Page 53 of Lock 'em Down

I bite the corner of my lip.

I like that he’s here. It’s comfortable, the two of us moving around my kitchen with ease. It feels like we’ve done this before even though it’s the first time. But I just moved into my new place—my first grown-up apartment—and I’m not ready to give that up yet.

I clear my throat and change the subject instead. “How was your day?”

He grins, silently calling me out on my not-so-subtle tactic. “Not bad. I got a workout in. Some of the team was around too. Hey, if you’re not busy next weekend, one of my former teammate’s Axel invited us to dinner at his place.”

“Us?” I pull up short. “Do they know about us?”

“Being married?”

I nod.

“Yeah.” His eyebrows tug together. “That’s okay, right? I mean?—”

“Yes, of course,” I rush to reassure him. To gain some footing in this conversation. “I just don’t know how to navigate this with you.”

“I know.” He turns so he’s facing me. He places a strong, steady hand on my hip. “We’ll figure this out together, okay? I told Axel I’d check with you, but I’d like to have dinner with some of the team next weekend. It will give you a chance to meet them, get to know their wives and families.”

I smile at the idea of meeting more people in Knoxville. “Okay.”

“My mom is going to tag along too,” Leif adds.

I grin. “It will be nice to get to know Stella better.”

Leif snorts. “You say that now.”

“She can’t be worse than Cheryl. I have to show you the venues she’s sending me from Crosslake.”

Leif flexes his fingers on my hip, and I fight the urge to lean into him. Just because my body is insanely attracted to his doesn’t mean I can turn off my brain when he’s around. We need to explore this carefully. Like adults.

“We can have whatever kind of wedding you want. And if you don’t want one, that’s okay too.” Leif leans forward to press a kiss to my cheek before resuming his job of spreading cream cheese on the banana bread. “Also, this weekend, we can go out for dinner. I can show you around the city.”

“I’d like that,” I say, meaning it. I do want to learn more about the city I now call home. And, if I’m being honest, it will be a lot more enjoyable to explore with Leif by my side. I know I’ll have fun with him.

I focus on making our tea, on enjoying this moment with him, on completing my first day of work. Little by little, I relax and begin to consider my future with Leif.

I certainly like spending time with him. I’m one-hundred percent attracted to him. I even want to spend time with his mom and meet his teammates next weekend.

Just because our start wasn’t typical doesn’t mean we don’t stand a chance. We can make our own rules. We can do this on our own terms.

Leif stays for a few hours, and we hang out like a normal couple. We sip our tea, talk about our college years, and sit too close to each other on the couch watching a rerun of How I Met Your Mother.

When it nears eleven PM, Leif kisses me good night. His lips are soft on mine. My hands find his hips and hold. Our connection is intense and leaves me dizzy. Breathless.

After Leif leaves, I make a fresh cup of tea. Then, I sit at the kitchen island and open my sketchbook. I flip through the pages of gowns I’ve created over the past six months. They’re all fashionable designs, with delicate details, for formal events.

My fingers itch, wanting to create, as I pick up the pencil. As I press the point into the paper, my mind clears, my worries ease, and my hands know what to do. I stay up too late, until the side of my hand is smudged with shades of gray. But the wedding dress I draw is the dress of my heart.

It’s unlike any design I’ve ever created and it’s exactly the type of gown I’d wear.

It’s strapless with a full skirt and a simple veil.

It’s lacy, elegant, yet understated. It’s beautiful.

And for the first time, I can envision myself wearing it, walking down the aisle, and exchanging vows with Leif Bang.

Fourteen

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