Page 100 of Delilah In Discretion

Stepping outside, I watched Archer through the car window. He glanced down at his watch continuously, waiting for it to hit exactly seven PM. I also noticed he had something in his other hand that looked to be a gift.

My assumptions were correct as he quickly exited the car and gazed at me hungrily, his eyes filled with growing desire and lust. A blush rose to the tips of my ears, and he cleared his throat after a few moments.

“You are gorgeous, Princess,” he uttered as if it was a fact, and I giggled.

“You’re not too shabby yourself, Archer.”

He neared me and placed a kiss on my lips that almost caused my knees to give out. I clutched his suit in my fists as his kiss seemed never-ending. He pulled away after a moment, and I tilted my head.

“What’s that in your hand?” I asked with fake curiosity, and he chuckled.

He lowered his mouth to my ear, and I bit my lip as he whispered, “I like to spoil my princess. That’s not wrong of me, is it?”

I quickly shook my head as I could feel myself growing flustered. He hummed in approval, and I let out a small gasp as he placed a kiss on my neck.

“...And if I know my princess, I know she likes to be spoiled—”

He went to say something else when we heard a voice.

“Don’t have sex on my front lawn, please,” Kimi yelled, effectively ruining the moment, and I rolled my eyes as Archer practically growled. He looked up at Kimiko, who had a smile on her face.

“Have her back by ten, please.”

Archer pulled me closer to him. “She’s mine! You hear me, Masahiko?”

“Once again... I want her home by ten! Do you hear me, Lockwood?!”

“Sterling should come to calm you down. You seem a bit tense.”

She glared at him as she stepped back and slammed the window shut.

I placed my hands on Archer’s cheeks, and he gave me a look.

“You guys need to find some common ground. And if I’m not mistaken, that common ground is me. Stop fighting each other.”

“We’ll talk about the nuisance—that is your best friend—later. Our reservation is at seven thirty,” he muttered, escorting me inside the car, and his driver drove off after a moment or so.

He handed me my present, and I hesitated to take it as my heart raced. He waited patiently for me as I opened it slowly and smiled as the diamond tennis bracelet glistened from the moment I saw it.

“It’s beautiful, Archer.”

He picked it up and slowly placed it around my wrist. I watched as he clasped it, and after he pulled away, I began to read the small pendant hanging from it.

I gave him a look. “Really? ‘A.L.?’ You even placed your initial on me to lay an even bigger claim than you’ve already established?”

He bit his lip as he grabbed my hand and shrugged.

“This will suffice until I propose.”

A blush rose to my cheeks as I glanced down at the bracelet again. Part of me felt a rush of warmth at the gesture, but another part hesitated, unsure if I was ready for the weight of what it implied. Especially given our unconventional relationship, it was a lot to process.

His hand lifted my chin, and I sighed heavily. “Archer, I-I… that statement is a lot to digest. We only just started dating.”

“Well, if it wasn’t clear before, Princess…I’m dating to marry.But if you need me to, I’ll pretend that I’m willing to take things slow,” he muttered, and I blushed deeper as I pushed him away.

“You’re impossible. Do you know that?”

He furrowed his eyebrows. “Hmmm. That’s the first time I think I’ve ever heard anyone say that about me.”

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