As we cross the street, Brock takes my hand, lacing our fingers together. It sends my heart into a flutter. I look at our locked hands, then back at his face.
‘You don’t want me to hold your hand?’ he asks.
‘Of course. I like it. Nobody’s ever held my hand before.’
My reply stops him in his tracks. ‘What do you mean, nobody’s ever held your hand?’
Now I feel stupid. I cast my face downwards.
‘Hey,’ he says, placing his finger under my chin, tilting my face up to his. ‘Haven’t you ever been with a man before?’
I shrug. ‘Sure.’ My gaze moves back down to the pavement. ‘It’s just none of them have ever held my hand.’
‘Well, they’re fucking idiots,’ he says, giving my hand a squeeze before starting to walk again. I’m relieved he doesn’t pry any further.
Eventually we reach our destination: Central Park. I love this place. I come down here often when I’m in New York. ‘It’s too early to eat, so I thought we could hire a buggy and do a tour of the park,’ he says. My smile widens when he points to the line of buggies along the sidewalk. I’ve always wanted to ride in one of them. ‘Is that okay?’
‘Perfect,’ I reply. He tugs on my hand as we make our way towards the group of men near the three-wheeled bicycles with a long bench seat positioned behind the driver.
‘We’d like to hire one,’ Brock says to the first man we come across.
‘Sure. It’s eighty dollars for a ride around half the park, or one hundred and fifty dollars for the full guided tour.’
Brock doesn’t hesitate. He pulls out two one-hundred-dollar bills and hands them over. After the man stashes them into the black leather pouch that’s fastened around his waist, he starts to count out the change. Brock holds up his hand.
‘You can keep the change as long as you take your time on the tour.’
‘Thank you,’ the man says.
Grabbing my hand again, Brock helps me onto the bench seat before joining me. The second he’s settled, he laces our fingers together. It sends tingles running through my body. Who knew something as simple as holding hands could make my body feel so alive?
Brock and I stare at each other, grinning, as the driver sets the buggy in motion. I vaguely hear him talking as we travel. He points out where scenes in certain movies were made, but neither of us is really listening, we’re too focused on each other. Usually, I’m uncomfortable being stared at, but I’m surprisingly at ease under Brock’s watchful gaze.
A few of the things the driver says register, but my eyes don’t move from Brock’s even once. ‘This is the fountain where the opening of the Friends sitcom was filmed.’ I also hear him mention Marilyn Monroe, but I missed the rest of what he said. ‘The Kennedys lived over there.’ My eyes still can’t seem to move from Brock. ‘In those apartments across the street was where John Lennon and Yoko Ono once lived. Just on the sidewalk below is where he was shot. The memorial was moved over here to the park because of the large number of visitors to the site, making it a traffic hazard.’
Even though the driver did as instructed and took things slowly, the tour came to an end far too quickly. I sigh with disappointment and Brock asks, ‘Do you want to go around again?’
‘I’d like that.’
Letting go of my hand, he pulls out his wallet. He hands the driver another two hundred dollars. ‘Can you do another lap? No need for the commentary this time.’
‘Thank you,’ I say when his eyes meet mine again.
‘You’re welcome.’ He gently strokes my cheek with the back of his fingers and his touch sends a shiver running down my spine. He’s so tender with me. My breath hitches when his face moves closer and he does something I’ve been hoping he’d do since our time together last night. He kisses me. A long, lingering kiss that sends currents of electricity shooting through every last nerve in my body.
My first ever kiss.
I’m surprised by how disappointed I am when he pulls away.
‘I’m sorry,’ he whispers, ‘but I’ve been dying to do that from the moment you crashed into me at the airport.’
His words make me smile. He drapes his arm around me, pulling my body in closer. When I rest my head on his shoulder, he places a soft kiss on my hair and my heart melts. I pray this day will never end.
CHAPTER SEVEN
JADE
I’m so overcome with sadness when we reach the door of my suite that I actually think I might cry. My time with Brock today was magical. He gave me a taste of what my life might be like once I’m free from M.