Chapter Forty-Three

MAYBE IT’S THE MUSIC.

Maybe it’s the man staring into my eyes as we move to the band playing a soft melody.

Maybe it’s the way his hands lie gently on the small of my back, allowing the heat of the moment to connect our skins. Even through the fabric of my dress, I feel the warmth of his fingers. Maybe it’s all of it.

The touch, the movement, the music, but I feel good.

A kind of good that I never felt in Paris.

A kind of good that I—dare I say it—never felt with James.

A new kind of good, the kind that smells fresh like a pink peony.

The kind of good that has me wanting to ask him to be my boyfriend.

Donovan twirls me around, then brings me back into his arms.

“You weren’t kidding when you said you were going to hold onto me all night, were you?” I say, just as the music moves to a faster beat.

“I wasn’t, but we can sit for a minute if you like.”

“I’d love to step outside for a minute and get some air.”

“Sure. We can go out to the garden area.”

He slips his hand inside mine as we head off the dance floor, then out to the garden area.

“I know I’ve worked every bit of that food off by now,” I say as we find a quiet table near the lit fountain.

“Coming here is how my sister says she gets her cardio in.”

“I agree. I’m sure I hit way beyond 10,000 steps tonight. And in these shoes, at that!”

He reaches down, pulls each of my feet into his lap, unbuckles my shoe straps, and then slides my feet out.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting your feet ready to hit that dance floor again.”

I laugh. “You really like to dance, don’t you?”

“Only when the slow songs start and only because I’m with you.” He gives me a sly smile, and I’m glad the moonlight is bright enough to hide my blushing cheeks.

“Someone is putting it on thick,” I say with a smirk.

“What do you mean?”

“The whole, only when the slow songs start, line.”

“It’s not a line. I don’t believe in them, and I’m not ashamed to admit to wanting to be near you or wanting to spend time with you. I’ll never lie to you, Raine. I may not always tell you what you want to hear, but it will always be truthful.”

“I want to believe that.”

“I really hope one day that you do believe that, because I mean every word.”

I look up and admire the décor of the garden area. “All the lights out here and the fountain, they remind me of Paris.”

“Are you missing it?”

I shrug my shoulders some, then lean back into my chair. “It’s true, I do miss spending nights like this in Paris. Maybe it’s me, but the stars seemed to shine so much brighter there at night. But I guess if I were there now, I’d be enjoying them without you.”

He grins. “Now look who’s putting it on thick.”

“I’m just trying to keep up with you,” I say, moving my feet and placing them on the ground. The heat of it is just what they need.

He slides his chair closer to mine. “Raine, I know it’s only been our fourth date, but I would love to make you and me exclusive. Are you okay with that?”

I reach over and pull him to me so that our lips are only inches from each other. “Why do you think I wanted to come out here? It wasn’t to get my feet rubbed, was it?”

“But that foot rub was nice, wasn’t it?”

“It was, but a kiss would be even better.”

“I can do that, too.”

He places his lips on mine.

“So does that mean I can call you my girlfriend instead of my friend now?”

“Kiss me again and then I’ll answer that.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I hear my phone beep inside my purse.

“Looks like someone’s trying to reach you.”

“It’s probably work.”

“Hopefully, the building burned down, and they’ll have to rebuild the entire thing, keeping you here for a couple of years more or longer.”

I shake my head, pulling my phone out. “That sounds horrible.”

He smirks. “A guy can only hope.”

I open my work email. “Yep, it’s from Kimberly. Last week, she emailed me to say that they weren’t going to make this week’s deadline due to a delay with the permits.”

“That sounds true enough. Permits can take a long time.”

“You don’t have someone in the permit office delaying things, do you?” I ask, jokingly.

“If I did, that company wouldn’t get them for a year, at least.”

I laugh, glancing down to read the email.

Hi Ms. Jamerson,

Here’s another update on where we are with the office in Georgia. The building management

company reached out to say that they still haven’t been able to get the materials needed, so construction still hasn’t begun. I’ve enclosed pictures showing how extensive the damage was.

I apologize for not sending them last week, but it appears they went into my spam folder.

The delivery of the materials has been pushed to the third week in July. While they can start on some of the minor repairs next week (still waiting for permits as well), the majority of the repairs can’t be done until the materials come in. It will take two to three weeks to complete once the materials have been received, so we’re looking at mid-August before the office opens.

I’ll keep you posted.

Best,
Kimberly

I toss the phone on the table. “Well, it looks like they can’t get the office open until mid-August.”

He leans back in his chair and smiles. “I’ll take it. The kids don’t come back until the third week in August, and I don’t have to be back until the week before. We’ve got the rest of June, all of July, and one week in August, so I guess my clock really starts now.”

“What clock?”

“The way I see it, I’ve got the rest of this summer to make you fall in love with me, and then a year to make you never want to leave me.”

“That’s your plan, huh?”

“I’m just being truthful.”

“I see.”

“So, Raine Jamerson, are you ready for me to try to win that heart of yours?”

I start giggling like a schoolgirl as he leans in again for another kiss.

“I don’t know. I’ve never had someone trying to win my heart before. Don’t I need to win yours?”

“Isn’t it obvious that you already have?”