Page 62 of Come A Little Closer

I laughed when she grabbed my hand again and started dragging me toward the door. “Before you change your mind? Who was the one who didn’t even want to leave?”

“Yeah, but you know you’d never have gone through with it if I started taking my clothes off.” She winked as she glanced at me over her shoulder. “Would you like to test my theory?”

“No, thank you.” I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to block out the sudden thoughts of her naked body flooding my mind. “I’m willing to just admit that you’re right and move on. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say we should just call it a given that whenever you take your clothes off, we’re both canceling the rest of our days.”

“My boss might not like that,” she teased as she opened her front door.

I shrugged. “He’s an asshole anyway. Who cares about him? Let his company burn.”

She laughed. I slid my arm across her shoulders once we started making our way to the festival. When we drew closer though, she glanced up at me with uncertainty shimmering in those gorgeous hazel eyes. “If anyone sees us like this, they’ll know that we’re together.”

“Do you care?” I asked carefully. “I’ve already told Jake, though I meant to talk to you about it before I did. Sayra obviously knows. Would you prefer to keep it quiet outside of those two?”

She stared up at me for another beat. “Are you okay with people finding out?”

I frowned. “I’m not sure I understand the question.”

She pursed her lips, amusement suddenly taking the place of the uncertainty in her eyes. “Forgive me for caring if you’re willing to tell the world that you’re seeing your projects manager.”

“Fuck telling them that I’m just seeing her. I love her and I don’t care who knows. As far as I’m concerned, I’m officially off the market. Unless I’m not.”

Both of her eyebrows arched. She suddenly spun and looped her arms around my neck. Then she pushed up on her toes to press a hard kiss to my lips. “You’re definitely off the market, Mr. Morrison. Someone should alert the media.”

I wrapped my arms around her waist and lowered my forehead to hers, my eyes only for her as I smirked. “We’ll call a press conference. Whatever you want.”

She laughed and kissed me again before breaking away and leading me the rest of the way to the stage. In the time we’d been in her house, the plantation had filled to capacity, bodies packing every inch of the space as the first band put on their show.

“I suppose I should get back to work now,” she said as she scanned the area, smiling. Shrieks of laughter rang out from the mazes and lines started forming in front of the food trucks. “I’ll see you⁠—”

“Your job is done, baby. Everything is running smoothly. All that’s left now is for you to enjoy it.”

Our hands swung between us as we made it to the main tent, the atmosphere so lively and festive that it was impossible not to love it. Tallulah looked around as if she was trying to ascertain if anyone needed her help, and when no one suddenly started flapping their arms at her, she nodded.

“Alright, then. Let’s just enjoy it. Are you going to buy me a drink or what?”

I laughed as I led her toward the bar that had been set up along one side of the tent, and we grabbed a couple beers before we joined Sayra and Jake to watch the concert. Sayra smiled when she saw us holding hands as we joined them.

“I’m assuming you accepted his apology?” she said to Tallulah as we sat down.

My girlfriend shrugged and sent her friend a playful wink. “I thought it was better to put him out of his misery.”

Jake laughed. “Thanks for that. His misery would’ve become all our misery if you hadn’t shown mercy.”

“It was a public service,” she joked, stroking a hand along my thigh as we settled in to watch the band.

Sayra leaned forward to chat to Tallulah about the initial reactions to the haunted house—it sounded like a raging success so far—and Jake raised his glass toward me. “Here’s to the best festival yet.”

I clinked my plastic cup against his and nodded before I took a sip, glad that none of us had any official duties to perform now that the party was underway. The company had whole herds of people dedicated to working the festival only, and while I always stuck around just in case, I’d never had to step in before.

It turned out I didn’t have to step in for day one of this year’s festival either. As day turned into evening and later, into night, the festivities went off without a hitch. The family friendly fun became a giant party once the kids had gone home and we ended up staying out late, waiting until the last band had finished playing before I finally spoke into Tallulah’s ear.

“I think it’s safe to say we can go now.”

She grabbed my hand immediately, flashing me a flirtatious smile before she pressed herself up on her toes, sealing her front against mine where we were standing in front of the stage. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Jake grinned at me when I slung an arm around her shoulders and turned to say goodbye. “Have a good night, boss. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“See you.”