Page 21 of Falling for You
He could tell he had her.
She nibbled on her lip and studied him a moment before chuckling. “You’re an interesting guy, Evan Lawson.”
“I think you should have figured that out by now, but I’ll take the compliment.” He gave her his best cheeky grin and watched her fold faster than Superman on laundry day.
“If I say yes,” she said, holding up her hand, “then that doesn’t mean I’m going to sing.”
“I don’t care if you sit there scowling the whole time. I think it’ll be a blast.”
CeCe angled back on her heels, her gaze raking over his living room and the scene of their first kiss. He said a prayer to any deity who would listen that she would give him a chance. They’d had such a wonderful evening, and Evan knew they could be something special—that theyweresomething special.
“Fine. But if I’m not having fun, we get to leave.”
“You just say the word.” Evan closed the distance between them in two strides and gave her a quick hug. He kept it brief so he didn’t scare her away with his eagerness. “I’ll pick you up at six.”
At first she didn’t say anything, just blinked and nodded. “Thanks for tonight.”
“You’re welcome,” he said simply, raising his hand in farewell.
He didn’t know what that kiss meant for her, but he knew what it meant for him. That kiss was a promise. A promise of a future, one where they were partners. He wasn’t naïve; she’d try to push him away. But he had a taste of her now, and he wasn’t about to lose her. He’d planned to make their date night count.
CHAPTER 6
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“What the hell am Idoing?” CeCe asked her reflection for the third time in two minutes. This was madness. Going out on a date with Evan was lunacy. Kissing him had been certifiable, but she couldn’t deny how amazing it was. Reaching up to graze her lips with her fingertips, she still felt the impression of his kiss, still felt the heat of the moment.
Pulling her turtleneck sweater over her head and tossing it on the bed, she shrugged on her fourth sweater and felt just as dispassionate. Suddenly she was sixteen and getting ready for her first date, and she hated the sensation. She contemplated calling Natalie, as this was her territory. Natalie could be in the middle of trench warfare in WWI and would still find time to put on eyeliner and straighten her hair. She would know what to do with CeCe in her current state—and what to do with her abysmal wardrobe.
CeCe knew the real reason she wasn’t calling her friend, and it had everything to do with the slew of unresolved issues and questions swirling through her. First, there was the fact that Evan was a friend and coworker. Here she was breaking her coworker rule, and she feared it would end badly. “You need to tell him the truth.” She huffed as she rummaged through her jewelry box for something to spice up her lackluster outfit.
As she sorted through mangled chains and earrings she’d long forgotten about, Natalie’s advice rang through.You’re allowed to be happy.Thinking back to the last few days, CeCe could admit she had been happy with Evan. He brought a lightness to everything. From the simple task of making her lunch to the silliness of building movie forts, she couldn’t deny he made her smile more than she had in ages.
Settling on a pair of simple hoop earrings, CeCe swiped on some blush and studied herself. She looked relatively happy and prepared for a night on the town. These hoops were a gift from an old friend for her twentieth birthday, and she bristled that they were a decade old now. What could Evan see in a woman who was spitting distance to thirty?
But for all her reluctance about turning the big 3-0, she couldn’t argue that the age gap issue didn’t seem to matter anymore. Evan had proven his youth didn’t make him immature, but rather kept him playful, kept him fun. CeCe could certainly do with some fun these days. There was something about her that interested Evan, and she wondered if she should stop second-guessing the moment and roll with it.
