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THIRTEEN
HADLEY
Where I’m from, girls don’t talk about the things they likesexually. We’re told it’s not ladylike. But I have fantasies. I close my eyes and touch myself, picturing all the ways I want a man to please me, and finally, those fantasies might become reality.
“Nothing is going to happen tonight,” Theo announces.
“What? Why not?” I hate the desperation in my voice. It makes it seem as though the only thing I care about is sex.
“Are you in a hurry?”
“No, I’m not. I just thought—”
He places a finger under my chin and tilts my face up until our gazes meet. “We have plenty of time, Hadley. Good things come to those who wait.”
Of course, he’s right. There’s no need to rush, especially when we’re still getting to know each other. The newness of whatever is developing between us forces me to feel more, to want more.
And if I don’t want to get hurt, I need to slow down.
My stomach growls loudly and Theo smiles. “Perfect timing. Let’s go out and have dinner.”
When we leave the hotel in search of a place to eat, it’s evident how much Seaside transforms during the summer months. All the restaurants are packed with diners, and families weave in and out of shops with bags full of souvenirs from their vacation. Theo holds tight to my hand as we walk along Broadway searching for a place to eat. Eventually, we settle on a place specializing in fish and chips. It’s nothing fancy but the food is good.
“Tell me something I don’t know about you yet,” Theo asks as we finish eating.
It’s hard for me to pinpoint some exciting fact about myself. In fact, it’s hard for me to even talk about myself. “I can make perfect French macarons,” I eventually tell him.
“I bet Piper would love those.”
I smile and laugh. “She already does. I made some last week.”
His eyes narrow. “And you didn’t save any for me?”
I shrug. “You were in Portland. Working.” I dip a French fry in ketchup and take a bite. “Now you have to tell me something about you.”
“You already know so much about me,” he says but I press him for an answer. “Fine, but I’d have to show you.”
We settle our bill and leave, Theo grabbing my hand once more as we head down the street toward an arcade with a brightly lit marquee out front advertising fun and prizes. I shoot him a skeptical glance as we walk inside, the smell of stale popcorn and fried food hitting my nose as soon as we enter.
“I’m really good at skee-ball,” he says, purchasing a small fortune in game tokens. “And I’m highly competitive.”
I laugh because this is not what I expected at all. He leads us over the back wall where a row of skee-ball machines is lined up. He places the plastic cup full of tokens on the ground, takes out two and inserts them in the machine. The wooden balls clatter together as they’re released, and he gives me a wicked grin before picking one up. The ball sails up the red scarred lane and into the top right corner slot worth the most points. The lights and scoreboard flash, celebrating his success.
“Bet you can’t do it again,” I tease.
“What’s the wager?”
“A kiss.”
He smirks. “Game on.”
He grabs another ball and then lets it fly up the lane where it falls into the top left corner slot. He turns to me and smirks. “Pay up.”
He wraps his arms around my waist and hauls me against him before his lips crash down on mine. The kiss is quick but packed full of heat and promise. He pulls away and says, “I’m going to win you the most obnoxious prize ever.”
Theo is an entirely different person tonight. He’s not the stuck-up asshole who tried to hand me a couple hundred bucks to replace one threadbare T-shirt. He’s sweet and playful, cheering when he lands a high score, marveling in the miles of tickets we collect after each round. He even looks relaxed, wearing jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt instead of his normal khakis and polo.
There are so many sides to him, and all of them are irresistible.
