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  I stood and started to collect the plates. “Yep.” When the corners of her lips rose in a smile, all negative thoughts flew from my head. I still couldn’t believe she was mine. That she loved me. As soon as the dishes were done and the kitchen put to rights, it would be time to take Addy for a drive and ask her the most important question of our lives.

  Please let her say yes.

  Addy hugged my parents goodbye and thanked them for dinner. I glanced at my mom on the way out. She gave me a wink. Had she guessed that I already had the ring? That my intention was to ask Addy tonight? I nodded back and led Addy out to the truck.

  We left my parents lane and turned left.

  Addy squinted into the darkness outside. “I’m so turned around out here. Where are we headed?”

  I gave her a sly grin. “Where do you think?”

  “Ah… Should have known. You’re so predictable.”

  “You think so?”

  “Yep.”

  Think again, honey… “We’ll see.”

  She grabbed my arm. “What’s that about? ‘We’ll see’?”

  “You’ll just have to wait.”

  She smacked her fist against my arm.“I hate waiting!”

  My laugh came out louder than I’d intended. “Yeah, I think I’m getting that about you.”

  She pinched my arm, but not hard. “Hey what was all that stuff you said in my dorm room, about loving everything about me?”

  “Oh, I do. Just like to have my fun at your expense by teasing you.”

  “So, are you always gonna tease me?”

  “Yes ma’am. Count on it.”

  She sighed.

  “Aww, would that be so bad?”

  “No. Nothing with you is bad. It’s all good.” Addy wrapped her arm around my middle and laid her head on my chest. Her lavender scent drifted up, beckoning me. I inhaled and kissed the top of her head.

  Nerves started to get the better of me. What would she think when I gave her the ring? What if she wasn’t ready? Didn’t love me enough for that?

  Stop it. She loves you. You know that.

  Addy pulled her head away from my chest. “Graham. Your heart is beating so fast. Is something wrong?”

  I shook my head. “Nope. I’m perfect.”

  With a shrug, she rubbed her hand over my chest. “I don’t know about perfect.”

  “Hey!”

  She giggled. “I figure if you’re going to tease me for the rest of my life, I’d better get in some good zingers, too.”

  For the rest of my life. That’s what I was counting on. I drove to our spot and parked, turning off the ignition. I undid my seatbelt and then hers.

  Addy scooted over to me and kissed my cheek. “Your parents are so nice, Graham. So easy to talk to. Are they as easygoing as they seem?”

  “Yep.”

  “So that’s where you get it, then. The laidback thing.”

  I shrugged. “I guess. Never really thought about it.”

  “See, that’s what I mean. You’re so laidback it makes you predictable.”

  “Does it?” I had a hard time keeping my humor from showing. “You sure about that?”

  “Of course. I bet you couldn’t surprise me if you tried.”

  Wanna bet? I stroked my finger along Addy’s cheek and kissed my way down her neck. I pulled her close and gently grabbed her butt, massaging through thick jeans. She gave a little squeak and then kissed me hard.

  “Liked that, did you, Addy?”

  “Oh yeah.” She ran her hand lightly over my zipper, barely touching me, but it nearly sent me into orbit. I wished my jeans weren’t in her way, but I didn’t want to rush it too much since I was hoping we could wait. That was… if Addy said yes to my proposal.

  Still, even though I really wanted to wait, wanted to make our first time special, she wasn’t making it easy. Heat shot through me, zeroing in right where her hand sat. How was a guy supposed to say no to that?

  Addy kissed me again and I kept massaging her backside. If she’d had shorts on, who knew where we’d be? Everything in me wanted so badly to rip off all of my clothes and hers too. No wonder people had no trouble hooking up. Sex was intoxicating when you were with the right person.

  I wanted to feel her skin. Had to. So I slipped my fingers up the back of her shirt. “Addy, your skin is so soft…” I nibbled on her ear and she giggled. I almost jumped from my skin when her fingers ran through the back of my hair. I pulled her onto my lap, running my tongue over her neck, her lips, her tongue.

  “Addy, I want you so bad.”

  She gasped out a breath. “I… I want you too.” She kissed me again.

  Something in the back of my mind poked at my brain. You want to make it special, remember? Not on the seat of your truck!

  Somehow gaining control, I still don’t know how, I moved her from my lap.

  “What’s the matter, Graham? Did I do something wrong?”

  “No, honey. You did everything right. It’s just…”

  “What?” She blinked and looked at me, her lower lip sticking out just enough so I knew I’d hurt her feelings.

  “Addy.” I pulled her into my arms and smoothed the back of her hair with my hand. “I love you so much. I can’t even tell you. And I want you. You have to know that, right?”

  She nodded, but didn’t say anything.

  “Please, please know that you didn’t do anything wrong. I want you so bad. It would be the easiest thing in the world to make love to you right here, right now.”

  Moisture sat just on the edge of her lower lids. “But…?”

  I stroked my thumb under her eyes, wiping away the start of a tear. “Remember when you teased me before, about not surprising you?”

  “Well I have to say that what we just did was a surprise. A nice one. So, I guess you got me there.”

  “There’s something else that…”

  “What?” She closed her eyes and kissed my lips. A sweet, gentle kiss, pouring all of her love into it so I knew her heart was mine.

  I returned the kiss and then pulled away. “Why don’t you open the glove box?”

  “What? Why?” She frowned. “Is there something in there that… Oh, wait, do you have some… protection in there?” Addy’s face reddened.

  “Not exactly. Go ahead. Open it.”

  “If you say so…” She glanced at me uncertainly but leaned over and opened the latch. The glove compartment opened with a squeak and the little light that went on inside illuminated the small green plastic bag. She tilted her head. “What is it?”

  “Bring it out and let’s see.”

  “Graham, what are you up to?”

  “Surprising you. Hopefully in a good way.”

  Addy reached in and got the bag. She peeked inside. “What could it be?”

  I took the bag from her and removed the tiny box. She blinked and stared at it, but didn’t appear to have registered yet what it might be.

  My hands were shaking as I snapped open the lid. I held it out to her, the light from the glove box giving just enough light to reflect off of the diamond.

  She gasped. “Graham?”

  I set the box on her lap and took her hand. “Addy, I love you. I don’t know how it happened so fast, but it did. The day I met you was the best day of my life. No, I take that back. Every day with you is the best, and they keep getting better. I—”

  Addy kissed me. “Graham… is that a…”

  I swallowed. “An engagement ring.” I waited, as my words hung in the air, waiting to be embraced by Addy or refused and crushed into a million pieces along with my heart.

  “So you’re asking me…?” She reached down and touched one finger to the solitaire diamond. It wasn’t a huge stone, but I hoped she would like it just the same. I’d spent part of my savings on it and needed the rest for classes at college.

  “Yeah. I’m asking you. To marry me. Spend the rest of your life with me. Love me with all your heart like I love you.” I waited again. Why wasn’t
she answering?

  “Oh Graham…” She flung her arms around me and cried. Cried! Oh no… no.

  Addy mumbled something into my neck.

  “Didn’t quite catch that, sweetheart.”

  She raised her head. “I said yes.”

  Yes! I pulled her so tight I’m surprised she could breathe. “Oh Addy… I love you so much.”

  She smiled. “I love you with my mind, heart, and soul, Graham. I can’t wait to be your wife.” Addy removed the ring from the box and held it out to me. I slipped it on her finger. A perfect fit. She wiped a tear from her cheek. “Although, I guess it will be a few years, right? Since I have school and all.”

  “About that…”

  “Graham, you surprised me big. No need to try to make it seem like more. I’m blown away.”

  “I’m glad it was a good surprise but there is something else.”

  Her smile fell and she widened her eyes. “Oh no… we have to get married don’t we? Are you pregnant?”

  I stared at her, stunned, until she burst into giggles. I tickled her to make her laugh even harder. “You are a wicked, wicked, girl, Addy.”

  “Just when you thought you knew me.” She calmed down and laid her hand on my chest. “So… what else is there? I can’t imagine a bigger surprise than this.” She gazed down at her left hand, the diamond sparkling in the dim light.

  “I asked you to marry me, but I don’t want to wait.”

  “What do you mean? How can we—?”

  “I’ve decided I’m going to go back to college. I want to be where you are. I don’t want to spend the next several years having to drive two hours to see you and only being with you for a little while at a time.”

  “Are you serious? That would be awesome! So you’d go to school and we’d be engaged?”

  I shook my head. “Maybe I’m not explaining this very well. Yes, I’m going to school, but we won’t be engaged all those years.”

  She held up her left hand. “But—”

  I took both of her hands in mine. “Addy. I want to get married. Soon. As in very, very soon.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh.”

  “How do you feel about that?”

  She let out a long sigh. “It would be a dream come true, Graham.”

  “You mean it?”

  “Of course I mean it. Did you ever doubt I would want to be with you?”

  I gave a one-shouldered shrug.

  Addy leaned forward and kissed my neck. “You, my good man, are stuck with me. From now until forever. Got that?”

  I leaned down. “Oh yeah, I got it.” I leaned her back on the seat and kissed her hard.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Addy

  I still couldn’t believe what had happened on Saturday night. I’d been engaged for a day and a half and it still hadn’t sunk in. The thought that Graham and I might be getting married in the next few months was like a dream. I was so relieved that my parents said they liked him. I couldn’t imagine them agreeing to me getting married at my age to Jud.

  Not that that was ever a serious possibility. Especially since I met Graham. I put aside my calculus homework, realizing I couldn’t concentrate with thought of my fiancé floating through my head. Fiancé!

  My phone beeped, telling me I had a text. I hurried to grab my phone from my purse on the bed. Graham must be on a break from work. I tapped on the screen. It was a photo. But not of Graham.

  Oh, no. Why couldn’t Ali take no for an answer and stop texting me?

  The picture showed him standing in front of a building. Wait… I squinted at the tiny photo. The stupid prince was standing in front of my dorm! I pitched the phone back on the bed as if it were on fire. What should I do?

  I knew one thing. I did not want that creepy man in my room. With me. Alone. I grabbed the phone and my room key, slamming my door as I stomped toward the elevator. The nerve of that man. What did he not understand about me saying no? Multiple times. And then when Graham had told him to leave me alone, I’d thought — hoped anyway — that Ali would be intimidated enough to take the hint.

  I tapped my fingernail on the wall of the elevator. “Come on, hurry.” I had to get rid of the smarmy vermin before he caused trouble for me.

  The moment the elevator doors had opened just enough for me to squeeze out, I rushed to the front doors of the building. I stopped and peered through the glass. Sure enough there was Ali. Doing something with his phone. Mine buzzed again. I ignored it. What I had to do needed to be done face to face.

  I put the phone and key in my pocket and pushed the door open. Before I could say anything, Ali glanced up.

  “Ah, there she is. My prin—”

  I stuck my hand out, palm facing him. “Do not call me your princess.”

  “But my darling—”

  “Don’t call me that, either!”

  He put his phone in his pants pocket and pointed behind me. “I’ve come all this way again to see you, Adelaide.”

  I turned to see a large, shiny limousine parked in the loading zone.

  The heat of anger engulfed me until I thought my head would explode. “I did not invite you here. I do not want you here. I’ve told you over and over that I do not want to marry you, Ali.”

  A group of girls walked past us, staring as they went into the building. At that point I didn’t even care. I needed to get rid of Ali. Now.

  I pointed to a bench that sat off of the sidewalk, in the recently mown grass. “Let’s sit down over here.”

  Ali’s face lit up, his leer showing all of his large, white teeth. “Splendid.”

  I sat down, but moved over some more when he practically sat in my lap. “No. Not splendid. How can I make you understand that I will never, ever marry you?”

  He took my hand, but I slid it out of his grasp. “Adelaide. I am a powerful man. I am a wealthy man. You will never do better in this world than to marry me. You are a very fortunate young woman to have taken my eye.”

  I gritted my teeth together. “I don’t care. I still won’t marry you, Ali. Ever.”

  He bristled. “You must remember to call me Prince Ali.”

  “Oh, there are a lot of things I’d call you, but that isn’t one of them.”

  “Ah, do you have some pet names for me then? What might those be?”

  My tongue itched to tell him. But if I yelled them out in public I might be put on suspension. He wasn’t worth it, as much as I wanted to. I sighed. “You need to leave here. Right now. And never come back. Do I make myself clear?”

  “You’re just a nervous bride, my darling. When we get to my country—”

  “I’m not going to your country.”

  “Well I won’t be living here.”

  “Good! Then we agree on something.” I stood and faced him. “Please go home. And do not, ever, for any reason contact me in any way again.” I whipped away from him and hurried inside the building.

  The elevator, as usual, was taking its time arriving. I glanced out the front door. Ali was watching me. Hurry up, you stupid elevator! I stomped my foot, hoping that might get my point across to the giant metal box that finally dinged, signaling it was about to open its doors.

  I jumped inside, glad to be alone. Away from Ali. I punched the button to close the door over and over but it wasn’t working. Why wasn’t it closing?

  Finally, with a screech of old gears, the doors began to slide shut. I yelped when a well-manicured man’s hand appeared in between the doors, halting them.

  No! Why couldn’t he just go away and find some girl who really did want to be a princess?

  Ali stepped inside and the doors closed, encasing me in a very small space with the one man I’d come to loathe.

  I pushed the open door button while he held his finger on the one that kept the doors closed.

  Stalemate. Who would win? All I knew was, I wanted out of the elevator. Now.

  Ali’s leer resembled a wolf that had just cornered his prey. I backed up, but could only go so
far.

  I held out my hand toward him, palm toward me. “See? Here’s a very good reason why I can’t, and won’t marry you.” The bright light inside the elevator reflected from my shiny, new diamond.

  Ali glanced down. “What’s this?”

  Ah, the sweet taste of victory. “This is an engagement ring.”

  “Who dared give you such a thing?”

  “You met him. Remember Graham?”

  Ali gave another glare at my hand and then shrugged. “That tiny ring is a mere trinket. It’s nothing compared to what I will shower upon you.”

  I yelled in frustration, “You aren’t getting it! I am going to marry Graham. Period. End of story. So it’s time for you to go home. Now.” I huffed out a long breath and crossed my arms over my chest. I turned my head so I wouldn’t have to look at Ali any more, but the space was so small, I could still see him in my peripheral vision.

  A series of metallic clicks and a loud thud came from above us. Uh-oh. That didn’t sound good.

  Ali glanced up too. “Your inferior American elevator is on its last breath, so it seems.”

  The elevator could die a thousand deaths as far as I was concerned. But not with me in it stranded with Ali. I banged on the door. “Help! Let me out!”

  Ali stepped toward me, placing his hands on my shoulders. I couldn’t help but see his face since it was inches from mine and we were nearly the same height. “Ali? What do you think you’re doing?”

  He winked. Did he think he was flirting? “Ah, my precious gem, perhaps it’s time to show you the depth of what I’m feeling for you.” He leaned toward me, lips pursed.

  Ugh! No! He was going to kiss me. I pushed against his chest, but for a small man, his grip was surprisingly strong.

  “Adelaide, I’m thinking being trapped in this elevator is a good thing. Now we are alone and can show each other our true feelings.”

  My true feelings wanted to knee him in the groin, but he stood so close I couldn’t manage it. I dug my fingernails into his neck.

  He backed away and frowned. “That wasn’t very nice.”

  “Good! I’m not trying to be nice.” I stomped on his foot, ready to then raise my knee to inflict some serious pain.

  Ali moved like lightning, grabbing me and pulling me to him. “Now you have angered me, Adelaide. You shall pay.” He pinned me against the wall of the elevator. I couldn’t squirm away. What was he doing?