Page 79 of The Strength Of A Woman

It’s a sophisticated dress I should probably wear on a night out, but something nudges me to pick it.

The color, a light blue, complements the tone of my skin and my hair.

I go with it, sliding it on and watching it change the shade of my eyes, now leaning more toward blue than green.

I hope he’ll like it.

I opt for flat sandals with straps that crisscross up my leg to the knee buckle.

The collar has two long straps that I tie into a bow.

Satisfied with how I look, I pick up my phone and slide it into a tiny purse when a voice rings behind me.

“You won’t need that,” Callum says, walking into the room.

He wears dress pants and a casual white shirt that fits him perfectly, highlighting his V-shaped torso, chiseled biceps, and flat abdomen.

His eyes meet mine when I stop moving my gaze over his body and look up at him.

A faint smile flickers between his eyelashes.

“What?” I ask.

“You leave your phone at home,” he says, taking it out from my purse, powering it off, removing the SIM card, and sliding it into a drawer.

I watch him do all that before he turns to me. His eyes hover over me for a second.

“You like it?” I ask.

He nods.

“You look beautiful,” he says, taking my hand and walking me out, making me feel like a princess.

A few cars wait outside.

We climb into one, and soon the driver makes it glide away.

“Do you have any preference on where you want to go? A favorite shop?”

“I never shopped here,” I confess. “Anything would be great for me.”

My hand is still tucked in his while he looks out the window, and I stare at him, mesmerized by his presence.

“I’d probably be okay with what Nona packed for me in that suitcase.”

He shifts his eyes to me.

“I know.”

He says nothing else, his eyes lingering on mine.

The ghost of a smile can’t hide how tense he is. He’s nervous because of me? The realization makes my heart clench and my pulse race.

Later, the cars draw slowly to a stop, and we climb out. Before long, he and I walk down a cobblestone street, and the rest of my life begins smoothly, without a hitch, as if it were always supposed to be peaceful and filled with good sentiments about everything surrounding me.

The weather is perfect, and my walk with the man I have worshipped for so long is uneventful.

We do what everyone else on the street does. Look at the flowers dangling from the windowsills, peek at the store windows, sample the savory foods and sweets in the shops, listen to the clamor of the crowd, and enjoy the breeze and charm of the historic town.