“It’s a surprise.” He smiled slyly. Lily was too swooned by the idea that he’d gone through the trouble to plan a secret date to ask additional questions.
She climbed into the passenger seat and Nick carefully closed her door before taking his spot behind the wheel. They drove through the city and soon left it behind as they merged onto the highway.
“So which books did you bring?” Nick asked. He placed his hand on the center console, palm up. It took Lily a second to realize that he was waiting for her hand to join his. Months ago, her fear of turning into a sweaty-handed monster would have ruined this moment. But instead, she laid her hand on top of his and relaxed as their fingers interlaced. There was no reason for her to be nervous or fearful. Holding hands with Nick felt like the most natural thing in the world.
“I brought Dragons of Blood book one,” she answered. “And your copy of The Nermana Chronicles.”
“That’s one of your favorite Elena Masterson books? I thought you hadn’t finished it yet?”
“I haven’t,” she admitted. “But it’s your favorite, so it’s still special to me.”
Nick glanced over at her and his mouth quirked into a smile. He gave her hand a tight squeeze.
“I’m guessing the Elena Masterson books are a hint for where we’re going?”
Nick motioned zipping his lips and shrugged. “Just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.”
Lily grinned at him, more than happy to comply.
A little over an hour later, they turned off the exit for Connecticut and drove through a quaint suburban town. When they pulled into the parking lot of Old Towne Books, Lily looked at Nick and began bouncing her knees in excitement.
“Is this a bookstore date?” she asked.
He was grinning. “It’s more than that.”
As they walked toward the bookstore, she looped her arm through his and she started to ask what he’d meant by more than that, but she froze when she saw the message written on the sidewalk chalkboard in front of the store.
Join us for our bimonthly Elena Masterson reading and signing tonight at 5 PM!
Lily grabbed Nick’s arm. “Oh my God, no.”
He laughed, loosening her tight grip on his bicep. “Yes.”
“Stop! Elena Masterson?!”
He nodded and urged her forward. In a state of awe, Lily followed Nick inside of the bookstore. At the back near the café, rows of chairs were set up and most of the seats were already taken. She and Nick managed to grab two chairs in the second-to-last row, and he explained to her that Elena Masterson hated traveling, but she still wanted to meet with her readers, so every other month she held a reading and signing at Old Towne Books, her local bookstore.
“Was this a good idea?” he asked. His brows were furrowed, like he was nervous that maybe this date didn’t please her, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Yes,” she said. “A perfect idea.”
She kissed him and when he pulled her closer, she lingered there in his arms, feeling like they were the only two people in the whole bookstore. Then a hush fell over the crowd as Elena Masterson was escorted to a chair in the front of the room. She was a small, slight woman with light brown skin and short curly hair and cat-eye glasses. She sat down and smiled at the crowd. Then she began to read from the second book in the Dragons of Blood series.
From the minute Elena began to speak, everyone in the room was entranced. Lily couldn’t believe that she was listening to one of her favorite authors read from one of her favorite books. She’d read the Dragons of Blood series when she was a shy, friendless teenager who wanted nothing more than to escape and have a real adventure of her own. She looked over at Nick, who was watching Elena with the same wide-eyed admiration as the rest of the crowd. Bringing Lily here tonight was the nicest, most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for her.
She was going to climb him like a tree later.
After the reading, Lily and Nick stood in line to get their books signed. While Elena signed Nick’s copy of The Nermana Chronicles, Nick calmly told her how much he loved her work. Lily, on the other hand, stood in front of Elena and managed only to mumble that she’d been obsessed with her since high school, and she immediately regretted her inability to be relaxed and cool. But Elena thanked her and was pleased that Lily owned a first edition of Dragons of Blood.
Lily was still awestruck when they left the bookstore and walked to an Italian restaurant down the street.
“She was so amazing!” Lily hissed in excitement as they were seated. She flipped her book open to Elena’s signature. “Just look at her penmanship. Where did she learn to write like this?”
“It must be nice to have an experience with your readers like that.” Nick leaned back in his chair and got a faraway look in his eyes. “Where you can talk to them and answer their questions.”
Lily took in the contemplative expression on his face. “Is that what you want too?”
“Honestly?” he said. “Yeah. I want to stand in front of a crowd and read from my book and talk to readers and go on tour and go to the TV show premiere whenever it happens. I want all of that.”
It made her heart ache that Nick craved those things but felt like he couldn’t have them when they were his for the taking.
“Maybe you should just rip off the Band-Aid and call your dad first. You can tell him about this big change in your life. You can set boundaries with him.”
“Boundaries aren’t in my dad’s vocabulary,” Nick said, shaking his head. “And I couldn’t call him even if I wanted to. He rarely pays his cell phone bill, and the number I had for my mom isn’t working anymore. I don’t even know where they’re living.”
“Are you worried about them?”
“My mom, yeah,” he said. “But . . . sometimes I feel relieved that it isn’t easy to get ahold of them, that we aren’t in each other’s lives. I know that sounds fucked up.”
“It doesn’t.” Lily reached forward and placed her hand over his. “Family isn’t always easy.”
He stared down at their hands. Then he looked up at her. His face was open and vulnerable. “I’m glad I have you.”
Her heart expanded in her chest.
“I’m glad I have you too,” she said.
He flashed a warm smile and turned his attention to the menu. Lily continued to look at him. He was so dear to her, she didn’t even know what to do with herself.
* * *
? ? ?
Later, in Nick’s moonlit bedroom, they lay naked on top of his sheets. Nick trailed kisses down Lily’s back. He touched her tenderly between her legs and she moaned softly, her breath hitched as he entered her from behind. He kissed her neck, and sucked on her earlobe, telling her in a jagged whisper how good she felt. He lightly bit her shoulder and gripped her hips in his hands. She was coming undone with each stroke, completely enveloped by him. The pressure mounted fast, and she came swiftly, and Nick soon followed, groaning loudly as he thrust into her one last time.