A Prior Engagement (15 page)

He grabbed her by the hand, and greedily announced, “You’re all mine then! Come on, let’s go.”

They hopped on the subway down to Battery Park and she started to question their destination. “The ferry again?” she asked, raising her eyebrows, when they arrived. “You might need to seek help for this obsession with boats after you work out your highlighter addiction.”

“I’m taking you home.” He smirked, feeling lighthearted while teasing her.

“We were closer to your home when we were at school.”

“I’m taking you to Staten Island to meet my family.”

If it wasn’t attached, Evie swore her chin would have hit the ground, but in his happiness, William leaned down while sliding his hands into her hair and kissed her, calming her developing concerns. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his neck needing this kiss more than she ever thought possible. When their lips parted she leaned her forehead against his shoulder smiling and felt breathless. “That was just…” She didn’t finish, but instead sighed with a smile on her face.

William grinned at her, his eyes sparkling as hers looked up with a sense of vulnerability. Holding her close, he kissed the top of her head. He wanted to take away all of her concerns and worries and for her always to feel safe in his arms.

Evie’s eyes watered from the joy she felt in her heart and she realized that unconditional love did exist in the world and she had found it. He loved her for her. Her family’s name and money didn’t matter. Tears slipped down her cheek, but she wiped them away before William was the wiser.

When the ferry blew its horn, he grabbed her hand and said, “Let’s run for it.” They ran just as the bridge was pulling back from shore. They made it onboard and he promptly wrapped his arms around her again, loving the way her body fit with his. He hadn’t had a girlfriend in a couple of years, not wanting one because he wasn’t meeting the right girls. But with her, he wanted all of that and more. He couldn’t resist sharing a secret with her, so he leaned down close to her ear. “I never knew true happiness until now.”

He placed three consecutive kisses on her neck, making her knees weak. She gripped the railing a little tighter to help support her faltering weight.

Being sentimental, William wanted to tell her he loved her and be with her forever, but he knew it was too soon and that would scare her. Instead, he held her with one protective arm around her waist and entwined their fingers.

When they reached the Staten Island dock, they walked toward a main road. Evie was unfamiliar with the island and was curious. “Do we need a cab?” She held her hand across her stomach as butterflies threatened to escape. She couldn’t believe she was going to meet his family. She hadn’t had enough time to come to terms that this was real and going to happen.

“Yeah, come with me and stay close.”

Although that statement should have worried her, her stomach settled when she saw how comfortable he was in his hometown surroundings. William pointed out the different sights of his childhood neighborhood as they took the short cab ride. She found it interesting that she had always thought he seemed so in his element in Manhattan as well. It was then that she realized he was just happy in life and that transcended to wherever he was physically. No wonder she always enjoyed being with him.

After they arrived and he paid the ten-dollar cab fare, he said, “My parents bought this house the year they married twenty-five years ago.”

“That’s incredible. I can’t wait to see inside.” The house was older, but she could tell that they took care of it. She wanted to know everything about him, and that he trusted her enough to bring her here spoke volumes to her heart.

“My family’s not home yet, but they will be soon. Get ready.”

“Get ready? Is that a warning?”

He laughed and took her inside the living room without explaining further, setting their backpacks near the door. She stood there not wanting to intrude, waiting for him to lead the way. Evie noticed the living room was cozy and the furniture looked well lived in. She liked that it looked like homes she had seen on television—not perfect, but real.

William walked into the kitchen, inviting her to come with him. The kitchen was of decent size and there was a table placed near the window with just enough room between the counter and table to walk to the back door. “Soda?” he asked, bending over with his head hidden behind the open fridge door.

Her eyes widened at the site of his backside and smiled enjoying the view. “Yes, please.” She giggled while looking around the room where she saw a large family portrait hanging on the opposite wall. “You were a cute kid.”

“Hey, I’m not that old now.” He handed her a glass of cola and they went back into the living room.

“Well, you’re pretty cute now, too.”

He laughed.

“I want to see your old room, will you show me?” She wanted to see William’s history, his life. She wanted to see everything he was willing to share with her.

“It’s embarrassing because they haven’t changed it since I left. I think they still want me home,” he said, climbing the stairs.

“Or they want you to stay seventeen and under their thumb forever.”

Leading her out of his small childhood bedroom, he said, “I don’t think my parents want me seventeen again. I got into a lot of trouble.” He laughed at the memories, but she didn’t respond. Noticing her hesitation at the door, he told her, “You can snoop. I don’t mind.”

“You know I want to.” She was giddy as she walked around the room looking at random knick-knacks, trophies, awards, and books. “Wow! Your bookcase here is even bigger than the one at your place in the city.”

“I keep my favorites with me, but I can’t part with these either. One day I dream of having a library inside my home.”

“You should come to my house and see ours. It’s an entire wall of the informal living room. I’ve helped acquire a lot of the collection.”

This was the first time Evie ever invited William into her life, and he immediately accepted. “I’d like that.” He kissed her to show how he felt and as they stood there, they got lost in each other, momentarily forgetting where they were. They swayed out of weakness for each other, but he moved back, pulling her with him until his legs bumped into the bed. William sat down and she moved against him, their mouths meeting in the middle. She wanted to live in this kiss, this world,
his
world, and decided that when she was with him she would be wholly his and would selfishly take these few precious moments of happiness.

He pulled her down onto the bed and rolled over next to her. William knew Evie wanted him. He could read it in her body language, but he would never risk losing her by doing something stupid in a fleeting moment of rampant hormones. He had to remember that his mind was stronger than his body. Taking a deep breath, he inhaled her soft perfume and her Evie-ness deep into his lungs. He closed his eyes and pressed his body against hers, struggling not to attack her, trying to remember to be polite.

Evie had never felt so out of control before. Her body ruled her mind and she didn’t want this feeling to ever end. She knew right then that she could never let this man go. She couldn’t get enough of his kisses, enough of his body pressed against hers, or enough of him. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him down on top of her as her mouth attacked his with a sexual desperation she had never known.

Just as she felt his passion for her against her thigh, she heard, “Whoa! Dude, what are you fifteen?” His brother joked as he passed by the open door to the bedroom.

Evie and William bolted up, alarmed from being caught. She tried to catch her breath and get back into her right mind as she straightened her shirt, skirt, and her hair.

William stood up, hoping he wouldn’t have any obvious signs of how she made him feel. He glanced down at the front of his pants then toward the door, and yelled, “Get the hell out, you perv,” and kicked the door shut. Knowing he couldn’t hide his infatuation with her, he ignored his erection and willed it away. He turned back around, reaching his hand out for her to take, and pulled her to her feet. With eyes reflecting what he considered a missed opportunity, his voice was husky. “I can die a happy man now, Evie.” He straightened a section of her gone-crazy-from-the-bed-session-hair then caressed her lips against his for one last sweet kiss. They held hands and went back downstairs to the kitchen.

William laughed when he saw his brother chowing down on a bag of chips. “This is my younger brother Dallas. He’s a pretty good guy when he’s not pestering me.” William brought her hand to his lips, kissed it then introduced her with pride. “Dallas, this is Evie Wright.”

“It’s very nice to meet you.” Evie admired how handsome Dallas was and thought of her little sister. Audrey was totally boy crazy and would go nuts over this one.

Dallas stuck his hand out with a smile on his face. “Nice to finally meet you.”

Dallas using the word
finally
wasn’t lost on her, but with Audrey on her mind, she turned back to William letting Dallas finish his chips and asked, “Did you know I have a younger sister? She’s seventeen.” William liked that she seemed comfortable enough in his home to share more information about herself.

They turned toward the back door when it opened. His Mom raced to William, hugging him in delight. “I didn’t know you were coming home tonight. I would’ve planned a proper meal. We’re just having what’s in the fridge.” She looked at Evie surprised to see this pretty girl standing in her kitchen. She was used to both her sons dating pretty girls, but she didn’t expect to see one today and certainly not one she had never met or heard of before. After a quick introduction, Evie became the center of Angie Ryder’s attention. “How did you and my son meet? Do you go to school together? What’s your major? Where are you from?”

William cut in, stopping his mom’s barrage of questions, and answered for Evie, “School. Yes. English. The city. That’s enough of the interrogation for now.” He laughed and everyone else followed suit.

“I’m sorry, Evie. I just got excited to meet someone who is obviously special to William. He doesn’t bring dates home.”

“That’s because I don’t go on many dates.”

His mother rolled her eyes and turned back to Evie. “Will you stay for dinner?”

Evie smiled at the kind gesture. His family was open, and so opposite of her own that she wanted to say yes, but couldn’t. “Thank you for the invitation, but unfortunately, I have a prior engagement.”

“Maybe another time then,” Angie responded, smiling. “I’m going to start dinner. You kids hanging out for a little while?”

“Yes.” William pulled a barstool out for Evie then sat next to her.

Dallas walked to the fridge, and Evie asked William’s mom, “Dallas is a unique name. Is there a story behind it?”

“William was named after my father, but Dallas, well, my youngest was named after the city we once visited.”

Evie looked at all the happy faces and could feel the love they shared for each other. “So he’s named him after the city?”

“No, they named me after the city I was conceived in. How gross is that?” Dallas butted in, “The city where my parents got it on.” He laughed. “Anyway, lucky me with the weird name. I think I got my ass kicked every day of my sixth grade year. Staten Island guys don’t take to a runt with a name like Dallas . . . yeah, I would’ve kicked my ass, too.”

“You’re so tall though,” she said.

William chuckled. “Now he is, but back then . . . man, I got tired of fighting.”

“You fought for him?”

“Sure, he’s my brother.”

Evie smiled at his response that seemed ordinary to him, but she knew loyalty like that is what made his family extraordinary.

Chapter 13

Word traveled fast in the neighborhood William grew up in and before he could go undetected with Evie, Bobby was walking in the back door as if he lived there.

Bobby had practically grown up at the Ryder home and was treated as such, volunteering to stay for dinner as soon as he walked in. But over the hour he sat there joking with the Ryder clan, he also observed . . . even stared, surprised to see how close his best friend and this new girl in his life had become.

William was more serious than Bobby expected. And, as much as he wanted to be happy for his buddy, he sort of felt left out since William had stayed mum about her. She was very pretty and his friend was a goner.