AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The shy version of Nadia is adorable.
Make her comfortable.
Earn her trust.
I clear my throat and steal another peek at her. “I meant what I told your niece back at your house…”
“What’s that?” she asks, eyeballing me curiously.
“You’re more gorgeous than a princess, Nadia. I mean it. You look beautiful tonight.”
Her eyes drop to her lap and her lips quirk bashfully. “Thank you.” She peeks at me. “You look very handsome yourself.”
My chest swells up with anticipation when I take a deep breath. “I know you don’t consider this a date, but just so you know, I’ll be putting my best foot forward tonight.”
She turns toward me. “Is that so?” She can’t hide her smile, and internally, I’m pumping a fist in the air. Just like I do every time I manage to put a grin on her face.
“Yes. As far as I’m concerned, tonight is a pre-date,” I announce.
“A pre-date?”
“Yes. If I play my cards right, you’ll give me a shot at the real thing.” I hope.
She shifts slightly in her seat to face me. “What does the real thing entail?”
Well, that’s certainly not a no.
We roll to a stop at a red light, just a few blocks away from the venue. I look her way. “You and me. Candlelight,” I say, wanting to paint a vivid picture. “Maybe some slow-dancing. Or a gondola ride. Wherever the mood takes us,” I answer. “If I thought you’d like it, I’d rent out the Paragons stadium and wine and dine you on the fifty yard line.”
Her breath catches audibly, sending a jolt to my cock. The car suddenly feels too hot. I want to shed this tuxedo jacket.
I reach across and dare to brush a loose curl away from her cheek. “Most importantly, I need you to see that I’ll pull out all the stops for you. I’ve waited too long to get my big chance. Nothing is too big. Nothing is too elaborate.”
Nadia’s eyes stay locked on mine, her gaze soft and willing. “Green…” she whispers.
“What?” I’m still gazing at her gorgeous face.
“It’s green. The light.”
I blink, turning my attention back to the road. “Right. Green,” I murmur, pressing on the gas.
She gathers her composure and straightens up in her seat. “Look, I…I feel like there’s a lot in the air between us right now. I don’t want our feelings to cloud our judgement tonight. So let’s just push them aside and…”
Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Wait. Just. A minute.
I tilt my head to look at her. “Feelings? What feelings?”
She gets even more frazzled. She does some more stuttering. “I…I misspoke. Forget I said anything.”
“No way, Dream Girl. Before I agree to pushing feelings aside, I have a right to know theexactnatureof these feelings we’re talking about. That’s called informed consent. Right, counsellor?”
After a deep inhale, her words are all business again. “Please, Harry. Let’s not do this. Not right now. I said something I shouldn’t have. Let’s just focus on the night ahead of us, shall we?” But there’s a new wispiness on her face that wasn’t there before.
I want more of her softness. I want all of it. But if I want to keep this night from blowing up in my face before it’s even begun, then I need to respect her boundaries.
“Yeah. We can do that.” I grin to myself, knowing I’ve made that first dent in her armor. It’s going to take all night, but I’m chiseling away at those fifteen foot walls she’s erected around her heart.
We arrive at the venue and I hand my keys to a valet. Then I hustle around the front of the car to help Nadia with her door.
