My heart beat hard and erratically against my chest when he turned fully around, and our gazes locked. I didn’t miss how he looked me up and down, couldn't stop the flush that stole over me at how heated his expression became.
“You look… beautiful, Dolly.”
I glanced down at myself and murmured, “You said wear something comfortable. It’s nothing much.” I lifted my head and gasped at the fact he was right in front of me. He cupped either side of my face and leaned down to kiss me long and slowly before resting his forehead against mine.
“You are absolutely, utterly beautiful. And I would still say that if you were wearing a burlap sack.”
I laughed softly even as my heart swelled and my body softened.
“Come on, let's get our date started, yeah?”
I pulled back and smiled. “Yeah.”
Ten minutes later we were in his truck and headed to someplace unknown to me.
“So you’re not going to tell me where we are going?” He kept his focus on the road ahead, but his grin was instant. The music that came from the radio was low, not loud enough to actually hear what song was being played, but loud enough to give the interior of his truck some background noise.
“Nope. I hope you like surprises,” he said and glanced at me for a second. “Although it’s not like some huge night, I do hope it’s memorable.”
I kept looking at him even when he stared out the front windshield again, feeling this fluttering in my belly at the very sight of him. I didn't know if I believed in love at first sight. I certainly had never experienced it. But I did believe in what I felt for Tristan that first moment I really saw him at my “going off to college” party all those years ago.
It was a feeling that had stuck with me all this time, a sensation and need and want that had grown even if I told myself to let it go. And ever since coming back to Cherry Falls, ever since living with him over this last week, those feelings and desires had grown so much that they threatened to overflow from me.
“I honestly don’t get many surprises, but I can say with certainty if they are from you I’m looking forward to it.” And just like that, I put my foot in my mouth, and my face became on fire. I snapped my head to the side so I could stare out the passenger side window, the interior of the truck seemingly awfully stuffy all of the sudden.
And then I felt his big, warm hand over mine, which was placed on my thighs. I looked at him, and he glanced over at me, a small smile on his face.
“Hearing you say that…” He cleared his throat and watched the road again. “Yeah. It’s pretty fucking incredible, Dolly.”
Hearing him say that had my belly tightening and my heart palpitating.
I felt my embarrassment fade, and I rested back against the seat once more as I twined my fingers with his. God, why did it feel so good to touch him, even when it was as simple as us just holding hands?
He slowed once we got into the town square and turned into the drive-through of the best burger and milkshake joint in Cherry Falls. He ordered their special, two The Falls burgers, a double order of their crispy, seasoned curly fries, and fried apple cakes, and finished the order with two orange cream milkshakes.
And then we were off again with the bags and drinks in tow and headed to our next destination, which I soon found out was the Cherry Falls movie drive-in. I felt my eyebrows rise to my hairline as I glanced between the drive-in entrance and Tristan. He was grinning from ear to ear.
As I stared into his blue eyes and knew that things seemed to be moving at lightning speed, I’d never heard words that resonated with me so deeply as what Tristan had just said.
“I want everything with you, Tristan.”
And then he groaned and kissed me over and over again, and the movie was forgotten.
10
Tristan
It had taken a lot of fucking self-control in the truck at the drive-in last night not to pull Dolly onto my lap and fuck her until she screamed out over and over that she was mine.
And honestly, I’d been avoiding her since then, since I’d walked her to her bedroom door and kissed her soundly and thoroughly as I told myself repeatedly not to back her into that room, lay her on the bed, and strip her completely.
I stayed away because I didn’t trust myself where she was concerned. But I couldn’t avoid her forever, not even for long, and it had nothing to do with the fact we lived together, and I’d be seeing her shortly for dinner tonight.