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“Right now, we’re having lunch.”
She rolled those pretty green eyes. “I know that. I mean—.”
“I know what you meant.” He reached across the table and took her hand in his. A quiver of fear pierced his chest as he steadied himself. Being honest and vulnerable with a woman wasn’t something he had experience with, and frankly, before Macy, he hadn’t ever wanted to be truthful or open about his feelings. With her, he wanted things to be different. He wanted her to know that she was utterly precious to him.
“Danny?” she prompted, her voice soft and unsure.
“The whole time I was gone,” he said, finding his courage, “I thought about you. Day and night. Any moment I wasn’t actively working, I was thinking about you.” He shook his head with regret. “I should have checked on you. I should have broken the rules and found a way to contact you. I should have made sure you were safe.”
“Danny,” she interrupted, “it’s okay.”
“No, it’s not.” He interlaced their fingers and marveled at how elegant her fingers looked atop his. “I fucked up, and I’m not fucking up again, Macy. I know it’s not the best situation for us right now.” His heart hammered in his chest as he prepared to voice his fears. “You’re leaving for college in a few weeks. I’ll be here doing what I do. It won’t be easy, and I know I don’t have any right to ask—.”
“Ask,” she urged.
“Can we try to make this work between us? Can I come visit you every weekend or every other weekend? I don’t want to smother you,” he hurriedly assured her. “I know you need to experience the freedom of being on your own. I don’t want to take that from you. I don’t want to hold you back.”
“Danny?”
“Yeah?”
“We’re going to make it work.” There was no doubt in her reply. “I want to date you. I want to do more than just date you,” she admitted, her face flushing again. “I want to be yours, and I want you to be mine. I know we’re young. I know things can change, and there’s always the chance that we’ll grow apart, but I don’t care about the what-ifs. Right now, I’m head-over-heels crazy for you, and I’m tired of waiting.”
“I’m tired of waiting, too.” Ever since that Christmas kiss, he had been tormented by his desire for Macy. He had never wanted any woman the way he wanted her. There was something more to this pull between them than simple lust and attraction. It was deeper and more soulful. It wasreal.
“Then, maybe after lunch, we could go back to your place?” Their gazes clashed, and he was taken aback by the desire burning hot in her eyes.
Danny gulped. A streak of heat shot right down into the deepest part of his belly, and he couldn’t help but wonder what the soft fingers stroking his palm would feel like wrapped around his cock. “Milaya, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
Macy smiled, her expression a mix of flirtatious excitement and shyness. He had never wanted to end a date so quickly in his life. He wanted to get her out of here and back to his place where he could finally kiss and touch her the way had fantasized about so many nights.
He resisted the urge to rush things along and decided to draw out the anticipation instead. Throughout their meal, her foot bumped against his, sometimes accidentally and sometimes not. Their fingers brushed together as they shared each other’s plates. It was like a drawn-out foreplay.
By the time he paid the check, Danny was on edge. Settling his hand against Macy’s back, he led her out of the café and out to his truck. He let his hands linger on her waist as she stepped up into the passenger seat and trailed his fingers down the fluttery green fabric of her skirt. Desperate to see just what she was hiding under that dress, he shut her door and walked to the driver’s side.
Once behind the wheel, he started the engine and adjusted the air conditioner to cool down the steaming hot interior. It reminded him about the arrangement he had made. “A friend of mine is going to stop by later and pick up your car. He’s going to leave a loaner for you to drive while yours is in the shop for maintenance.”
“Uh, okay?” She seemed less than happy.
“I told you I was going to get the air conditioner fixed.”
“You did, but don’t you think you should ask me first before making arrangements for some stranger to take my car?” She had shifted in the seat to look him right in the eye. There was nothing demure about her expression now. In fact, she looked pissed.
“I’m sorry. I thought—.”
“I know what you thought,” she interrupted. “And I appreciate you wanting to do something nice for me.” She reached over and took his hand. “I do, Danny. I really, do.”
“But I overstepped?” he guessed.
“A little. Especially right now,” she clarified. “All I have is that car. That’s it.”
“Right. I’m sorry. I thought I was helping.”
“I know you’re used to taking charge, Danny. I like that about you. I like the way you take care of people who are important to you.”
“But maybe I should ask first?”
“Yes.”
