AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He had to make sure. “And you want this too.”
She was biting her lip. “I wantyou.”
“Oh.” He switched lanes in a happy daze. Then he groaned as a familiar guitar intro came through the speakers. “Backstreet Boys? Really?”
“What?” Hayley teased. “I get to pick.”
“I knew it,” he said, shaking his head. “I knew something like this would happen.”
“Like you don’t know this song.”
“Of course I know this song. Vicki had me learn this entire album.”
“Okay, then,” she said. “I’m going to start this over, and we’re going to sing.”
Then they were belting “I Want It That Way” at the top of their lungs.
34
Exactly on schedule, Hayley heard a car pull up in front of the house. She heard a door open and shut. She waited another minute and a half before she stepped out the door.
It was totally worth it.
Nick was standing between the car and the curb, one hand on the handle of the passenger door and the other casually in his pocket. He’d gone for classic and formal: crisp white shirt, bright blue tie, black slacks, black shoes, and not a hair out of place. He looked polished and confident and comfortable, and she took a moment to savor the excitement, the hunger, that rushed through her. Nick Freeman washot.
“Wow,” Hayley said, smiling. “It’s my very own rock star.”
“At your service,” he said.
The look on Nick’s face as she walked down the steps was worth every second she’d spent preparing for tonight.
There were too many men who looked at her like something they wanted. She was no movie star, no willowy supermodel, but because she had boobs and did enough cardio to stay slim,because people paid money to see her on stage, men thought it was okay to show her the hunger in their eyes. But not Nick Freeman. He was definitely interested; she saw him take in the neckline of her purple dress and how the fabric hugged her hips and celebrated her curves. But there was only happy recognition in his eyes when they returned to hers, like she was every single wonderful thing he remembered her to be.
“You wore a tie!” she said.
“You said dress up,” he said. “I don’t think I can compete with that dress, though.”
Hayley put a hand on her hip, posing for him. “You like it?”
“It’s stunning.” He grinned. “And you’re wearing your Chucks.”
She glowed. “You, sir, will be perfect arm candy.” She moved in and fiddled with his tie. “Are there math equations on this thing?”
“It was a gift from my kids last year,” he said. “I could’ve sworn it was perfect when I left the apartment.”
The tie was perfect. She just wanted the excuse to tingle with the easy closeness of him. “You’re lucky I’m here for the finishing touches,” she said.
“These are the finishing touches?” He was a little breathless. “I was hoping there’d be more.”
Hayley leaned a fraction closer. “So stay hopeful.”
She could just kiss him now. To hell with the rest of the night.
“Well!” The voice came out of nowhere. “Don’t you look lovely!”
Nick reacted as if someone had just fired a gun inches from his ear. His body jerked, his knees buckled, and he started sliding sideways against the car. Hayley shot out her hand and pressed a palm against the car so his shoulder rested against her arm.
“Hi, Mrs. Hennessy!” Hayley called cheerily to the silver-haired woman briskly walking a large brown-and-white dog across the street toward them. She eased Nick back into a safe standing position with one hand while she used the other to surreptitiously grab his wrist and put his free hand on her hip. She gave a tiny shake of her head in response to the embarrassed apology on his face and ran her hand softly up his arm.
