“You look beaut-tiful.” He swallows.
“Thank God.” Inwardly, I do a happy dance with lots of twirling, knowing I render him speechless. “I’m meeting your family for the first time. I need to impress them.”
His lips curl up, and as always, his smile says what he’s not saying with words.
“I actually didn’t get individual gifts for everyone, as I still don’t know them, but would this be okay?” I show him the champagne bottle and the box of scented candles. I’ve hand wrapped both the items in fall-colored paper.
He jerks his head back before glancing at me with an incredulous expression on his face. “You d-didn’t have to do th-that.”
“Zane, I want your family to like me. I’m going to be your wife.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, his eyes widen, and I’m sure my face isn’t much different than his. “You’re sure about this, right?” I ask him.
He nods. “It’ll t-take some time to get us-sed to being called hus-sband.”
I nod. But if we’re so in shock with this idea, how are we going to convince his family about our whirlwind romance?
There’s a serious flaw in this plan, and that’s us.
“Do you think we’re rushing meeting your family? Maybe we should wait until we know each other a bit more.”
But he shakes his head. “No, w-we got our license today, and news s-spreads fast in small towns. I w-want my br-rothers to hear about th-this from us and not from s-someone else.”
I have no clue how the news will reach his brothers. We are no Hawthornes, the richest people in Cherrywood. I shake my head and look up to him, trying to make him understand. “But we aren’t ready, Zane.”
“What d-do you mean?” He pulls out a lozenge from his mint tin and puts it into his mouth.
My hands twitch when he doesn’t share my genuine worries. “We’re going to tell everyone that we’re madly in love and can’t wait to get married, yet we freeze every time at the mention of a wedding.”
“I will d-do better next t-time.” His jaw clenches as he takes the blame, something I’ve noticed he does a lot.
I rack my brain of all the romance movies and books I’ve seen or read where two people are trying to make someone believe of their undying love.
“We need practice. Hand holding. Kissing. That’s what happens in the movies.” My mind is still running wild, lost in those movie scenes, until I look up at Zane.
He swallows hard, and his sharp gaze stays on me, making me squirm.
“I… I’m sorry. I mean…” I’m about to think of some excuse when he takes a step forward in my direction.
All of a sudden, my heart starts racing, and it almost combusts when he grabs my hands. His touch is so gentle as he intertwines our fingers.
“How is-s it?” His stammering voice is raspier than usual, and until now, I hadn’t realized the intermittent pauses he makes are so hypnotic.
“The truth?” I whisper and his smile drops. I can feel the nervousness oozing out of him when he nods. “I have never seen such soft hands.” I lazily run my fingers back and forth over the back of his hand, which is softer than butter. “Can I ask what lotion you use?”
He chuckles before bursting into full-blown laughter. His hazel eyes twinkle, and maybe for the first time, Zane looks so carefree. “All of wh-what’s mine is yours from now on. Not only can you as-sk but you can order me t-to get you a bottle.”
My heart swoons at his playful remark. He’s usually so careful in speaking that his rare lively mood makes my insides happy. “You get full marks on this exercise. Now let’s check the other one.”
Zane’s grin is still there when I take a step closer to him on trembling legs. My insides quiver when I place my lips over his. He’s still for a few seconds before his lips gently purse. There’s no frenzy, no fighting for control. It’s like we’re savoring the first of many kisses we’ll share in this journey together.
My conflicted mind has a hard time thinking straight when Zane presses kisses on my lips. His touch is neither aggressive nor light. There’s a hidden hesitation but also a conviction as his lips make contact with mine.
His kisses leave me with a feeling of being wanted, loved, and cherished. He pulls back. “How w-was this exer-rcise?”
It takes my mushy brain several beats to find my bearings. “It was one of the best sweet kisses. But now we need to practice a full-blown ravishing type of kiss. Are you ready?” My voice is hoarse as I shamelessly make a demand.
Even before my sentence is complete, his lips are on mine, like he’s fueled by some determination of not failing the exam. I grasp the lapels of his jacket as he does exactly what I asked.
He ravishes me.