Page 53 of Lonely Heart
There was a slight edge of disappointment in his tone, like he was recognizing some major mistake he’d made. Like he was regretting dozens of choices he’d made over the years.
I took the flowers from him, held them up to my nose, and inhaled. The rich floral fragrance was something I wouldn’t soon forget. “I’m all set to go, but will you come inside while I put these in some water?”
Marco didn’t hesitate to step forward and close the door behind him. As I turned and moved away from the entrance, I could have sworn I heard him groan. I kept myself movingforward, concealing the victorious smile that spread across my face. No doubt Marco was appreciating the view from behind.
We were barely two minutes into this, and it already felt so good. If things continued like this throughout the evening, I had high hopes for where the night would lead.
For the next few minutes, I went about getting the flowers put into a vase, and as soon as I slid the last stem in, I stepped back to appreciate the sight of them. “They’re beautiful, Marco. Thank you.”
Something washed over his expression, something that looked a lot like determination. “You’re welcome, Ivy.”
Although his voice had returned to normal, I could still see the tension in his frame. He was waging a war inside his mind, and I had a feeling I knew why. Wanting to ease that tension a bit for him, I stepped close, lifted my arms over his shoulders, and hugged him. “Happy birthday.”
The speed with which his arms closed around me gave me a clue I hadn’t misjudged the situation, and the strength and length of his hold solidified I’d made the right decision. Marco had been doing his best to keep himself restrained, to not go for more than he believed I was prepared for.
While I could appreciate his desire to remain a gentleman, I was tempted to tell him it was unnecessary. Everything about this night was already better than I could have hoped for, and I wouldn’t have been the least bit upset or disappointed if he’d taken steps to show me just how interested he was in me.
I loosened my arms around his neck, my hands shifting to his muscled shoulders. As soon as his eyes locked on mine, he shared, “This is easily the best birthday of my life.”
My heart squeezed. “So, you had an enjoyable morning and afternoon, then?”
He instantly recognized my teasing tone. His head moved from one side to the other, his lips twitching. “The best part of this day has been you.”
Goosebumps slid along the back of my neck. Where had this version of Marco been all my life? “But you’ve only just seen me for a handful of minutes. Five, tops.”
“And if I died now, I’d be doing it a happy man.”
My fingertips bit into Marco’s shoulders as I gasped. “Well, I wouldn’t be happy at all. Don’t talk about dying!”
Laughter spilled out of him, the last bits of tension easing out of his frame. “Okay. I’m sorry. I’ll be sure to hold off on that until after I’ve taken you out on your first date in years.”
I didn’t care at all that Marco was mentioning the lengthy drought in my dating life. From where I stood, it only made this that much more special. “Let’s hold off on that for many, many years after this date. Like, at least a hundred.”
He chuckled. “So, you think I’m living to be a hundred and thirty years old.”
I lifted my hands, palms up, at my sides and shrugged. “It’s good to have goals.”
“Fair enough. I’ll do my best. I’m just glad you want me around for that long.”
Recently, I’d found it difficult to think about what my future held beyond it being miserable and lonely. But over the last few weeks, I’d felt a bit revived. And having that conversation with Marco while I danced in his arms shifted something inside me.
I was thinking about things I hadn’t ever thought about, things I wanted to experience with Marco. If I was lucky, maybe I’d get a taste of one or two of those things tonight. And if all went well, I had to imagine I’d only want more with him as time went on. “Are you saying you wouldn’t want me to be around at least that long?”
“Not a chance.”
I grinned at him. “Let me grab my coat, so you can make this date happen for the both of us.”
His arms loosened around my waist, his hands drifting to my hips. He gave me a squeeze there—a squeeze that sent a shiver down my spine—before he released me, so I could grab my coat.
Before I knew it, we’d arrived at Savor, easily the nicest restaurant in Landing. The drive to Savor had been comfortable. In between bits of conversation about last night’s party, I’d spent most of the drive trying to come to grips with the fact that Marco was taking me on my first date in years.
I hadn’t quite gotten a grasp on that by the time we’d placed our dinner orders, and I must have been wearing it on my face.
“Why do I get the distinct feeling you’re here, but your mind is somewhere else?”
The last thing I wanted was for Marco to think I wasn’t entirely committed to our date. It meant everything to me to be here with him. “My mind is here. It’s on you… us, I guess. I just… well, I guess I’m still trying to wrap my head around all of this.”
“What specifically?”