Making Me Believe Page 3

  “That’s okay. I’d prefer to not be stood up,” he said.

  He held her hand as they walked through the park. The path they walked on was tree-lined and paved. They had both walked it multiple times over years of living in Arlington. As they walked, they talked about the things they saw along the way.

  Finally, they reached the end of the path overlooking the Trinity River. It was a nice day for March, and they’d run into a lot of other people along the way. It had been a wet winter, so there was actually a decent amount of water in the river. It would be dried up by the end of summer if they had a normal summer.

  “Do you want to eat here, or find a spot off in the woods on the way back,” he asked. The area they were in had some concrete benches that would be fine for eating, but there were some areas off in the woods that were similar, but more private, on the way back.

  “Let’s find a spot in the woods if you don’t mind,” she responded. “I like the feeling of seclusion in the middle of the city.”

  “Okay,” he grabbed her hand again as they turned and headed back.

  A few minutes later, they found a trail off the main path and followed it to a concrete bench. “Is this good?” she asked.

  “Perfect,” he told her.

  They sat down, and he handed her the backpack. She divided up the food between them, and they sat in silence while they ate and drank, enjoying the sounds of nature around them.

  When they were finished, they packed all of their trash into her backpack, and she started to stand. He caught her hand and pulled her back down onto the bench beside him and turned toward her. “Is it okay if I kiss you?” he asked. He’d never asked a girl that question before. He’d always assumed it was okay and just done it, but Rose was different.

  Rose nodded slowly. She had only been kissed a couple of times. Her philosophy on sex before marriage prevented most men from trying. She turned toward him on the bench. He put his hands on her shoulders and slowly drew her closer to him. He lowered his head to hers for a soft gentle kiss. Their lips barely touched before he lifted his head.

  Her eyes were half closed. He looked down at her, waiting for any sign that she didn’t like his kiss then lowered his head again. His tongue traced along her lips, and she opened her mouth to him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she met his tongue with hers.

  Rose had never felt this way from a kiss. The warmth spread through her stomach causing tingling throughout her entire body. She ran her tongue along the inside of his upper lip and heard him groan.

  Alex lifted his head and lightly pushed her away from him. “You are going to be the death of me,” he said.

  She sat quietly watching him and wondering why he’d pulled away. Her breathing was deeper than usual, and she could feel her heart pounding. Her lips were still moist from their kiss, and she touched her tongue to her lip to see if his taste was still there.

  Alex watched her tongue and felt his groin tighten. They needed to get back to where people could see them. He needed to stop touching her.

  He took her hand and led her back to the main path. Just kissing her made him feel so much more than he’d ever felt from sex with other women. She was dangerous.

  Rose wasn’t sure what she’d done wrong, but she followed along with him. She didn’t say anything as they walked. She knew that she didn’t have much experience kissing, but could she really have been that bad at it?

  When they reached his truck, he opened the door for her and headed back toward her apartment. He drove in silence.

  Rose took a deep breath, “I’m sorry.”

  Alex looked at her in surprise. “What are you sorry for?”

  “For making you mad? For being a bad kisser? I don’t know. For whatever freaked you out back there,” she said in a low voice.

  Alex felt like kicking himself. “I’m the one who should apologize, Rose. When I kissed you, I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. Kissing you is sexier than getting naked with most girls. I felt like I needed to get you somewhere public where I couldn’t try and take advantage of the situation. I understand now why girls always had to have chaperons until recently.”

  Her eyes widened. “I see. Can I just say that kissing you turned me on a whole lot too? I’ve only been kissed a couple of times, but you were definitely the only one who has made me want more than a quick kiss.”

  “That doesn’t help. I love it that you’re so blatantly honest about everything, but I could have done without that this time. This is only the second time I’ve been out with you, and you’re already getting under my skin.” He shook his head. He’d known he liked her that first night, but what he was feeling now was out of his realm of experience.

  “I understand,” she said. It was no big deal. They had made no commitments to each other, right? Why did she feel like she was losing so much then? “It’s been a fun weekend. Thanks for that.”

  “I’ve enjoyed the weekend too. More than I can express,” he told her. He needed some time alone to think right now. He wasn’t going to be able to go through a long dating process with her. She turned him on too much.

  He needed to regroup.

  He pulled up in front of her apartment and opened her door for her. Instead of following her inside, he kissed her cheek.

  She smiled up at him. “Goodbye, Alex.”

  “Lock the door after me,” he said as he turned to go.

  Rose walked into her apartment and sank onto the couch, letting her tears fall. How could she have fallen for him in one weekend? How could she have believed that he might actually want a relationship? She knew better. She always had.

  Sensible virginal Rose didn’t fall in love in less than 48 hours. She just didn’t. She wondered how many times she’d have to tell herself that before she started to believe that she hadn’t already fallen in love with him.

  *****

  Rose got up and worked out before work the following morning like she always did. She pushed herself harder than ever, trying to block Alex from her mind.

  At her desk that day, she felt out of it. She answered calls and did her job, but her mind and heart were not in it. She felt like she was working through a thick fog that she just didn’t want to find her way out of.

  At lunch, her cube-mate, Alicia, cornered her in the kitchen. “What’s with you? You’re acting weird.”

  Rose looked up at her. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just distracted.” She wasn’t sure she was ready to talk about Alex with anyone. Alicia was her closest friend, so if she could talk to anyone it would be her.

  Alicia looked at her with concern for a moment, and then her whole face lit up. “You met a guy, didn’t you?”

  Rose laughed. “You know me. As soon as I tell them I’m planning on staying a virgin ‘til the wedding night, they take off running.” Rose tried to make it sound like nothing had happened.

  “Who was the guy who didn’t? You actually went out with someone didn’t you? Come on, Rose, it’s me you’re talking to. Tell me everything!” Alicia was like a dog with a bone. She wasn’t giving up until she got to the meat of the matter.

  Rose sighed. “I did meet someone, and I told him what I tell everyone else. We went out on Saturday night and went for a walk in the park and had a picnic yesterday.” And I blew it when he kissed me, she thought.

  “That sounds promising! A picnic in the park sounds right up your alley! What’s his name? When are you seeing him again?” Alicia was practically bouncing up and down with excitement; her short red curls were swaying with her movements, her brown eyes flashing. “You have to tell me everything!”

  “His name is Alex. I’m not seeing him again,” Rose said, looking down so that Alicia wouldn’t see how hurt she actually was over that.

  “Why not? What did you say to him?” Alicia asked with a sigh. She knew that Rose tended to be so outspoken that people shied away from her. The ones who got to know her loved her for who she was, but strangers didn’t tend to stick around long.

>   “Why do you assume I said something? Why do I have to be the villain?” Rose felt defensive, even though she knew it was her fault. Somehow.

  “You know you always say stupid stuff. Why else would a guy who was willing to put up with your old fashioned weirdness take off?”

  Rose shrugged. “I didn’t this time. I swear. We kissed in the park, and he said that I was ‘getting under his skin’, and he dropped me off at home. That was it.”

  “No way. You had to have said something.” Alicia couldn’t believe that he would take off just like that. Not if Rose hadn’t gone all Rosish and said something completely crazy.

  “I really didn’t. I mean, I said a bunch of things, but he seemed to like it all.” For once, she’d found someone who’d liked her for who she was. At least she thought she had.

  “You really liked him, didn’t you?” Alicia asked softly.

  “Can you fall in love in a weekend?” Rose asked refusing to let the tears shining in her eyes fall.

  “I can. I didn’t think you could, but I do it all the time,” Alicia told her.

  “I said fall in love, not fall in lust.”

  “Oh, well, I don’t know then,” Alicia said with a wink. “It’s so hard to separate the two! Where did you meet him anyway? You didn’t mention a date on Friday.”

  “I met him Friday night doing laundry.” Rose waited for Alicia’s disgusted reaction and wasn’t disappointed.

  “Are you still doing laundry on Friday nights?” Alicia sighed heavily. “What is wrong with you?”

  “A lot, I guess,” Rose said heading back to her desk. She wasn’t in the mood to listen to Alicia complain about her laundry night.

  Alicia shook her head, trailing along behind her. “Let me fix you up with someone. I’ll give him the no sex spiel, but you could just go out and have a good time and get Allen off the brain.” That was always Alicia’s fix. Find a new one.

  “It’s Alex. And no thanks. I let you do that once before and it was a disaster, remember?”

  She had one time, and one time only given in to Alicia’s demands that she let her set her up. The guy had thought he was God’s gift to women, and had been certain that he’d be able to convince Rose to give up her ideas of chastity. When it hadn’t worked, he’d gotten ugly and she’d had to call a cab to get home. Alicia’s ideas of good guys and her own were far apart.

  “Well, would you consider having sex with this Alex guy to keep from losing him?” Alicia asked. Alicia had no problems with having casual sex. She said that as long as she made sure to use protection there was nothing wrong with it.

  “I don’t want a man that I have to change my values for. If he can’t accept who I am, and respect my values, then he’s not worth having,” Rose told her as she sat down and picked up her headset. But she was tempted. Alex was special, and she didn’t want to let him go.

  Alicia shook her head at her as she got back to work. Rose felt that Alicia was so busy looking for Mr. Right, that she lost too much of herself in the process. She’d even told Alicia that a time or two. Not that Alicia listened to what she called Rose’s antiquated moral values.

  Chapter 4

  Rose got home later than usual that evening because she was working extra overtime during the busy tax season to get more money into savings. By the time she’d eaten dinner, it was after eight and she was exhausted, having gotten up at five so she could work out before work. She was just settling down for the evening when she heard a knock at her door.

  She frowned, wondering who it could be as she walked over and opened it. She looked out the peep hole and saw Alex standing there. Why was he here?

  Rose opened the door with a questioning look on her face. “Hi,” she said. She really hadn’t expected to ever see him again. She didn’t think to invite him in and just stood staring at him.

  Alex leaned down and kissed her cheek and asked, “May I come in for a minute? I know you weren’t expecting me, but I want to talk to you for a bit.”

  She stepped aside and let him in, closing the door behind her. “I didn’t think I’d see you again,” she told him.

  “What? Why didn’t you think you’d see me again?” he asked, bewildered.

  He hadn’t said he’d be by or call, but he thought she knew he was falling for her. Why wouldn’t she think she’d see him?

  “When you acted strangely after the park yesterday, I thought you were done with me,” she told him honestly.

  He sighed. “No, I’m not done with you.” He took her hand and led her to the couch. “I’m sorry I acted weird. It’s kind of a strange situation. I have really strong feelings for you, but I’ve only known you for a few days. I kissed you, and my body went nuts. You’re all I’ve been able to think about since I met you.”

  “Is that good or bad?” she asked.

  “That depends. Am I having the same effect on you?” he asked bluntly.

  She blushed. “Yes. I enjoy being with you. You make me laugh, but I’m really attracted to you, too.”

  “Well, then it’s not so bad. I don’t think.” He sighed heavily. “You’re confusing me. If you were any other girl, I’d be trying to get you in bed. But you were honest and upfront from the beginning that you’re not after sex without marriage. I can understand that, and I’m not going to try to pressure you into sex.”

  She nodded. “I appreciate that.” Where was he going with this? “So why don’t we go to Vegas this weekend and get married?” he asked.

  She laughed sure he was just making a joke.

  “I’m serious.” The look on his face told her this was no joke.

  “This weekend? You want to get married a week after we met?” she asked. “Are you still just looking for a campaign manager in your quest for world domination?” She had to lighten the moment a little. She couldn’t think.

  He grinned. “I’ve known for a while that if I met the right girl, I’d be willing to get married. That’s why you saying you wouldn’t have sex before marriage didn’t bother me. I figured that if we got along, we’d just get married,” he said.

  “Okay, I can agree with that, but this weekend? That’s what’s freaking me out here. Are you sure you don’t want to get to know one another a little better first? I mean, what if I have some deep dark secret that I’m hiding from you?”

  “You’re too honest and blunt for that. I don’t have any either, so what’s your next objection?” he asked.

  “Well, how do you know we’ll get along? I mean, we can obviously be friends, but how do we know that more than that will work for us? We’ve only kissed once!”

  He took the hand he still held in his and pulled her toward him. Leaning down he pressed his lips to hers passionately. He molded her body to his, his hands roaming over her back.

  Her hands wrapped around his neck and she returned his kiss for all she was worth. The tingling sensation returned immediately. She felt her heart beat speed up.

  Abruptly he lifted his head. “I know. Every time I touch you, I know that you’re perfect for me. Marry me.”

  She looked at him with a confused expression. Fighting to control her breathing, she said, “Can we at least wait a week or two? To make sure we still feel the same way?”

  “You’re killing me here, Rose. I need you. I don’t want to wait that long. I honestly don’t want to wait until morning, but I will wait until Friday night. We can fly out and get married that same night.” His eyes pleaded with her to say yes.

  “You really want to marry me just to have sex with me?” she asked. Was that a good basis for a marriage?

  “Right this second, I’d be willing to do anything to have sex with you, but it’s more than that. I really think that we’re well suited. I don’t see any reason to wait,” he said. “I haven’t had as much fun with a woman in my entire life as I’ve had with you.”

  She sat looking at him. She was already half in love with him. Alicia had asked if she was willing to compromise her morals for him, and she wasn’t, but
was she willing to marry a man she’d known for less than a week?

  She pulled his head down for another kiss. She had to be sure that the feelings were as strong as she thought they were. He tasted just as good as she remembered. Touching him made the rest of the world disappear. It was all she could do not to pull him down on top of her right then. She tore her mouth away.

  “Where will we live?” she asked. She had to be practical. She had to think. She couldn’t let how she felt for him right this second make a decision that would affect every moment of the rest of her life.

  “Is that a yes?” His brown eyes stared into hers almost mesmerizing her with the intensity of his gaze.

  “I think it is,” she answered shyly. She had to take this chance. Maybe it was crazy, but he was offering her a lifetime with the man she loved.

  He gave her another hard kiss. “I’ll make travel arrangements. What time do you get off work on Friday?”

  “I’ll cancel my overtime,” she said. “I can be home by four thirty.”

  “We’ll plan on flying out at six thirty or later. The wedding chapels are open until midnight, and there’s an hour time difference. I think the flight is around two hours. Do you want Elvis to marry us?” he asked.

  She laughed. “Absolutely not. If Elvis is there, I’m not getting married!”

  “I’ll come by tomorrow evening with the specifics of the arrangements,” he said, heading for the door. “I’ll let you get to bed. I know you have to get up early for work.”

  She followed him to the door, closing and locking it behind him. She leaned against the door and sighed heavily. What had she just agreed to?

  *****

  When Rose got to work the next day, she canceled her overtime for the remainder of the week. She wanted to have some time to do some shopping in preparation for her wedding. She wasn’t going to wear a long dress with a train, but she did want to have a nice white dress to wear, even if it was simple. She also wanted to pick up some lingerie. For lingerie, she needed a partner in crime.

  Alicia was thrilled to go with her after work to shop. The two women headed to the local mall, and Alicia helped her pick out some pretty lingerie.