Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
PRESTON
I’m up before my alarm, adrenaline already humming through my blood.
I lie there for a minute, staring at the ceiling, replaying every second of last night.
The way her lips fit against mine, the way her dress bunched up around her thighs, the wild thump of her heart under my hands.
I barely got a fucking wink of sleep all night long.
I drag my ass out of bed and throw on a pair of sweats. I have time to run a circuit of Worthington Hills before the sun even brushes the tops of the buildings. I run fast and hard, pounding out the nervous energy that starts every time I think about Hazel.
It doesn’t work. I return to my apartment more wound up than when I woke up.
I stand in the shower until the water runs cold, planning our date. By the time I towel off, I’m basically vibrating with energy. Hazel’s on a loop in my brain: her flushed cheeks, the way her voice cracks when she laughs, the way she clung to me last night and whispered my name like a prayer.
I want to make this day perfect for her. For us.
Once I’m dressed, I move on to planning the picnic lunch.
I quickly order a fancy picnic basket from the little boutique in the lobby of my apartment building.
They promise to deliver it within an hour, so I grab my keys and head out to do my shopping for our lunch while half the building is still asleep.
The walk to the Worthington Hills Market is only a few blocks, but the whole time, I’m mentally running through the grocery list in my mind.
Inside the store, I scan the aisles like a man on a mission.
I grab strawberries, fresh-baked bread, two kinds of cheese, and the fanciest dark chocolate I can find.
I want her to laugh, so I grab those gummy Nerds candies she told me she likes.
Chicken salad, kettle chips, Pellegrino, lemonade, and a couple of those little single-serve pies, just in case.
I check out in record time and head back to my apartment. I find a large box next to my door and smile. This is all coming together perfectly. After unpacking my grocery sacks, I pull out my phone.
Me
Ready for round two?
It isn’t even five seconds before she texts back.
Gorgeous Girl
I’ll be ready! What should I wear? :)
Me
Casual and comfortable.
I send the message as an idea goes off in my mind. Before I’m able to stop myself, I add another message.
Me
Or nothing at all. Your call.
Gorgeous Girl
Omg. See you at noon.
I laugh, picturing her rolling her eyes adorably, and finish packing up. I try not to think about how desperate I sound, but the truth is, I haven’t wanted anything this badly in forever.
The rest of the morning drags. I half-watch a soccer game on TV, but don’t remember a single play. Then, I take another shower and change my clothes twice like a lovesick idiot.
At eleven-forty, I load the picnic basket into the back of the SUV and head to her apartment.
I park out front and walk up to her door.
I knock, and a moment later, Hazel pulls the door open, curls wild, sunglasses on, wearing a pink t-shirt and black yoga pants with white sneakers.
The outfit hugs her in all the right places, and for a split second, I forget how to breathe.
“Hey, gorgeous girl.” I inhale her sweet scent deep into my lungs.
“Hey, yourself.” She gives me a shy, sideways smile. “Are you always right on time?”
“For the most part,” I say, and it’s the truth.
I pull her into my arms and kiss her. She melts against me, soft and perfect, her mouth opening under mine.
Fuck. The second I taste her, I lose what’s left of my mind.
I kiss Hazel like I need her to survive, like she’s the only thing tethering me to earth.
She makes a tiny noise in her throat and slides her hands up my chest, locking them behind my neck.
Her body fits mine so goddamn well, it’s like the universe custom-built her just for me.
I tighten my grip on her waist, fighting the urge to haul her up and carry her straight back inside, date be damned.
But I’ve been planning this for hours. I want to spoil her. I want her to smile every time she remembers this day.
I force myself to break the kiss, but I can’t let her go. I rest my forehead against hers, breathing her in. “God. I needed that.”
“Me too.” She smiles up at me then turns and locks her door. I take her soft hand in mine and lead her out to my SUV.
We park at the old schoolhouse next to Worthington Hills Park. “I thought we’d have a picnic in the park,” I explain as I pull into the lot and kill the engine.
“How fun.” Hazel stretches, arms up, her whole body twisting like a sleepy cat. The T-shirt rides up, and I have to physically restrain myself from tracing the naked flesh right here in the front seat. She catches me looking and just smiles, pure mischief. “Oops.”
Oops, my ass. My girl is trying to torture me. And she’s doing a great fucking job at it. I help her out of the vehicle and grab the picnic basket and blanket.
We walk under the stone archway and cut across the lawn. I scope out the area and pick a spot by the big, modern sculpture in the center of the park. It’s basically a pile of steel cubes, but it’s shady and secluded, and I like the view.
After I lay out the blanket, Hazel flops down on the plaid wool and looks up at me expectantly. I ease down beside her, close enough that our shoulders brush every time we move.
She pops open the basket and lets out a delighted gasp. “You got me Gummy Nerds?” She plucks out the candy bag and holds it like a holy relic.
I watch her face light up. “You mentioned how much you love them,” I say. “I remember what’s important.”
She just shakes her head, eyes big and soft. “You’re dangerous, Preston Voss.”
“Ditto,” I say, but the words come out rougher than I mean them. I hand her a plate loaded with chicken and cheese, and she doesn’t wait for utensils, just goes right in, tearing off a chunk of sourdough with her fingers.
We eat in companionable silence for a while. Hazel eats like a woman who’s spent her life not apologizing for being hungry, and I like that. We both finish half the grapes and put a decent dent in the strawberries before either of us speaks again.
She leans back, sunglasses on, arms propped behind her. “Best day ever.”
“I concur.” Fuck. That’s the best I can come up with. It seems like I’ve lost my ability to articulate much of anything.
She snorts and rolls her eyes, then turns on her side and props her head on her hand, staring right at me. I resist the urge to kiss her, but only barely.
“So,” she says, and her voice is a little different now, softer, threaded with something new. I can practically feel her pulse ticking under her skin. “What’s next?”
I want to laugh, but it catches in my throat because her eyes are on me, expectant. “After this? Maybe a walk. Maybe I’ll kiss you again. Maybe both.”
She lets the words hang, a smile curling at the edge of her lips. “That all sounds great to me.”
I lean in, testing the waters. She doesn’t move away, so I press my lips to hers, gentle at first, then a little deeper.
She tastes like sugar and sunshine, and for a second, nothing else in the world exists.
I slide my hand to the back of her neck, holding her there, and she melts into me, kissing me back with a hunger that’s all heat and zero hesitation.
When we finally break apart, she’s breathless, cheeks flushed.
“I’ve never met anyone like you,” she says, voice shaky.
“I know how you feel,” I say. “Since the first moment you ran into me, I’ve felt like the cartoon character with little birds flying around its head.”
She tilts her head, eyes sparkling with mischief. “It seems like we’re in the same boat.”
“Don’t worry, gorgeous girl. We’ll figure it out together.”
We don’t talk for a while after that. We just lie back on the blanket, her head on my chest, fingers tangled together, watching the clouds drift past. The rest of the world disappears.
There’s only the warmth of her body pressed into mine, and the steady thump of her heart as I run my hand lightly across her back.
Eventually, she breaks the silence. “What are you thinking about?”
I look down at her, memorize the curve of her nose, the wild tangle of her curls, the way she fits perfectly against me. “I’m thinking about how lucky I am. And how I’m never letting you go.”
She hums, happy, then sets her chin on my chest and stares into my eyes. “Wow. Things are moving fast.”
“Not fast enough for me,” I return.
She laughs, low and a little breathless, but there’s this shadow flickering behind her sunglasses. Like she’s bracing for a runaway train and I’m the motherfucking engineer.
I want to lay it out. All of it. So she knows exactly where I stand.
“Hazel.” I cup her cheek, thumb skimming over the curve of her jaw.
God, she’s soft. “I knew you were it for me the second you crashed into me in the lobby. I’ve been out of my mind for you ever since.
” She lets out a little laugh, but her lips tremble.
“If you need slow, we’ll go slower,” I murmur, pressing my forehead to hers.
“But I’m not letting you go. Ever. You belong with me, Hazel. I’m all in.”
She stares at me for a very long time, and I start to worry that I’m moving way the fuck too fast, but she shocks me.
“I’m crazy about you, too.” I finally release the breath I’ve been holding.
“But I’d like to slow things down just a little bit.
Maybe we can date a little bit before we pick out china and linens? ”
The caveman half of me wants me to throw her little ass over my shoulder and run for the hills, while the more levelheaded side knows I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure my girl is happy. Even if it means taking things slower. “Sounds like a plan to me.”