“Can you bring me something?” Lizzie asked from the couch as she looked at her device.
“Like?”
“A burger or something.”
“You’re having dinner with Grandma.”
She made a face. “Grandma’s cooking is fine, but they don’t put salt in anything.”
“Because Grandpa can’t have it, and you know that. Besides, it’s good for you.”
“Look, I’m young. If I’m going to eat garbage, I should do it now, right?”
“You should only do it in moderation—regardless of age.”
“Well, it’s not a night for moderation.”
I rolled my eyes because I hated it when my daughter kicked my ass in arguments. She was so damn smart, but I couldn’t tell her that because she would keep beating me with her witty perspective. “What do you want?”
“I can have anything I want?” she asked excitedly.
“Yes. Use it wisely.”
“Oh wow… I didn’t think you would actually say yes.”
“I gotta get going, Lizzie. Text me what you want. Grandma will be over in a second.”
“Okay. Bye, Mom.”
“Love you.”
She waved from the couch but didn’t turn around to watch me go. “Love you too.”
When I made it into the hallway, I ran into my mother. “I’m bringing her dinner, so you don’t need to make anything for her.”
“Where are you going?”
“Meeting some of Derek’s friends.”
“Really?” she asked, her voice full of disapproval, potent because she wanted me to know exactly how she felt. “So, when is he going to meet Lizzie?”
He’d told me he loved me without even realizing it, like it tumbled out of his mouth without control. So, I had faith that this would work…in time. “We’ll get there, Mom. He’s the best guy I know.”
“If he’s the best guy, he should have no problem meeting Lizzie. She’s not going anywhere—”
“Mom, I know you don’t approve of what I’m doing, but I’m a grown woman who makes my own decisions. If I get knocked on my ass, that’s my problem and not yours. If I end up losing my job, I will figure out what to do to keep us afloat—like I always do.”
Her eyes emptied of hostility. “Emmy, you know I don’t care about that. I just don’t want you to get hurt… That’s all.”
“He won’t hurt me. He would never hurt me.” I’d put all my chips on the table once I knew how he really felt about me, even if he wasn’t aware of it, even if he wouldn’t tell me directly. His heart was in the right place, and that was all that mattered. “I’ll be home in a couple hours.”
I met him at the restaurant.
He stood outside as he waited for me, in black jeans and a long-sleeved gray shirt, looking like a goddamn hunk with that beautiful physique. He looked so much better in just his skin, but that body made his clothes look good too. His jaw was cleanly shaved, and he looked down the sidewalk as he waited for me to arrive—like a gentleman.
When he noticed me, his eyes narrowed appreciatively, a slight smile moving onto his lips—as if he liked what he saw.
My heart grew three sizes when I looked at him, when I looked at the gorgeous man standing there waiting for me to reach him, ignorant of all the people who stared at him the way he stared at me.
How did I get so lucky?
I didn’t believe things happened for a reason, but now I wasn’t so sure anymore.
I reached him, my heart in my mouth, my fingertips numb because he made me weak. “Hey.”
His eyes softened as his arms slid around me. “Baby.” His large arms hooked around my waist, giving me a big hug, and he pulled me in close as he planted a kiss on my lips, smothering me with his affection and warmth.
I melted like a piece of chocolate placed on your tongue.
When he pulled away, he left one arm around my waist. “I like that dress.”
“Thanks.”
He took me into the restaurant and guided me to where his friends sat, both of them grinning as if they’d watched us embrace outside. The man with brown hair and blue eyes had his arm over the back of her chair affectionately. His fiancée had blond hair and green eyes, and she seemed like a kind person just from the look of her.
Derek moved first. “Ryan, Camille, this is Emerson.”
Ryan got out of his chair and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you. We’ve heard so much about you—like, a lot.”
I chuckled, grateful that he’d made a joke to make me more comfortable. It was probably obvious I was nervous. I hadn’t met a boyfriend’s friends as an adult…ever. “Nice to meet you too. And congratulations.”
“Thank you,” he said. “She was thrilled to tie me down for good.”
Camille rolled her eyes as she came to me and opened her arms for a hug. “He’s already been tied down, and he knows it…pussy-whipped.”
I chuckled as I hugged her. When I pulled away, I looked at her ring. “Wow, that’s beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she said as she smiled. “He did a good job.”
“A good job?” Ryan asked incredulously. “It took me ten years to save up for that thing.”
“And it was worth it.” She kissed him before she moved back to her chair.
With a smile on his face, Derek pulled out the chair for me. “Baby?”
I sat down and felt him push in my chair then watched him take the seat beside me. With both of them staring at me, I felt nervous again. They seemed friendly and they probably already knew about Lizzie, so I had nothing to be nervous about, but it was unavoidable.
“So…” Camille looked back and forth between us. “You guys look cute together.”
“Because we are.” Derek moved his hand to my thigh under the table, his fingers grabbing me possessively.
I smiled and placed my hand on his.
“Derek Hamilton has settled down,” Ryan said. “Never thought it would happen…”
Derek didn’t refute the claim. “I didn’t either, so that makes two of us.” He reached for the bottle of wine and filled our glasses.
“So, you still want to spend time with him after dealing with him all day?” Camille asked. “He’s gotta be a huge pain in the ass.”
“He can be sometimes,” I said honestly. “But it’s really sexy watching him work so hard, teach classes, be so passionate about his work…”
His hand squeezed my thigh a little harder.
“And you know,” I said as a joke, “he pays me enough to deal with him all day.”
Camille chuckled. “There we go.” She grabbed her glass and took a drink.
“So, you guys have been friends since high school?” I asked.
“Yes,” Ryan answered. We all went to private school together from the beginning.”
“Wow,” I said. “So, you’ve known one another a really long time.”
“Yep,” Camille said. “From daring one another to eat bugs to winter formal, we were there for all of that.”