Page 90 of Choosing Forever
My blood pumps quickly as I stop fighting her and walk on my own. The line of women turns to look at me, some of their smiles slipping into frowns the closer I get. It’s weird as hell, but I ignore them before I can get too annoyed again.
Darren doesn’t appear to be listening to what Sarah’s saying because in a blink, I’m held beneath his arrogant stare. He tracks my steps until finally, I reach the booth, stopping so close to him that our shoulders nearly touch.
He can be as smug as he wants right now because in a minute, he’s going to be the one in my shoes.
29
DARREN
There have beenseveral times in my life where Delaney’s possessiveness had me shifting uncomfortably to relieve the tightness of my pants, but right now trumps all of those.
I’ve been hard up since she spotted me. I was watching her from the moment she appeared behind the fire truck in those oversized overalls, welcoming the chance to watch her without her knowing. The only reason I haven’t sped my way through the line in front of me yet is exactly because of this. Just so I could see this reaction right now and feel the fire in her eyes as she exposed her jealous side to me for the first time in a near decade.
I worried I wouldn’t be able to pull it out of her after this long or that maybe she didn’t have it in her at all anymore. It’s been a long fucking eight years of being apart, but here she is, damn near vibrating with that same savage glow that she used to have when I’d get stuck in the middle of a conversation with a girl on the sidelines after a football game.
Her perfume is dull, the lily-and-raspberry scent impossible to pick up unless you’ve become so accustomed to it that you could point it out in a crowd of a thousand people. I take agreedy inhale of it and keep my shoulders down, relaxed even as she tilts into me, ignoring looking up at me.
“Hi, Sarah! It’s so great to see you again. Is your daughter here too?” she asks while butting in front of me and discreetly using her elbow to shove me out of the way.
The woman in front of the booth blanches for a moment before straightening and flashing a smile. “Good to see you too, Delaney. Yes, Sadie’s off getting a lemonade.”
“Oh, that’s great. I’ve heard the lemonade is great. It’s Eliza’s secret recipe, isn’t it?”
“Maybe! That does sound like her,” Sarah agrees tensely. “I’ll go check on her now, actually.”
Delaney doesn’t skip a beat in sending her off. “Okay, well, it was great to catch up. Give my best to Sadie.”
“Will do. Bye, Darren. If you need my number, I can write it down before I go.”
“No need. I’ve got it in my books from when Sadie was in my class last year. I’ll pass it alongifhe’s interested. Enjoy the rest of the day,” Delaney sings, waving despite their close proximity.
I clear my throat. “Tell Eliza I say hi, Sarah.”
Hiding a very obvious frown, the woman stamps her lips together and knocks her knuckles to the booth before leaving. The awkward atmosphere that follows doesn’t seem to bother Delaney in the slightest. Actually, I think she’s thriving in it. I’m left staring in silent awe as she confidently bends over the booth and reaches up to tap the Open sign that’s hanging by a single nail.
“Hi, everyone! I’m sorry to disappoint you, but Darren’s actually done for now. I’ll be taking over for a while now, so if you want to stay, please do, but if you’re only here for a mouthful of mustache, then I recommend coming back in about an hour,” she announces.
There’s an audible sigh that breaks through the field as the line immediately disperses. It’s impossible not to feel the least bit arrogant to have so many single women want to stand in a linefor the chance to get a kiss on the cheek, but at the same time, the only one I want in my line is perched in front of me, pissed the hell off.
“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised,” she mutters under her breath.
My throat pinches, choking off my air supply when she pushes away from the booth and drags the curve of her ass across my groin. Pinpricks of pleasure expand through my muscles as I reach for the edge of the booth and grip it hard enough I half expect it to crack. The sway of her hair across my chest isn’t any better, nor is the soft breath she expels before slipping out from in front of me.
“If I’d known you were going to open this thing early, I’d have been here on time,” she states, sounding completely unbothered by what just happened.
I don’t like that. She should be as untethered as I am right now. How is it so easy for her to pretend that didn’t just happen?
“It wasn’t the plan. I’d have told you.”
“Right. Well, I’m not a fan of surprises like this.”
“I know. It just happened.”
“Is that your catchphrase or something?” she asks sharply.
“I can’t say it is. I’d prefer something a bit less . . . childish for my catchphrase.”
She moves around some more, fussing over the lip-shaped money jar and the bag of gum and breath mints Poppy dropped off. When she fishes out the thick stack of movie admission tickets we’re really here to hand out with our kisses today, I put an end to the silence.
