Chapter 9 Abby
Love at first slice.
The thought was ludicrous, and if Connie or the girls knew what I was thinking about, I would never hear the end of it. I should have laughed at my stupid thoughts. I wasn’t this boy crazy kind of girl. I wasn’t the one who was in love with the idea of love. I’d never been.
But I knew one thing without a doubt in my mind: This was love at first sight.
I’d heard about it all my life. The whole when you know, you know but had never really believed it or experienced it. Not even close.
But now? As I watched Mark tell me about the Cat in the Hat event planned at the elementary school the upcoming year, I couldn’t imagine calling it anything else but love.
How could it be?
Did it matter?
I wasn’t the kind of woman to lie to herself.
Be dramatic and stubborn? Totally me! But lie to myself?
Never. I knew who I was, and it was why I’d never bothered to date someone I wasn’t interested in.
Or maybe that had been because I’d never met a man who drew me in the way Mark did.
The easy way I could be around him, talk to him, share things I wasn’t sure I’d ever shared with my three best friends.
All while having soft flutters of excitement in my belly.
It wasn’t the overwhelming flapping of butterfly wings but something smaller, smoother.
Sweeter.
Home. He felt like home. I just hoped he felt the same way. It was insane to hope that after just meeting him a couple of hours ago, but I couldn’t get myself to think otherwise.
“I think my favorite has to be apple this year.” I sighed happily. My stomach was full of different bites of the pies and cakes and cookies he’d piled high on a plate for us to share. My sweet tooth was satisfied. For now.
“Really? I don’t know. This pumpkin is pretty good,” Mark said with a grin so wide I could see a dimple I hadn’t noticed before.
Love. Yeah… that’s what this felt like. Love at first sight. I could only imagine the I told you so I’d get from my mom and the incredulous look I’d get from Connie and Pru.
“What’s that look about?” he asked. I shook the thoughts away and focused on him.
Not that it was a hardship by any means.
Mark’s arm draped over my shoulder, his fingertips stroking my shoulder and the top of my arm, warming me up more than the fire in front of us ever could.
His warm dark eyes bore into me; curiosity and something that matched what I felt stared right back at me.
And something came over me.
Suddenly, life felt short. I’d spent a lifetime doing the right thing. Figuring out who I was and wasn’t. I was almost thirty without anything to show for it. Well, mostly nothing to show for it.
Maybe this was what Rosie had been talking about?
Our twenties had almost flown right by us, and this overpowering need to grab the proverbial bull by the horns rushed through me. Life needed to be lived, and Mark Cosecha was the one I wanted to live it with.
Without thinking, I took the plate from his hands even though it still had a couple of half-eaten treats left and set it on the side table in front of the firepit. His gaze was set on me, watching me closely, almost like he knew what I was up to as I returned my focus to him.
He hadn’t kissed me earlier, and we’d been interrupted twice. I needed him to do it now to really know if this was what I thought it was. You don’t buy a car without test driving it, my mom used to tell us, much to my dad’s dismay.
“What are you up to, little girl?” His lips twitched. Little girl. He’d called me that earlier. Why did I like that so much? Hearing him call me that made me want to crawl up on his lap and pepper kisses all over his stupidly handsome face.
But I couldn’t exactly do that.
Not when I was sure the girls probably kept sneaking peeks at us through the kitchen windows.
Take a chance, a voice whispered in my ear.
I wasn’t sure if it was mine or the voices of my best friends melded together, but I leaned closer.
We’d been near one another—hell, he’d almost kissed me before he’d reached for our dessert—but this was the first time it was me initiating this closeness.
“Mark?”
“Hmm,” his deep voice rumbled, and I could have sworn I felt the vibrations dance through me, leaving a molten heat behind.
“Do you think we could get out of here?” I felt bold and empowered. There was something about the way he looked at me that made me feel powerful. Like a goddess.
“You want to come back to my place?” he asked, his brows narrowed slightly, like he wasn’t sure what to believe.
My lips parted, and I nodded. Mark’s deep gaze dipped, and I could have sworn he made an animal-like growl.
“Your wish is my command, little girl.” My breath hitched, and emotions swirled through me.
Little girl. I really liked how he called me that. A lot. It was hot. I swallowed hard. I felt like squirming in my seat, but instead, my hand rose between us and rested on his chest, just above his heart, and I leaned in for my very first kiss.
My eyes fluttered shut as my heart started to gallop against my rib cage.
His masculine scent wrapped around me, and I felt his hand drop to the small of my back while the other one pulled me in closer.
My mouth pressed against his, and I felt his big, strong body freeze for a millisecond before he kissed me back.
Soft.
Slow.
Completely worth the wait.