I smile when I awaken in Clay's arms after my alarm goes off. He starts to slowly wake up after I turn it off and kiss his cheek. "I'm going to shower, and then you can," I say quietly.

"Okay." He replies, still sleepy. I kiss his cheek once more and head to the bathroom. I take a quick shower, allowing the hot water to saturate my entire body. I bite my lower lip as I imagine him in this room with me. I leave the bathroom, hastily dry off, and don my robe. When I step out, Clay is still in bed and has his eyes closed. As soon as I approach his bedside, he quickly pulls me up onto him.

"Clay!" I start to laugh. "Hmmm, you smell good." He says this as he crazes my neck with his perfect lips.

"Stop, go shower," I order him. "Fine." He pouts like a child. I take a seat at my desk and begin applying makeup. He finally exits the bathroom, wrapped only in a towel. I shake my head and carry on with my task.

I enter the bathroom and begin to blow dry my hair. Finding an outfit for tonight is the only thing left to do. When I step out, I notice him clothed and prepared to leave. He looks fine, and I feel myself drooling over how sexy he looks. He has untidy hair, a silver ring on his index finger, a black turtleneck with a silver chain around his neck, dark pants, and boots. His left hand's blue rose tattoo is more noticeable than normal. He appears complete.

I walk into my closet and find something to complement what he is wearing. I see a black romper.

"Perfect," I say to myself. I grab a pair of black heels and a chunky black belt and get dressed. "Clay, can you help me with the zipper?" I call out. He walks in, and with his hands on me, I can feel the goosebumps rising. He zips up my outfit and kisses the back of my neck. I turn to face him and smile. "How do I look?" I ask shyly.

"You look beautiful as always." He kisses me gently.

"Thank you!" I blush. He takes my hand, and I grab my purse with my keys and phone inside. He stops at the front door and turns to face me.

"I want to make memories with you. You're the only girl I want in my life." I look at him, not knowing what to say. I want him to; he is the only one I have ever opened up to. I stand there silently, and he continues.

"I'm your boyfriend up here in my head. I'm hoping you'll agree to be my girlfriend at some point soon. We agreed to take things slowly, go on a few dates, and see where it leads. The only thing I need is you. So, darling, will you please let me know when you want me to? I'm done with being friends. You make a decision, and I will give you all the time you desire."

I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him. His hands are on my lower back as he brings me closer to him. I want him to be mine and only mine. "Okay, boyfriend. Where are we going?" I smile.

He kisses me again. A smile crosses his face, and his eyes shine bright. Something I'm sure most people have never seen.

"Dinner, and then I was thinking maybe the arcade." A mischievous grin spreads across his countenance, revealing the charming dimples that punctuate his flawless visage. "You spoke to Brie!" I laugh.

"I did. She said back home; that's where she would find you when you needed time to yourself. I also heard you're pretty good." He smiles, and I feel like my heart can fly.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go!" I take his hand and walk out as he laughs behind me. He grabs my waist, spins me around, and smiles.

The elevator door opens, and we step inside. He holds me from behind and kisses my neck. My head rests on his chest. The elevator door opens, and an older couple is standing there. We can't help but laugh as I take his hand and walk outside.

He opens the door to his car and helps me in. He gets in, and his hand finds its way to my thigh. I smile and look out the window.

⁂

We arrive at this little Italian restaurant. He gets out and opens my door. He holds my hand and intertwines his fingers with mine as we walk in. He turns to the hostess and says,

"Reservation for Cladwell, party for 2." The girl blushes and motions for us to follow.

I can't help but let out a little giggle as we sit. "What?" he asks.

"Do you not see that girls drool all over you, or do you just ignore it, Mr. Popular?"

"Yeah, I do, but I'm not paying attention when I have you." He takes my hand. "Those girls can look all they want. The only girl I'm looking at is you. My eyes are always on you."

I smile and feel a flutter of butterflies in my stomach. We place an order for our food. While we eat, we engage in conversation by asking each other questions such as our favourite foods, preferred music genres, and other similar topics.

"What about your parents?" I ask him.

"No," he says sternly.

"Okay." I shrug my shoulders. I won't push him to talk about it if he doesn't want to.

"Wait? You're not going to nag about wanting information?"

"Nope, if you want to tell me, you can. If it's something you don't want to talk about, then that's fine too. You'll tell me eventually if or when you feel like it."

A smile appears on his lips, and he says, "How did I get so lucky finding someone like you?" I smile, and he kisses my hand. "When all that shit happened with Sloane, my folks stopped talking to me. Everyone assumes that my parents gave me the house, but in reality, they sent me there to avoid confrontation. They didn't want to see me because they found what I had done so repulsive." His eyes shimmer as if trying to hold back tears.

I feel my heart shatter for the boy he used to be. "You didn't have to tell me, Clay, but thank you. I'm sure they would know you're not that man if they saw you now. You're a handsome, loving person. I don't trust most people in my life, and I trust you. That has to mean something." I tell him. He gets up, walks to my side, leans down, and kisses me. He smiles as he sits back down.

"Okay, now what about your mom?" He asks. I look at him, and I freeze.

"The only thing I can say about her is what I recall of her. She was an arrogant bitch. She wasn't fond of me. She constantly made me feel like I was a burden." I pause, taking a deep breath before continuing. "But I've come to realise that her behaviour towards me wasn't my fault. It was her own issues and insecurities that caused her to treat me that way."

"Your dad?"

I smile. "My dad was honestly the best. I remember every Sunday we would be outside, and I would watch him work on cars. It was his favourite thing to do. I learned everything I knew from him. After he died, I continued."

"So that's why you could tell what kind of car I have. I don't know many girls who know anything about cars. You are different." He smiles.

"Okay, next question. What's your favourite colour?"

"Blue." He smiles. "You?"

"Red." A wicked smile crosses his face, and his eyes glow red. I start to laugh. "Yup, just like that."

"So my eyes are a weakness for you?" He teases.

"And I'm your distraction," I reply.

"Yes, yes you are." He smiles. He pays for the bill, and we head out. He takes my hand as we walk down the street towards the arcade. Before we walk in, he backs me up against the wall and kisses me.

"Sorry, I just can't help it." I kiss him, letting him know he is more than welcome to show me any affection he likes.

"Alright, big shot, let's see what you've got." He laughs as we enter the place.

First up, racing. "1-0 me." I give him a cocky smile.

Next up, basketball. "1-1," he teases.

We get through all the games and have been tied throughout them all. I haven't had this much fun in a long time. I'm glad Clay broke through my walls and entered my life; I need him more than anything.

We take the tickets and head to the counter. On the way, we see a little girl with a sad look on her face. I nudge Clay, and he hands the tickets to her. Her smile shines, and she thanks him. I smile and squeeze his hand at the gesture. The little girl runs toward her parents, and they say thank you. We wave, and Clay still demands to go up to the counter. He pulls out his wallet and asks how much the red teddy bear would be.

"No, Clay."

"Too late. Can I get the red teddy bear for my girl?" He pays for it and hands me the bear. Kissing my cheek, he says, "I want this night to be perfect."

I blush. "Thank you, and it's already perfect. Any day with you is perfect."

He smiles and then looks at the time. It's late, and he promised Logan he would attend the party. "Can you just take me home?" I ask him.

"No, I told you, you are coming home with me tonight." He smiles, and I can't refuse. "Plus, I want to get some ice cream first."

We make our way to the ice cream shop and order. Taking our cones, we cross the street and head to the park that overlooks the water. As we sit on the bench watching the stars, I can't help but laugh. "What's so funny?" He questions me.

"This." I dip my finger into my ice cream and rub it on his face. "I'm going to get you for that." He laughs.

I run across the grass in heels, knowing I'll be covered in our tasty dessert any minute. His strong arms wrap around my waist, lifting me. He turns me around as I continue laughing. His lips press against mine, his tongue parting our mouths. The stars shine above us, and this night has become as magical as I can imagine. We part, and he says,

"I'll get you back one day." He smiles. I laugh as I lick the ice cream off his cheek. He kisses me one more time and slowly puts me down."Ready?"

I inhale deeply and nod my head. "Ready."

Dear Lord, help me; all those girls will kill me.

⁂

As we pull up to his house, I start to feel nervous. If the girls see him with me, acting the way they want him to with them, I'm going to be a target. "You okay?" He startles me.

"Yes, I think." I feel sick to my stomach.

He cups my face and says, "I'm only yours; remember that." I nod, and he kisses me once again.

"What about Cain?"

"He won't show his face around here. I promise you're safe."

He notices my unease and takes my hand, leading me inside. As soon as we step through the door, I hear the giggles and whispers of the girls in the other room. My heart races as I realise I'm about to face their judgement and scrutiny. I try to compose myself, taking deep breaths and reminding myself that I'm here because he wants me here. But as we walk into the living room, I can feel their eyes on me, sizing me up and assessing whether or not I'm a threat to their own chances with him.

I slowly slip my hand out of his and walk toward my best friend. "You and him? Finally!" She whispers excitedly.

"Yeah, but I'm feeling a little uncomfortable being here. I know he has a reputation, so do you think he will be like he usually is when others are around?"

"I doubt it, he's talking to Logan right now, and his eyes haven't left you." She smiles.

I take a deep breath.

"I need a drink." She takes my arm, leads me to the kitchen, and pours two shots of vodka.

"To us." We clink our glasses together and down the shots, feeling the burn in our throats.

The song from the club plays over the speakers, and I look over at Clay; a sexy smile and sultry eyes glow on his face. He knows exactly what he is doing. Brie and I make our way to where everyone is dancing. I'm lost in the music when I feel his strong arms wrap around me. It's like we're the only two people in the room as we move together, lost in the rhythm.