Chapter 8 #2
Like a man who’d have dinner waiting for her when she gets home. Nothing microwaved, but home-cooked. Something with lots of nutrition to make up for the hours of activity she expended. And dessert, because another thing I’ve learned about Hazel is how much she enjoys sweets.
But I don’t want some faceless man making Hazel dinner.
I want to be the one greeting her with a hug and a kiss the second she walks through the door.
Or better yet, picking her up at Blissful Brews so she doesn’t have to drive home in the dark.
We’d share dinner while we talked about our days, and then snuggle on the couch until she fell asleep in my arms. Then I’d carry her to bed, careful to not wake her.
I’d be there to soothe her back to sleep if she had a nightmare.
And in the morning, we’d have sex while the light of the rising sun streams through the window—
Whoah.
Where did all that come from?
“Alec?” Hazel touches my arm. Her brows are drawn into a worried V. “Are you okay? You just went all quiet.”
“I’m fine.” I try unsuccessfully to block out the images now filling my mind; of Hazel’s gorgeously naked body stretched out beneath me, her rose-colored nipples taut and jutting towards me, her legs spread in invitation, her skin flushed with excitement…
“Anyway,” I continue, leaning closer to the table to hide my second erection in less than five minutes. “I’m good. Really. I was just thinking about—” What? Hazel’s naked body? Our nightly routine in a hypothetical scenario where we’re not just dating, but apparently living together?
“The gift I brought for you,” I finish. “Do you want it now, or after dinner?”
Hazel flashes me a look of surprise. “You got me a gift?”
“It’s not much,” I hurry to add. “Just something I picked up in town while I was headed to get our food.”
A moment later, I reconsider my wording. Did I make it sound like the gift was an afterthought? Like Hazel was an afterthought? When in reality, I’d been thinking about finding a present to cheer her up all day?
But to my relief, Hazel’s face lights up with a smile. “Alec. That’s so… Thank you.”
“Well, you haven’t even seen it yet,” I reply with a laugh. “You might not like it.”
“Impossible. I’ll like anything you give me.”
My heart rolls over. Squeezes.
To cover a rush of emotion I wasn’t expecting, I tease, “What if I gave you liverwurst? Or a bouquet of dandelions? I’m not sure you’d like those.”
Hazel slips her arm around my waist and gives me a quick side hug. “I love dandelions. They’re cheerful. Hardy. And liverwurst…” Trailing off, her brow creases as she thinks. “I’m sure it has some nutritional value. And if I put enough condiments on it, I bet it would be good.”
“Haze.” My heart squeezes again. “Only you could put a good spin on dandelions and liverwurst.”
She tips her head back so her gaze meets mine. “Only dandelions and liverwurst from you.”
Oh.
Her cheeks go pink. In a rush, she adds, “I mean… That sounded weird…”
Seeing Hazel flustered brings my protective instincts to the forefront. “It didn’t sound weird. It sounded nice. And I’m glad you wouldn’t like dandelions from anyone else.”
We stare at each other for a second before bursting out laughing.
“Are we really having a conversation about dandelions and liverwurst?” Hazel asks between giggles.
I smile at her. “I think we are.” Grabbing the gift bag from the table, I hand it to Hazel. “I think at this point, you should just open it now. Since you’re probably expecting some sort of weird deli meat or weed.”
She takes the bag and looks at the front of it. “Not unless the bookstore added a deli counter.”
“You never know.” I raise my eyebrows at her. “Stranger things have happened.”
With another quick smile, Hazel reaches into the bag. “It doesn’t feel soft or cold,” she reports, “so I’m guessing it’s not meat.” Then she lifts the tissue-wrapped book out and turns it over in her hands. “Oh! Look at this sweet paper with little books printed all over it.”
As she starts to unwrap the book, a jolt of nerves hits my belly.
I’ve never felt nervous about giving someone a gift before.
When I shop for my family, I buy things from their wishlists, so I always know I’m getting them what they want.
Presents for my friends typically involve beer or tickets to a sports event, which is basically a no-brainer.
But buying something for Hazel… I want her to like it. Not just like it, but know I was actually thinking of her when I bought it and not just grabbing the first thing I saw in the store.
So I guess Winter was right. The gift is meaningful.
“Alec!” Hazel’s voice lilts up with surprise. “A travel book about Italy! I love it!” She studies the book as she flips through the pages. “The photos are gorgeous. And I love how there are tips from locals included.”
“You mentioned wanting to go to Italy one day,” I explain.
“And I know you can look at photos online. But there’s just something about flipping through the pages of a book.
When I was a kid, we had these coffee table books with photos from all around the world.
I loved looking through them. So I thought… ”
“Alec, I love it.” She hugs the book to her chest before setting it onto the table. “It’s perfect. And you’re right. Looking at the photos in print is different. Better.”
A thought strikes me out of the blue.
What if I took Hazel to Italy one day?
What would it be like?
Holding hands while we explore the Coliseum, taking selfies as we wander the cobblestone streets of Florence, tasting wine and feeding each other cheese in Tuscany and walking barefoot along the beaches of Sicily.
Platonic? Hardly.
But.
Looking at the glow of happiness in Hazel’s eyes, at the sweet curve of her lips, knowing I’m the one who lifted her spirits…
I want to do it more.
I want to be more.
Stop being a coward, the little voice in my head whispers. Take a chance.
Hazel’s worth the risk.
That’s the crux of it.
Trusting hasn’t come easily for a long time. And for a long time, I’ve been content with my small circle of friends. For years, I thought that was all I needed.
Now I’m realizing I want more.
Liar.
I’ve wanted more for months. Years, even. I just didn’t want to admit it.
I comforted myself with the knowledge that Hazel wasn’t interested, either. So there was no risk to be taken. No chance of being betrayed again.
“Thank you, Alec.” Hazel throws her arms around me and hugs me hard. “Thank you. This is a wonderful gift. I love it.”
Then she looks up at me.
Her gaze holds a depth of emotion that tugs at a chord deep inside me.
My heart rolls over again.
Take a chance.
I touch her cheek, stroking my fingers across her satiny skin. My other hand comes to the small of her back, holding her close to me. “Haze.”
“Alec?” Her voice is soft. Laced with hope.
And that’s how I know.
It’s not just me.
Take a chance.
So I do.
Time seems to slow as I lower my head to hers.
The closer we get, the more right it feels.
Until we’re just a whisper apart.
So close I can smell the cool mint on her breath and the soft rose scent of her hair.
So close I can feel her heart pounding against mine.
And then.
We kiss.
Since it’s our first, I’m careful with it. Slow. Tender. Cautious.
But my body explodes with need just the same.
As I explore Hazel’s mouth, nipping and stroking and tasting, I memorize the sensation of her body pressed against mine.
How her nipples pebble into hard little buds, poking at my chest. How one small hand comes to the back of my neck, her nails lightly scratching my skin.
How perfect she feels in my arms, like she was made for me.
She makes a soft, sexy sound—half moan, half hum of pleasure.
My erection jumps, jerking against her belly.
Need is coiling inside me, bursting to get out.
Hazel’s hand comes to my hair, her fingers tunneling through it. She smiles against my lips before diving back into the kiss.
My body wants to take this further. From kissing her mouth to kissing her all over.
To peeling off that sexy dress and taking the time to appreciate everything beneath it.
Suckling on her perfect nipples that have haunted my dreams since I saw them.
Moving between her legs to bring her pleasure with my mouth and tongue until she’s screaming my name.
But that’s probably a bit premature considering this is only our first kiss.
When we finally break apart, Hazel gazes at me with lust-glazed eyes. Her lips are damp and kiss-swollen and her cheeks are flushed. Her chest rises and falls as she tries to catch her breath.
Did I think she was beautiful before? It was nothing compared to this.
“Alec,” she breathes. “That was…”
I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “It was perfect.”
She stares at me for a few seconds, thoughts working in her eyes. “You don’t regret it, then?”
“Regret it?” Disbelief tinges my voice. “Of course not.” A beat, and then, “Do you?”
“No. Definitely not.”
My heart kicks back into a normal rhythm. “Okay. Good.”
“But… is it going to mess up things between us? Being friends and all?”
Take a chance.
“It won’t mess anything up,” I assure her. “Not as friends. And not as… more.”
Hazel catches her lip with her teeth. “More?”
“More than friends. Kissing again. Dating.”
Her expression brightens. “Dating?”
“Yes. Dating. That is, assuming you want to.”
In the silence that follows, my stomach performs a death-defying swoop to my feet and back again.
“Are you sure, Alec?” Her brows pinch together. “I thought you didn’t date.”
My lips twitch. “That’s what I thought about you, too.”
She smiles. “I guess that’s true.”
“So, what do you think? If you’d rather just stay friends, that’s okay. Well. I’ll be disappointed, but it won’t change things between us. But I’d like to see where things between us could go. As long as you want to, too.”
“Alec.” Her smile stretches wider. “I’d really like that.”
A burst of joy explodes inside me.
“Okay.” I adjust Hazel in my arms, hugging her close to me. I brush my lips across hers. “So we’re dating.”
She loops her arms around my neck and kisses me back. Then she grins. “Dating. I like the sound of it.”
I smile back at her. “I like the sound of it, too.”