Page 7 of Forever my Love

“Sure, you can take me out on a date. I don’t know when yet, but I’ll let you know.”

“Okay,” he said with a smile.

He relaxed and, for the next hour, they enjoyed their meal and joked about her boxing skills.

He hated it when they finished the meal and she hinted at needing to get home.

As he walked her out to her car, he thought about when he would be able to take her out on a real date. About waiting until then to kiss her.

But as she leaned against her truck door, with the moonlight overhead occasionally being blocked out by the clouds, he felt that if he didn’t kiss her now, he’d lose his chance.

“Thanks for teaching me self-defense.” She shifted her bag on her shoulder. “The moves you showed me were really cool. Not to mention the boxing.” She smiled.

“I like teaching you. You’re a fast learner.” He took a small step towards her.

Her eyes moved to his lips, and his gaze dipped down to hers for a split second.

“We still on for tomorrow night?” she asked. “It’s going to be helpful to get out of the house since it appears Nick is going to be there again, working on the shower.”

“I can pick you up after you get off work?” He leaned closer. “Maybe we can discuss our date.”

She smiled. “What does one do on a date? Besides eat, I mean.”

He smiled and leaned on the car door next to her, inches from touching her.

“Sure, food is usually part of it. We could go and see a movie. Or do a little shopping at the mall. Take a long walk on the beach or even a hike.” He rattled off a few things that he’d done on dates before. Then he stopped. “Of course, the evening would end with a kiss.” Her eyes once again darted to his mouth. When he looked at hers, he realized she was frowning.

“I don’t like kisses,” she said, shocking him.

“You don’t?” He frowned. She shook her head. Then he smiled. “Maybe you just haven’t been kissed by someone who knows how to do it right.”

She was quiet and then shrugged. “Maybe.”

His smile grew. “Do you want me to try and see if you like it?”

She swallowed slowly and then nodded. “We could try.”

Hadn’t he wanted this? To taste her, see what her lips felt like against his? Suddenly, a rush of nerves washed over him.

Without touching her, he leaned closer. He paused for just a second as his lips hovered over hers. Then he kissed her and his mind shut completely off. He let his desire for her take over his actions.

When he finally pulled back, he was breathless and a little dizzy from the powerful punch her kiss held.

“Wow,” Hailey said softly.

“I take it you’ve changed your mind about kissing?” he said, feeling his own wow vibrate in his mind.

She nodded and then shook her head. “I… have to go.” She ducked around him and opened her truck door.

“What time do you want to meet tomorrow?” he asked before she could shut the door.

“Seven.”

He stood back while she drove away in the light rain. By the time he pulled into his own driveway, the rain had started coming down faster. There were even a few flashes of lightning in the sky as he stepped into the empty house.

The six-thousand-square-foot home had four bedrooms and four bathrooms. It had been built back in the early nineteen hundreds and had needed a lot of work before he’d finally been able to move in.

His dad and a few friends had helped him to basically gut the place. He’d updated everything—electric, plumbing, drywall, flooring, lighting—right down to the last door handles. It had taken five long years to get to that point. There were still a few spots that needed work, but nothing that had kept him from moving in. He’d fixed all the holes in the flooring and walls. Everything that was left to do on the home was cosmetic.

That first night, however, he’d realized just how lonely living alone was. He supposed it was the main reason he’d gotten a dog again.

The day after officially moving into his new home, he’d walked into Baked for lunch and had met Hailey for the first time. His entire outlook on life had changed in a heartbeat.