Page 21 of Dating the Bad Boy

“You don’t have to wait. I’ll marry you tomorrow if it’s what you want.”

Jesus, this girl.

I brush my lips across her crown, sending up a thank you to God or the matchmaker or whoever or whatever decided I was worthy of this angel. I intend to prove them right.

“We just have to do one thing first…”

I tip her head back, forcing her to meet my gaze. “If it involves fucking you in my bed again, I’m in, gorgeous girl.”

She grins at me. “Okay, we have to do two things first.”

“What’s the other one?” I ask, brushing my finger across her bottom lip.

“Um… you have to officially meet my parents.” She gulps. “And maybe ask my dad for permission to marry me?”

“They’re willing to give me a chance?” I ask, shocked.

“I love you,” she whispers. “That means they’re going to love you, too. They’re willing, Asa. They’re worried, but it’s only because they don’t know you. But they want to know you. You impressed my mom today, standing up for me the way you did. She said I deserve someone willing to do exactly what you did, even if it means standing up for me against my own parents.”

Well… damn.

“So, the bad boy with the good girl, huh?” I ask, grinning at her.

“No.” She shakes her head, her expression soft. “A great man with a girl who is finally just being herself.”

“Yeah,” I growl, claiming her lips in a deep kiss. “Fuck yeah. I like the way that sounds.”

CHAPTER 8

LESLIE

Asa drives us toward my parents’house for the moment of truth. I can’t help but steal glances at him, seeming oddly calm, but his relaxed demeanor does little to quell the whirlwind of anxiety swirling inside me. Every freaking nerve in my body is on high alert, and the butterflies are having an all-out rave in my stomach.

“Are you ready for this?” I ask, trying to sound light when all I feel is the weight of this family dinner.

“Don’t worry, love. Everything is going to be fine,” he replies, his voice smooth, without a hint of anxiety in his expression.

“I know it is.” I take a deep breath and watch the trees passing by outside the window while Asa brings my hand to his lips and places soft kisses on the back of my knuckles.

He completely distracts me, and before I know it, we pull up in front of the big, white colonial house. I take a shaky breath, gripping the edges of my seat. “Here we go,” I mutter, half to myself and half to Asa.

He parks next to the driveway, and as I step out, the looming house feels like a fortress. My heart races, knowing this is my moment to prove to my parents how serious I am about Asa.

We stroll to the front door, and my dad greets us, wearing a casual polo shirt and khakis—definitely a departure from the usual dress code of button-ups, ties, and slacks. “I’m glad you made it!” he says, pulling me in for a hug before turning to Asa. “And you must be Asa.” He holds out his hand to Asa.

“Thanks for having me, Mr. Langley,” Asa responds, steady as a rock while shaking my dad’s hand.

“Your mom is busy in the kitchen,” my dad says, leading us into the house. The familiar smells of home envelop me.

We find my mom in the kitchen, stirring something on the stove. She turns around and gives me a smile. “Welcome, Asa. We didn’t get the chance to formally meet the other day.” She completely glosses over their first meeting. “Please, call me Gloria.”

“Thank you for having me over for dinner, ma’am.” Asa gives her a genuine smile, and I can see my mom already falling under his spell.

“Why don’t you come to the living room, and we can get to know each other while the ladies finish up dinner,” my dad suggests to Asa. “I want to know your plans for the future. I especially want to know if you plan to run naked through the town again.”

Oh my goodness. I can’t believe my dad would bring that up, but Asa handles it well. “I definitely won’t be doing any naked runs in the future, sir.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” my dad responds as he walks over and pulls two beers from the refrigerator. That’s new. I don’t remember ever seeing my dad drink beer. “Would you like one, Leslie?” My dad winks at me, and I realize he listened to my tirade and is making an effort to make me happy.

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