Page 50 of Heartbreaker
“What are my choices?” I ask.
“Level four: Hearts or Spades?”
“Spades.”
The answer comes out so fast it surprises me, and a boyish smirk crosses his lips. John pulls me back into his side, pressing his lips to my temple in a long kiss. We walk through the waterfront park, up the sidewalk toward the street that will lead back to my building.
“So, do I get to know what the alternative date plans were?”
“And why would I do that?” He asks, pausing outside the lobby door. “I don’t want to spoil any element of surprise I may have for the future.”
The future. As in, this wasn’t just a one-time thing. As in, he wants to do this again…with me.
“C’mon, let’s get you inside.” John’s hand falls to my lower back, guiding me through the lobby door. This walk reminds me of the first night we met, when we got to The Resort before spending the rest of the night getting to know each other. But this time, when we step into the elevator, he doesn’t stand on the other side of the car. He remains at my side, and his left hand grips my waist, keeping me close, before sliding back to my lower back when the elevator doors open on the thirteenth floor.
“Thanks for tonight,” I say, unlocking my apartment, but I don’t open the door. “It’s been fun.”
He’s farther away than I remember him being when I turn around, now standing on the opposite side of the hallway. His hands are shoved deep into the pockets of his dress pants. The sleeves of his white button-up have been rolled just above his elbows, and the top three buttons are undone. The muscles beneath the fabric pull it taut against his body, and I’ve caught myself staring more than once tonight. So has he.
“You have the time?” he asks, staring me straight in the eye.
Why is he asking me what time it is? That’s a strange question…Regardless, I pull my phone from my clutch and watch the time flicker to 12:01 a.m. on February 15th. “It’s 12—”
Before I can finish, John kisses me.
He pushes me against the door of my condo, and I moan softly against his lips. This is what I’ve wanted, what I’ve waited for all night. He maintained a respectable distance throughout our date, and it left me wanting more. I’ll admit, I was a little afraid he would walk me to my door and leave without even kissing me. Looks like I just needed to be patient.
Patience is a virtue, Mamá would say, and it’s one I’m not good at practicing.
“Isn’t it time we break that rule, Sweetheart?” The nickname sends a chill down my spine, or maybe it’s the way he whispers it against my ear before kissing the skin where my neck and jaw meet.
“John—”
He pulls back to look at me. “Savannah, I respect the hell out of you, and I will do whatever you want, but fuck…I just want to call youmine.”
The confession chips away at the last remaining resolve I have left, and I laugh. “Did you really wait until after midnight to ask me to be your girlfriend?”
“You told me it would be corny to ask you on Valentine’s Day.”
I didn’t think he’d taken me seriously, but the fact that he did is cute. “It is corny. You’re corny.” I laugh, and he nuzzles his face into my neck, inhaling deeply before I feel a soft kiss against my collarbone. “Okay,” I whisper, and he returns his gaze to mine. “I always said you were the one man I’d break that rule for…and I meant it, John.”
“Wait, let’s do this properly,” he says, taking a step back. Before I know it, he’s down on one knee.
“John Brooks, what in the hell are you doing?” I urge him to stand up. “I swear if you ask—”
“Savannah Josefine Williams,”—Oh, fuck, I’m not ready for this—“will you do me the honor of breaking youronerule and becoming my girlfriend?”
An involuntary breath of relief escapes my mouth when he saysgirlfriend. “Yes,” I say, and laugh, tugging gently on his arm. “Now get up before someone sees you.”
The first thought that comes to mind:Holy shit, I just said yes to John Brooks. The same man who captured my heart inside a college bar, but I never thought I’d see him again. If only I’d known what the universe had in store for me on that fateful night. Holy shit, I just saidyesto John Brooks.
I smack his chest playfully as he stands. “Don’t do that!”
“What?” His cocked brow matches the smirk on his lips. “Did you think I was going to ask you something else?”
“No,” I lie, and it makes him laugh.
“Sweetheart, one day I am going to ask you to marry me, but it won’t be standing outside the door of your condo.” He sounds so certain, I have no choice but to believe him. But how can he possibly know that? He only asked me to be his girlfriend sixty seconds ago. John pulls me to him in a hard kiss, claiming my mouth. We tumble inside when I reach behind, twisting the doorknob, but he pulls away briefly. He stares down at me, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, and sighs. “I want you so fucking bad, Savannah…”
