Page 58 of Beneath the Scars
But first, I have another fantasy to check off.
Chapter 31
Addie
Ipress my palm into my stomach to make it stop churning.
I’ve let this man tie me up and break me down until I’m a crying mess, and yet I’m freaking out over going out on a date with him.
He’s supposed to be picking me up any minute.
And I don’t feel ready in the slightest.
I’m dressed—my green sundress floating tantalizingly around my thighs—and I’ve tamed my wild curls into some semblance of order. I’ve even swiped a bit of mascara onto my lashes.
This shouldn’t be a big deal.
Michael and I have been seeing each other for a while now. It’s just…this is our first public outing as a couple since he drove me home from the bar in Greensboro.
The gossip hens are going to have a field day with this one.
I can hear them now. Sonoma’s most eligible bachelor is finally off the market with his best friend’s little sister.
“Michael’s here!” Dad shouts up the stairs at me.
God, could I feel any more like a teenager? My boyfriend is picking me up from my parents’ house for a date. Maybe that’swhy I’m so nervous. My teenage self would be passing out if she knew Michael Montgomery would be picking future me up for a date.
I snatch my purse off my vanity and race down the stairs. Dad’s standing in the kitchen with a coffee mug in hand. I hope he’s not actually drinking coffee right now. He’ll be up all night if he is.
“Bye, Daddy! Don’t wait up for me.”
“Make good choices. And for the love of god, donottell me if you don’t come home tonight.”
I snort at his retort. “Love you.” I’m out the door a second later, only to stop short when I find Michael walking up to the front porch. In a pair of dark-wash jeans and a white button-down shirt, he looks mouthwatering.
“Hot damn,” I murmur, making Michael grin at me.
He reaches out, placing a hand on my hip as he leans down to press a kiss to my lips. “Hey, Trouble. You look gorgeous.”
“Why, thank you.”
“You ready to go?”
“Lead the way, handsome.”
Michael takes my hand and guides me to the passenger side of his truck. He opens the door and helps me inside the cab. My gaze never leaves him as he walks around to get in on the other side. I am one lucky woman.
Now that he’s here, my nerves have settled into sheer excitement to be out on the town with the man of my dreams. I’m so freaking in love with him, I have no idea how long I’ll be able to hold my feelings back.
As the truck rumbles toward town, Michael reaches across the cab to rest his hand on my thigh. My whole body reacts to his touch. All I want to do is widen my legs and let him have free rein over me. It’s become a Pavlovian response at this point.
He pulls into Jones’s parking lot but tells me to stay put. Ihave no idea what the plan is. This man seems to love surprising me. I’m starting to lean in to the idea of him planning stuff for us.
Most of my life, I’ve been the one to make decisions. I’m independent to a fault, and my parents have always encouraged me to go my own way. Allowing someone—a man, more specifically—to make decisions for me is a new experience. Michael has made it feel as easy as breathing to let him lead. There’s an inherent level of trust already built between us that’s made it possible not to bristle at how he takes charge.
Plus, the orgasms I receive when I let go are a pretty great prize.
Michael is back a few minutes later with a drink carrier and a brown paper bag clutched in his hands. He gets everything settled before pulling out of the parking lot. It only takes me a minute to figure out where we’re going.
