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“I’m going to kiss you. You good, Nora?”
He had pulled back, looked down, smiled, and kissed me again. Quick and sweet. Like he couldn’t help it.
But I’d gone from ‘girl who never went on dates’ to ‘girl who went out with one guy only to kiss another guy on the same date.’
Suddenly, Jason’s arm was jerked off my shoulder and flung over my head toward him like a kicked rag doll. Duke leaned across me to lock eyes with a livid Jason. “She told you not to touch her, so don’t touch her, jackass.”
And when Duke held his hand out behind him, his fingers beckoning to me like a lifeline, I took it.
“Just in case you fall madly in love with me during this cookie date,” I sputtered, trying to keep my wits about me. “What if I’m already halfway there?”
“Hey! We have rules.” “It’s your fault. I only said it because your cheeks turn pink when I tease you. No man on this earth would be able to resist trying to make that happen over and over. Strings or no strings.”
I don’t have anybody around to catch me if I fall, but sometimes I wish I did.” “That’s because you’re the one who does all the catching.”
“This is pure Utah gym-rat muscle, with a little Idaho farm boy thrown in. And maybe a pinch of couch potato.”
“Are you trying to lure me in with your sexy farm-boy talk?” He curled into me slightly. “Is it working? Are farm boys what do it for you?” “I don’t think it hurts anything.”
“How the night unfolded might not have been your idea, but it was still you. Maybe not the side of you that you show to the world, but it’s you. Whether you believe it or not, you’re fun, Nora. Smart. Driven. Hot. And fun.”
Kiss Cam, Heard about the tires. I was once told there wasn’t much a DP couldn’t fix. PS. I made sure it fell.
I wanted another hug, dang it.
It’s like that moment when you’ve been having a bad day and you keep telling everyone that you’re fine. You’re fine. You’re fine. Then someone looks you in the eye and asks how you’re doing, and you completely break down.
“And by the way, I remember everything about that night.”
This is hot
And I’m here now because I’m planning to be a gentleman and see you to your car so you don’t walk alone in the dark.
Duke: Okay. No more curling your hair. My productivity level is at a big fat zero today. Me: Fine. No more wearing your blue suit.
A small part of my soul seemed to be able to breathe for the first time in months. Maybe years.
Maybe it was the soft way he looked at me, the understanding in his eyes, and the sweetness of his words that left me lighter. A bit more free.
“Just a friend, you say?” He looked back at Duke incredulously. “Boy, you’d better get yer head checked. That girl needs to be more than just a friend.”
“If you’re not fun, then explain to me why you make me laugh more than anyone else,”
This moment felt like coming home in a way that didn’t quite make sense. He held me with such sweetness and care it almost made me ache.
“He’s my boss, so…” “Wrong answer. That man drools over you.”
“Hope and fear like to think they can occupy the same space, but there is only room for one. It’s up to you to decide.
“The point is, reward takes risk. Life is messy. People are messy. Nothing is ever going to be perfect, but oftentimes, it can be even better than perfect.”
We drove for a while in the quiet, his hand on my knee and my heart on my sleeve.
I wanted you to have someone in your corner. Everybody needs help sometimes. It doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you.
It was a feeling of being grateful for a person who saw the best in me and wanted the best for me.
You are the happiest whenever he walks into the room.
“I’ve seen your heart, Kiss Cam. And I must be selfish because I want every bit of it. I have since the night we met.”
“It’s always been safer to shut off a part of my heart that might get hurt. I’ve done that my whole life…until, one night, I went to a random basketball game with an annoying stranger and met you.”
And I suddenly knew what heaven tasted like. It tasted like hope. It was light and giddy and left me teetering over the edge with dizziness.
We were that couple sitting on one side of the table together because I discovered I would literally die if his hand wasn’t on my leg at all times—or caressing my cheek or tucking my hair behind my ear.
Me: Don’t you work today? Duke: I took the day off. I heard there’s a pretty girl who loves me living in an apartment. I’d never get anything done at work.
I knew my life’s mission would be your happiness. But in all actuality, you’ve made me the happiest I’ve ever been.
But I had chosen hope over fear, and so far, hope felt like a warm wind in my face, looked like smiles that wouldn’t stop coming, and a feeling of pure happiness that was all-consuming.
