Page 24 of It Had To Be You

“Right. How could I forget? An offer of marriage by text. How thoroughly romantic.”

“Hey! It was spontaneous. You have to give me points for that.”

She pursed her lips, suppressing a smile. “Okay, one point for spontaneity,” she allowed, biting her lip. It made me want to bite it, too, then suck it into my mouth while I…

Okay, maybe don’t think about fucking her when she’s suffering with a migraine and we’re on a quest for painkillers. We reached the pharmacy and I followed Yvonne as she wandered down the aisles, searching for the right section. I watched as she scanned the options, casting me a speculative glance. “Your sister said something to me the other night. She was drunk at the time so perhaps what she said wasn’t accurate—”

“What did she say?” I questioned, preparing to have a word with Bethany. My sister’s filter tended to disappear once she’d had a few drinks.

Yvonne glanced at me again before returning her eyes to the shelves. “She said that you’ve always been with older women, and that your last girlfriend was forty-one.”

Ah. Now I got it. My sister had been meddling. “That’s correct,” I replied, studying her profile.

“Oh,” Yvonne breathed, still not looking at me. “She also said that you’ve never been with someone younger.”

“I like older women.” Stepping closer to her, I teased, “Is that a crime? Because if so, go ahead and slap on some cuffs.” I held out my wrists but she only shook her head, a faint smile touching her lips as she waved me away.

“Don’t be silly.” Her expression sobered before she went on, “So, um, is that another of the reasons you’re interested in me? Because I’m older?” Her question was so full of insecurity it made my heart clench. Like just because she was a few years older she couldn’t possibly garner my interest.

“If we’re talking chickens and eggs, I think it might be the opposite way around,” I said and her brows drew together in confusion.

“I’m not sure I understand.”

“Let me spell it out for you then. Just so that there’s no confusion. I like older women because of you, Yvonne. I’ve always gone for them because I wanted you but I couldn’t have you, so I was trying to find someone who might come close to making me feel how you do.”

I heard her breath hitch. Finally, she lifted her eyes to mine, a shine of emotion in their bright blue depths. “C-Conor,” she said, her voice catching on my name.

I lifted a hand to cup her cheek. “I was head over heels for you before you even knew I liked you,” I said quietly. “And I’ve thought of you more times than I can count over the years. It’s always been you, Yvonne. You and no one else.”

I watched her eyelids flutter, her throat moving as she stared into my eyes, speechless. “Say something, baby,” I whispered, cupping her other cheek now, her skin soft and silky beneath my palms.

“I don’t know what to say,” she whispered back, and a tear fell down her cheek. She sniffled. “Oh, hell, now you’ve made me cry.” She reached up to bat at the tear but I got there first, wiping it away with my thumb.

“It’s been an emotional day. No one would blame you.”

“I just can’t believe you’ve felt that way all this time. I knew you had a crush but I never could’ve imagined…” she trailed off and I leaned close, inhaling her heavenly scent.

“So, will you believe me now that I mean it when I say I want you? Will you take a chance on us?”

Her eyes flickered back and forth between mine, searching. Finally, she replied, “Yes, Conor. I’ll take a chance on us.”

And then I kissed her in the middle of the painkiller aisle of the pharmacy.

8.

Yvonne

I was head over heels for you before you even knew I liked you.

Conor’s words rushed through my head, my pulse pounding while he kissed me. We became lost in each other, his hands wandering into my hair, mine sliding up his chest. I got a fright when I knocked into the display behind me, causing a few items to fall on the floor.

I drew away with a gasp, turning and frantically picking up the fallen products. Conor’s hand touched mine. “Hey,” he breathed. “You okay?”

I slotted the boxes back into their spots and turned to face him. “I’m fine. I think you just…you make me nervous.”

He smiled affectionately. “In a good way, I hope?”

I tucked some hair behind my ear, nodding shyly as I grabbed a non-descript box of painkillers from the shelf. “Um, these should do the trick.”

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