”
I cupped her face with the palm of my hand, feeling a buzz start under my skin at the connection to her. “Tell me where you want to go, and I’ll take you there.”
She blinked, her body moving closer to mine. “I know we’re all dressed up, but can we just get takeout and go back to your place? I just want to spend time with you, Ford, not everyone else.”
I understood what she was saying, so even though I’d planned this elaborate date, I couldn’t deny that the thought of having her all to myself was enticing. I kept her hand in mine as I moved them to my side and spun her around, throwing some money at the valet, who hadn’t parked my car yet, and then opened up the passenger door.
I should have known better than to book a fancy restaurant because that wasn’t what made Belle tick. She was happy in her pajamas with takeout and a movie on TV, and I was more than happy to be sitting by her side.
So I didn’t hesitate to drive her to the local burger joint and whizz through the drive-through, and as soon as we pulled up on my driveway, I was less nervous. And Belle’s answering grin as I took the paper bags full of food and cups of drink from her told me she was too.
Neither of us spoke as we walked into the house, but as soon as we did, Lottie ran at us, excited to see us, and Belle crouched down, using the wall to balance her. “I missed you,” she told Lottie, and Lottie’s answer was to nuzzle her neck. I may have been the one to adopt Lottie, but she would always be Belle’s dog.
Once we were in the living room, she sat in the middle of the sofa with her feet up on the coffee table. My nostrils flared at the way her dress hung down against the sofa, showcasing her legs to me, but she didn’t seem to be aware of it as I handed her the food. She opened the wrapper on her burger and took a huge bite.
Instead of sitting on the sofa with her, I opted for the armchair I’d bought last week, needing to keep my distance, if only for a little while. Lottie sat next to her, probably waiting for some scraps, but I knew Belle wouldn’t give her any. She’d made herself perfectly clear on what she thought about giving dogs human food. Maybe it was because of how much she’d seen while working in the animal shelter, and it made me wonder if she missed it.
What would she do now? She’d told me she finished her junior year, but she still had a year left until she could graduate. Would she go back? Did she even want to go back?
“You look like you’re thinking really hard over there, Ford.”
I whipped my head up and chewed on the last of my burger. We’d sat in silence as we’d eaten, and I noticed she’d finished her food too. “I…I was just thinking about the future.”
She tilted her head to the side, her eyes focused on me. “As in your future?”
I bawled up the paper package and dropped it into the paper bag, then moved to the edge of my seat. “No.” I clasped my hands together, not looking away from her for even a second. “I mean with us.” Her throat bobbed as she swallowed, and she shuffled on the sofa and started to pull her legs off the coffee table. “Don’t move,” I told her, standing slowly. She halted her movements, her eyes darkening as I stepped closer to her. “Stay right there.”
I snapped my fingers at Lottie and commanded her to go in the kitchen. After a second of hesitation, she trotted out of the room and settled in her kitchen bed.
“Ford?” Belle whispered. “What are you doing?”
I stopped next to her, staring down at her, and wishing I could find the right words to tell her how I felt, but…I was stumped. I didn’t know where to begin, so instead of saying the words I’d been desperate to say all this time, I crouched down next to her legs and slowly placed my hand around her ankle.
“I’ve missed touching you,” I confessed, whispering my palm up her leg and stopping at her knee. “I’ve missed listening to you talk.” I swallowed at the way she was looking at me. “I missed you, Baby Belle.” Her mouth parted on a gasp as I drifted my palm higher. “I refuse to miss you again.”
“I…”
“Be with me, Belle.” I stopped my hand on her inner thigh, so close to the place I craved. “Say you’ll be with me.”
* * *
