Shock - Marie Johnston Page 0,29
judge—who has nothing on your mom, by the way.” Like before, he makes a turn I’m not expecting, one that’ll take us away from my place. “We’re supposed to be dating. We should be seen in more places together than the country club.”
A thrill sings through my belly, a reaction that’s happening the more I get Ford to myself. “Where are we going?”
“Remember the park I showed you earlier?”
“Dressed like this?”
“Why not? People will think it’s romantic.”
It is romantic. That’s the problem. Facing Cass—not romantic. Meeting my parents—not romantic. Finding out he’s an expert kisser—hot. Add a picnic in the park while dressed up and my mind’s going to have a hard time convincing my heart that this is all pretend and will be over as soon as Ford can convince Cass to give him more time with his son and my parents lay off about Samuel.
“If you can find a picnic table that’s not covered in bird shit, then sure.”
“No table. I have a blanket in the trunk.”
Dismay leaves a sour taste in my mouth. This experience might be new to me—Samuel wasn’t prone to romantic gestures—but I have a feeling Ford has a blanket that might light up under a black light. “I’ll risk the grass.”
“Wait—do you think I’m such a manwhore that I’ll whip out a blanket and head to the park whenever I can’t go back to her place?”
I hate the nameless and faceless her in this scenario, but I get over it. I’ve insulted him, thought the worst of him, like everyone else in his life. “Sorry.”
“I’d have washed it if that was the case. But no, the blanket has never been fucked on. I tossed it in when I drove back and forth from LA. Sometimes I had to stop and catch an hour of sleep.”
He told me once that he’d come back a lot when his stepfather was sick. He’d clean the house and take care of the yardwork so his mom could sit at the hospital. “I didn’t mean to assume.”
“I’ve earned it.”
Grim acceptance. He has a reputation, yes, but I know him better than those girls. I know him better than anyone but Maggie.
We don’t say much more as he maneuvers through the park and finds a spot to park where we’ll have some privacy. I’m not sure how far this’ll go to show everyone we’re dating, but after pretending for others so much, I want him to myself. Learning about him is different when it’s more than just coworker chat. He’s even more three-dimensional than he was before.
He retrieves the blanket and I gather the food.
There’s a large tree that’s perfect for sitting under near the parking lot. If he had parked on the other end, we’d need to walk a half a mile to this spot, but given he’s so familiar with the area from his coaching days, he saved my feet from blisters. I pick my way across the grass and kick off my heels next to the spread-out fabric.
It’s no cheap item, either. The plush fleece over manicured grass is divine after a few hours in these shoes. I can’t believe I used to spend so much time in them between college and my EMT days. Give me my boots any day.
He takes my armload and I sink down, folding my legs next to me to avoid flashing my most private parts. I can’t wear much for underwear in this dress. So, no underwear.
I expect to pick at my goodies and restrain myself from ravaging it all, but he plucks out a chocolate chip cheesecake bite instead and holds it out for me. Like I’m supposed to eat it from his fingers.
His lips curl into a challenging smirk. He doesn’t think I’ll do it.
I narrow my eyes and lean forward. Since this isn’t something I’ve ever done, I overshoot and my lips close around the tips of his fingers.
Enjoying the beat of surprise and the heat that infuses his gaze, I suck as I pull the bite into my mouth. I might’ve gone too far.
My face heats as I chew. To cover my reaction, I hold up a piece of strawberry swirl. His eyes darken. He’s not going to hesitate. The question is, will he stop at the food?
Chapter 8
Ford
What the fuck did I just do?
I only meant to tease Lia, to see if she’d back away, embarrassed. But this is a woman who left a privileged family and a promising career in politics to rush into