Page 37 of Hard Count
“What’s it about?” Drew turns to the back of the magazine and slowly turns each page taking in the art work.
“She’s a girl who can transform into a fox. She likes him.” I point to the guy on the page. “And she tries to trick him into liking her when she’s in fox form. But the thing is, he liked her the whole time. He just never told her.” Drew’s eyes meet mine and she worries her lower lip.
“Spoiler alert,” she whispers.
“It’s pretty obvious he’s into her. He doesn’t hide his emotions well.” It’s never been something I was good at either. If I’m angry, sad, happy, you’ll know about it. I may not come out and say it, but there’ll be signs.
“You sold me. I want it.” Her eyes dart from the magazine and back to me. “Are you going to get anything?”
Wrapping my arm around her, I shake my head. “They don’t sell what I want in stores.” I want a kiss. I’ve wanted one for a month, probably longer if I was being honest with myself. By the way she’s leaning into my side, I think she’s ready for it too.
This whole night has been about showing Drew that she can let her guard down and be herself around me. It’s something that comes naturally to me when I’m around her. If anything, when I’m with her I feel like I’m able to take a full breath. Worries and fears that I usually feel are gone.
I’m not sure I can say the same for her. She keeps herself just out of my grasp. It’s like she wants to try but instead ofletting go and trusting she’ll land without getting hurt, she holds on tighter to what feels safe. I’ll wait as long as it takes for her to realize that I’m a safe place. That she can come to me with anything, anytime.
As we walk to the front, her eyes track a family of four with two rambunctious boys. It’s not the kids that keep her attention. It’s the parents. Sadness etches her eyes as they hold hands and laugh at their kids. She’s watching a life she never got to have—or maybe one she lost—pass her by.
She sighs and places her purchase on the counter. I add a few of the sour candies they have on display. “You can’t leave without these. It’s a rule that you have to eat them while you’re reading.”
“I mean if it’s a rule.” She digs in her purse for her wallet if I had to guess. I hand the clerk my card before she has the chance. “I can pay for my own stuff.”
“I know but I asked you out and that means I’m paying remember.” I sign my receipt and thank the clerk.
“I guess that means I’m asking you out for the next date,” she says with a lift of her chin.
“We do need to defend our high score on the pinball game.” After we ate pizza we hit up the pinball machines. She dominated the game and put her name on the top of the leaderboard. She jumped into my arms and I spun her around in a victory celebration knowing I was the big winner of the night.
The drive home is quiet but my mind is racing with thoughts and I’m overwhelmed with emotions I’m not used tofeeling. I like Drew but dating isn’t what I want. I want more. More of her time. More of her smiles. More of her pain. I want it all.
I put the car in park and shut off the engine. “Let me walk you up.” I race around the front of the car and open her door.
Drew unlocks her front door and hesitates before turning the knob. “I had a lot of fun tonight.” She turns her back to the door. “I’d ask if you wanted to come inside but I can hear Frankie singing in the kitchen.”
“Maybe next time,” I say, taking her bag and placing it on the floor beside us. I step closer and she backs up against the door.
“Are you going to claim your prize? I think you earned your kiss.” She places her hands on my side and slips them under my shirt. It’s hard to think in complete sentences with her hands on me.
“Are you sure?” There’ll be no going back if we start this. I already know one taste of her won’t be enough.
“It’s just a kiss.”
“No, baby. This isn’t just a kiss. This is you agreeing to be my girl. This is me telling you I’m your man.” I slide one hand around her back and the other around the side of her neck. “Is that what you want?” I ask. Her green eyes glimmer with desire.
She drops her hands from waist and pushes against my chest. For a moment I think she might be having second thoughts and reject me but then her fingers curl into the cotton fabric of my shirt. Leaning forward, she presses herlips against mine before backing away. Immediately, I reel her back toward me, connecting my mouth with hers again.
I run my tongue over the seam of her lips and she easily opens up for me. I happily drown in the sweet smell of her orange blossom perfume as I explore the inside of her mouth. A soft whimper floats through the air as she rocks her body forward looking for some friction. I want to lift her off the ground and press her against her front door to give her what she’s so desperate for.
Her arms wrap around my neck and fingers dig into my hair. Pulling her head back, I kiss her deeper, harder. I don’t want to stop. I want more of her. There’s something about Drew that makes me want to consume every part of her.
Not just her body but her heart, mind, and soul. I’ve just met her but I feel like I’ve known her for years. I feel like she was always meant to be in my life—to be mine.
Pulling away, I rest my head on hers. “Was that a yes then?”
“If you have to ask, I might need to answer you again,” she says, popping a quick kiss on my lips. “Yes. We can date.”
I grip the back of her neck. “We can go on dates but we aren’t dating. I’m not sharing you with other guys. This isn’t casual.”
“You barely know me. How can you be so sure?”
