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He pulled me close. “Kissing you,” he replied, his hands resting on my hips.
I looked up at him, my heart racing. His eyes were intense, and I knew that he meant what he said. I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, feeling his hands tighten around me.
The kiss was soft at first, but it quickly grew more intense. Theo’s tongue traced my lips, asking for entrance, and I eagerly granted it. Our tongues danced together, each movement sending shivers down my spine.
Finally, we pulled away, breathless. Theo rested his forehead against mine, his eyes closed. “It’s so hard not to throw you down on the ground right now. I want you so bad.”
I touched his cheek. “We have to be careful. We’re going to get caught and that would be bad.”
“I’m pretty sure my parents already know,” he said.
I crinkled my nose. “I can’t think about that. That’s too weird.”
“My parents aren’t going to care. They aren’t that old fashioned. That’s the joy of getting out from under the strict rules of our society.”
“I appreciate that they are discreet,” I said. “But I don’t want to create a scandal.”
“I won’t push you to do so,” he said, smiling.
We wandered back onto the path and into the sunlight.
“I would like to take you out for dinner,” he said. “Are you up for it or would you prefer to stay in?”
“No, I would love to. I want to see as much of your life here as possible.”
We started back toward the house. “Then you should go and shower and get ready. You take longer to get ready than my sister, and I thought that was impossible.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his teasing. “I’ll try not to keep you waiting for too long.”
He showed me to my room in the massive home. He made me think his house was simple. It was a damn mansion. But it didn’t feel that big.
There were pictures of the family on all the walls and framed artwork that looked like it was made by little kids. I was pretty sure it was made by little kids. The Ashford kids. It was so precious they memorialized all of their art.
I saw a watercolor painting of a tiny house with a massive sun in the corner. Theo’s name was written in crayon on the bottom corner. It was so sweet. I smiled and went back into my room to get ready for dinner. Astrid had put away my things already. I supposed it wasn’t all that hard considering our trip was going to be very short. I ignored the dress suit I was going to be wearing for the interview. I didn’t want to think about all of that. For now, I was going to enjoy the time I had here.
I showered and put on the little black dress Astrid packed for me. I stood before the mirror in my room and put on my makeup. It was a date. Not a date that was set up by Lady Hamilton, but a real date. Little butterflies erupted in my stomach. I had never been on a real date. Back home, if I went out with a man, it was usually very structured. My parents insisted on chaperones and security. No man dared ask me out. My sexual experiences were limited and usually done in complete secrecy. It wasn’t easy to live without the freedom a normal person got.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts, and I quickly opened the door to find Theo standing there with a warm smile. He stepped inside, closing the door behind him, and wrapped his arms around me.
His lips met mine in a sweet, lingering kiss. “You look beautiful,” he whispered, his eyes filled with adoration.
I blushed, feeling the warmth of his compliments wash over me. “And you look incredibly handsome. I’m pretty sure the usual tradition is a kiss at the end of the night,” I said. “You’re in my room before the date.”
“I couldn’t resist,” he said in a husky voice.
“I’ve been dying to kiss you since we came back from our walk. I hate that we aren’t allowed.”
“I’ve wanted to kiss you as well. I like kissing you. Are you ready to go?” he asked.
“I am,” I said, smiling.
Together, we made our way downstairs, hand in hand. I could hear the hum of conversation down the hall. I had yet to meet the whole family, but I was anxious to do so. I hoped they were all like Victoria and Dana. They were so warm and welcoming.
There was a car waiting for us. Before I got into the back of the car, I inhaled the thick night air. The sound of crickets was incredibly loud.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“I was just appreciating nature,” I said.
