AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh, we don’t want to impose,” I say, my eyes meeting Mitch’s over Ella’s shoulder while the guys continue to talk. I don’t think he heard the invite, and he gives me a questioning look.
I’m here on a date with Mitch. I don’t want to commit us to hanging out with people we just met, even if one of them is the biggest country star to ever come out of our province.
“You won’t be! Plus, we can’t eat all of this ourselves. We may have overdone it.” She holds her boxes a little higher to make her point.
Mitch walks around Ella and places his arm around my waist. “That’s really kind of you, Ella, but if you don’t mind, I’m going to pull Rachel away here. I want her to myself. I may be a selfish asshole, but I don’t want to share her with anyone tonight.”
“Next time,” I say with a smile.
We say our goodbyes to everyone and leave them with their treats. Mitch links his hand with mine, drawing me over to where the crowd is gathering for the concert. Since there are no seats, he sits on the grass and pulls me to sit between his legs. I relax into him, letting my back rest against his strong chest, loving the feel of his arms as they wrap around me.
“I hope you aren’t too disappointed I pulled you away. It may be selfish, but I want you all to myself tonight,” he whispers into my ear.
“No.” I don’t want to admit that I am. It’s not every day that you get the chance to meet a popular country artist, but I also love spending time alone with him.
“Don’t lie to me, Belle,” he growls, low enough that only I can hear.
He holds me tighter to him, his lips at my neck, his breath fluttering across my skin. I close my eyes as my breath quickens, pressing my legs together.
Damn that voice. I’ll do anything when he uses it.
“I’m a little disappointed. They seem nice. But I like my time with you, too.” I look over my shoulder, meeting his eyes. “I’m never disappointed spending time with you, Mitch.”
He gives me such a heartfelt look. I feel like he’s never heard those words from anyone before, and that makes me sad. He’s such a wonderful man and I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t want to spend every possible second with him.
He follows the contour of my face with his fingertip, brushing my hair back as he goes. He studies his trail, as if committing it to memory. His voice is soft when he speaks. “I feel the same way about you, Rachel.”
I love it when he calls me Belle or babe, but there’s something so intensely personal about him using my real name, it makes my heart skip a beat. We’ve shared so much in the short time we’ve been together, but it’s in this moment that I feel truly connected to him. As if our hearts reached out and truly touched for the first time.
“He’s coming to the brewery after the concert.”
“What?” I say, completely confused at his word.
“Greyson’s going to the brewery. Zach said that he invited them all back after the concert. He’s getting the events room all set up. You’re invited to go and hang out, too. You seemed to hit it off with the girls.”
“I did.” My brain is catching up with what he’s saying. As cool as it would be to meet Greyson, I truly liked Krissy and Ella. They seemed like women I’d want to be friends with.
“Then it’s settled. Invite Kylie and whoever you were planning on going to the bar with after. Zach’s turning it into quite the afterparty.”
“You’re amazing.”
“I didn’t have anything to do with it,” he laughs, shaking his head slightly. “Apparently Zach and Brett go way back. Krissy and Ella are friends, and well, it just happened. Of course you’d be invited. You’re my girl.”
His girl. I like the sound of that.
“You are my girl, aren’t you?” he whispers in that low, gravelly voice of his.
“Only if you’re my guy,” I say back. I don’t want to seem overly eager, but I want him to be mine. But I want him to beonlymine.
“You bet I am, Belle. I can’t wait until after closing tonight. I’ll show you I’mallyours.”
I lean my body back into him, pressing my thighs together as he wraps his arms around my waist.
Closing can’t come fast enough.
22
MITCH
