“That’s a bit wordy, don’t you think?” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “And also not remotely couple like.”
“Can we go back to just plain boyfriend and girlfriend?”
“I don’t know, Dean.” She hedged. “You’ve only kissed me once, and I’m not sure that makes you my boyfriend.” She rested her elbow on the table and her head in her hand. She was messing with me and it was working.
“You’re mine.”
She pursed her lips, her eyes sparkling with laughter. “That sounds a bit possessive. I’m not a toy.”
“You’re awfully sour for someone that eats so many sweets.”
She cracked a large smile at that. Sobering, she said, “Tell me, though, are we a couple? I mean, a kiss doesn’t automatically make you bonded for life. We can forget the whole thing ever happened.”
“No fucking way,” I growled.
“You’re dropping a lot of F-bombs today, Dean. I didn’t know you could be so bad.” She winked.
I took a deep breath and laid my hands flat on the table. After taking a few seconds to make sure I was calm I spoke. “I’ll be honest, there have been a lot of times were I asked myself what if. What if you were mine? I never dared to hope, though. But when you showed up at the shop and I saw you again after all that time away it was like…” I paused, searching for the right words. “I couldn’t deny my feelings anymore. You stole my breath and my thoughts and everything seemed to align. I was scared to act on what I felt. I didn’t want to ruin what we have, or make things awkward if you didn’t feel the same. I don’t know what possessed me to kiss you, but I did, and it was the best fucking kiss I’ve ever had and I refuse to take it back. I want you to be mine. My girlfriend. My future. My forever. Whatever you want to call it, you’re it. I know it.”
I sat back and inhaled another breath.
There. I’d laid it all out and she could do what she wanted with it.
Her mouth parted slightly and a small gasp emanated from her. Willow Wade speechless. That was one for the record books.
“Is it bad that I want to jump across the table and kiss you senseless?”
I chuckled at her words. “I wouldn’t oppose.”
Shaking her head, she said, “What you said…it’s how I feel too. The past few days I felt something change between us. I tried to ignore it, but it was inevitable. We’re like peanut butter and jelly. We just go together.”
I snorted. “Willow, only you could be deep one second and then comparing our relationship to a sandwich the next.”
She shrugged, a grin tugging up her lips. “What can I say? It’s a talent.”
At that moment our waitress came over carrying a tray of food.
Even across the table I could hear Willow’s stomach rumble to life once more.
“Gotta feed the monster.” I laughed and she shot me a glare.
“Do y’all need anything else at the moment?” Our waitress asked.
“I’d like a coffee.”
“Sure thing.” She patted my shoulder as she passed.
Willow snickered across the table before stuffing a large bite of omelet in her mouth.
“What is it? Come on. Out with it.” I waved my hands, knowing she wanted to say something.
“I think our waitress has a crush on you.”
I blanched and looked around for the older woman who I spotted taking the order of another table.
Turning back to Willow, I hissed, “She’s like sixty.”
“Maybe she’s a cougar.” She shrugged, taking another bite of her food. I’d yet to have any of mine.