It was embarrassing when she found the drawing yesterday, but I was over it now. I had trouble telling her how important she was to me, so hopefully seeing that drawing clued her in. She let me know a few times how unromantic I was, so maybe tonight I’d work on that.
The plan was to drive to my mom’s place and get ready there. Then we’d go out and have a good time. She couldn’t miss ballet tomorrow since she skipped last week to go camping. After ballet, she was going to practice with the crew and they’d do their thing tomorrow night.
Instead of her spending the night Saturday night at Jared and Cece’s house, I planned on talking her into staying at my mom’s with me. If she still insisted on keeping with tradition and staying at their house, I hoped Cece’s bed was big enough for three. No way in hell was I letting her stay in the same house with Jared if I wasn’t there. She claimed he’d respect our relationship, as long as I didn’t fuck it up, but if he got desperate enough he’d probably try something.
I knew I sure as hell would try to steal her right out from under another guy.
Going into Gianna’s room, I found her zipping up her duffel bag. I took it from her just as she was throwing it over one shoulder. “Let’s go.”
After I put the bags in the trunk, Gianna ran around to the driver’s side before I climbed in. “Can I drive, Caleb?”
“No, we’re taking my car,” I told her.
“I know that and I want to drive your car.” She clasped both her hands together. “Please?”
“No way, princess. I don’t let anyone drive my car.”
“Pretty please,” she wheedled.
In answer, I moved her out of the way, pointing her in the direction to go around the front of the car and smacking her ass to get her going.
“Oh okay,” she said pathetically with her head down. She walked around the car and got in on the passenger side. She sat in her seat dejectedly as I started the car.
She looked so adorable when she was sad that it was making my chest tight. “Fine! You can drive! But if you even fail to use a blinker, you’re pulling over and I’m driving.”
She clapped her hands together. “Yay! Best boyfriend ever!”
Instead of getting out of the car, she climbed to my side as I opened the door. I thought she would maybe give me a reward for being the best boyfriend ever, but all I got was a push to help me out of the car.
“Get out and go around,” she ordered excitedly. That was all the thanks I got for letting her drive my baby?
Feeling weird, I sat in the passenger seat for the first time. She had a big grin on her face as she hit the gas. I grabbed the dashboard. “Slower, Gianna.”
She glanced sideways. “Slower? Really? I always took you for a harder and faster kind of guy.” Now she flirted with me, when I couldn’t touch her for fear she’d crash my car.
“Don’t try to distract me with your naughty words, seductress. I’m watching the speedometer and I better not see you go a mile over the speed limit.”
She turned the radio up to drown out the end of my lecture. By the time we reached the parking garage near my mom’s place, I was relieved Gianna respected all road signs and speed limits. However as soon as she parked, I snatched the keys out of her hand.
I retrieved our bags from the back. “I hope you enjoyed that, because it won’t happen again.”
She pressed her body against mine and licked my bottom lip. “Are you sure?”
“Very,” I managed, staying strong.
She rubbed her chest against me and repeated, “Are you sure?”
“Mostly.” I was getting so turned on now.
She grabbed my hand and put it on her chest. “Can I please drive your car again, sometime?”
“Oh hell yeah,” I practically moaned as her hand went to the front of my pants.
She laughed and darted away. “That’s what I thought, master player. You’re too easy.”
“Only around you,” I mumbled to myself, watching her ass as she walked ahead of me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
“There’s beauty to wisdom and experience that cannot be faked.
It’s impossible to be mature without having lived.”
-Amy Grant
CALEB
My mom was out of town again so I told Gianna she could use my mom’s bathroom to get ready for tonight. After a shower, I took more thought in getting ready than usual. In a pair of black dress pants and a blue dress shirt and skinny tie, I stood in front of the mirror styling my hair with a little pomade.
I’d been on lots of dates before, but this was different. Tonight was about more than meaningless flirtation and a good time in bed. This was about romance. What the fuck did I know about romance? Obviously not much from what Gianna’s teasing indicated.