Page 76 of Anything for You
Tonight, in the glittering moonlight with the shadowy mountains behind us, I could only see Dove.
“You’re breathtaking.” I pressed a hand over my heart like it might help this rush of intensity taking place. She was so beautiful, and it wasn’t the way she’d done her hair or makeup. It wasn’t the deep blue dress clinging to her stunning, mouthwatering curves.
It was her. That beaming smile I’d seen when I walked up and the way she’d hugged each of her friends while I’d just swallowed down the image of her in front of me after waiting all day for it. It was the soft expression that flooded her face and how she stepped forward and reached for my hand, tucking it close to her heart like maybe she’d missed me as much as I’d missed her.
“You’re not so bad yourself.” She made a show of looking me over head to toe, then bit her lip.
White-hot wanting burst in my chest and zipped out to every limb. “Ready to go?” My thumb brushed across the back of her hand.
“Yes.”
Inside the car, she talked about the movie. There were famous names involved with the acting and she’d seen allthe stars there. She didn’t seem particularly awed by them, but in a town where major movie stars and celebrities often visited and sometimes settled down, the locals didn’t tend to be wowed by fame.
“Did you like it?” I asked as we pulled onto the farm property. A few more minutes and we’d be home.
“I… didn’t hate it? But it’s not something I’d ever want to watch again.” She huffed a little. “Actually maybe I did hate it? It was a lot of mopey shots of handsome men looking wistful and slightly angry because the world had wronged them. The only women in the story were either elderly or flighty love interests. It felt out of date, and honestly, I’m pretty tired of women being depicted as accessories or enemies. Give me strong women with strong friendships and healthy interactions with men who’ve done the work to deal with their issues instead of blaming the world for problems everyone else also has.”
Her heated words rang between us and I waited for more. It felt like words were lingering, not quite verbalized. When we parked, I nudged her. “And?”
She sighed. “Honestly, I think it reminded me of my brother and probably the way my dad was. I mean, nothing to do with a cult, but enough of that put-upon ideology that makes men into monsters, frankly. It’s self-indulgent in a way that makes me feel sick. Not the fun, ‘treat yo’self’ version fromParks and Rec.” She scowled out the window toward her cabin.
“So you’re saying you loved it.”
She tsked and smiled. “Yes. Can’t wait to see it again when it’s on streaming.”
I slipped out of the car and jogged around to get her door right as she opened it.
“Oh, thank you.” She bit her lip again, almost like she knew it drove me wild.
“I’m sorry you didn’t like the movie,” I said, linking our fingers and walking slowly toward her door. I didn’t expect an invite in after we’d both worked and it’d gotten late. But I didn’t want to rush these last few minutes together by racing to the doorstep.
“It was still fun to go. I’m just glad it wasn’t Jack or Jenna because I don’t know if I would’ve been able to pretend to like it.”
“Would you pretend?” I asked, curious to know whether she really would lie about liking the movie for the sake of people who were connected to her friends.
She shrugged one lovely bare shoulder, drawing my attention to the smooth line of her skin. I wanted to press my lips there, at her shoulder, the base of her neck, the line of her collar bone.
An audible exhale had me glancing up to see her shaking her head. “You can’t keep looking at me like that.”
I stepped closer, drawn in as always. “I don’t know how to stop.”
She turned on the step and gripped the lapels of my jacket. “One of us better figure it out or we’re in trouble.”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Dove
One week after the film fest, Dorian and I had shared dinner several times, he’d brought me breakfast every day he hadn’t had to work early, and my brain was absolutely obsessed.
Actually, not just my brain. My body was very much attuned to anything and everything he did, and my heart was an absolute sucker for the guy. It was almost impossible to exist for more than a few seconds before one of them was circling back to thoughts, feelings, or desires for him.
And honestly? It felt so good.
I’d always imagined resisting such a feeling, since that so often happened in books. For one reason or another, a heroine would resist the growing desire for someone because of whatever reason rooted in their backstory.
For me?
Maybe I was facile, but I’d always wanted love andcompanionship, to feel known by my partner and to have that person want me. Dorian already gave me all of that, and we’d just barely gotten started.
