“I love driving you home.” He pulled back, his gaze flickering to her lips.
“Lucky for me,” she whispered, “since I don’t have a car.”
“I think . . .” Ben leaned in. “I think I’ll probably love kissing you, too.”
“Well,” she said, her cheeks flushing prettily, “there’s only one way to find out.”
Ben closed the distance between them, relishing the soft sigh that escaped Lilli’s lips a split second before his touched them. He slid his hands into her damp hair, tipping her head slightly to deepen the kiss, and she grabbed at his waist, clutching his t-shirt tightly in her fingers. Butterflies raced through his stomach, a tingling sensation running over his skin and he felt warm, despite the chilly rainwater dripping down his neck.
When he finally pulled back, he gasped for breath and found Lilli doing the same.
“What do you know?” he said, pressing his lips to hers once more. “I was right.”
She laughed, a bright, sunny sound, and Ben couldn’t keep from grinning in response.
“Okay,” he said, “first things first. I want to take you out on a date.”
Lilli pursed her lips, considering it. “I don’t know. I’ve had some pretty bad first dates lately.”
“Come on,” he said, taking her hand to lead her in out of the rain. “I promise not to smoke weed or wear a dickie.”
At that, Lilli’s step faltered. “Um, about that.”
“About what?”
“About the dates.” She shifted, looking decidedly uncomfortable.
“What about them?”
“They, uh, didn’t actually happen.”
“What?” Ben was confused.
“I kind of made them up,” she said sheepishly.
“You made them up.”
“Not all of them,” Lilli said, not meeting his eyes. “The first two were real. The others were, well . . .”
“Okay, wait a second,” Ben said, turning to face her in the middle of the kitchen. “What are you talking about?”
Lilli twisted her hands together, not meeting his eyes. “After that second time, I kind of thought you were cute, you know?” Her cheeks reddened.
“Oh yeah?” Ben tried not to look smug. He was pretty sure he failed.
“So, I knew you were studying on Friday nights, and I knew when the library closed, so I called for an Uber at around that time.”
“Wait a second,” Ben said, holding up a hand. “Are you saying you called for an Uber specifically for me?”
She shrugged.
“But how did you know you’d get me?”
“I didn’t. The first time it just worked out that way. It was harder after that. The last time, it took four tries. I kept calling and then cancelling when I saw the driver wasn’t you.”
His eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”
Her whole face was red now. “I kind of got banned.”
“You were banned by Uber?” Ben laughed, and she smacked his arm.
“I wanted to see you again,” she said. “And I had no idea how to reach you. And really, you should consider it flattering—”
“Or kind of frightening.”
“Shut up,” she said, lifting her chin. “It’s romantic.”
“It’s stalking,” he said, unable to resist teasing her.
“Okay, I’m done,” she muttered as she turned to stomp away.
He grabbed her arm to stop her. “No, no . . . don’t leave. I’m kidding, really.” He couldn’t keep the huge grin off his face.
“Stop laughing at me.”
“I’m not laughing at you.” At her skeptical look, he pulled her close. “I’m not! Look, I might have stalked you a little, too.”
She gave him a skeptical look. “You did?”
“I drove by your apartment a few times.”
“A few?”
“A few dozen?”
“Wow.” She took a step back. “That’s seriously creepy.” Ben gaped at her and she burst out laughing.
“Okay, so we’re both crazy stalkers,” she admitted.
Ben wrapped his arms around her waist. “A match made in heaven.”
She popped up on her toes to kiss him, twisting her fingers in his hair. “About that date . . .”
“Friday night,” he said. “I’ll skip the library and pick you up at seven.”
She smiled. “No dickies?”
“No dickies.”
They came together again, kissing languidly until Arnie shouted for Lilli to come out and make some coffee already because the line was out the door.
She dragged Ben with her, and he took a seat near the counter so he could listen to Lilli sing while she brewed espresso and mixed up lattes.
And when the crowd erupted in applause, Ben was the first one to lead a standing ovation.
Thanks for reading!
If you enjoyed DRIVE ME CRAZY, check out VIOLET’S VALENTINE, the first book in my new series, LOVE IN HOLIDAY JUNCTION.
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Second Chances: A Magical Holiday Romance
Visions of Sugar Plums: A Magical Sequel to Second Chances
How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You
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Cutlass
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A Piece of Cake
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Tami Franklin writes sweet and wholesome romance that will sweep you away. A former TV news producer and freelance writer, she now enjoys sharing stories about people destined to be together... they just might need a little help getting there.
Franklin also writes contemporary and YA fantasy under the penname T.M. Franklin.
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