Page 63 of Please Don’t Go (The Midnight Strike #1)

JOSEFINE

“Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” is the song of the day.

My lips curl up so high, the same way they did earlier at the stadium as I turn the volume dial to max. Surprisingly for how old the stereo is, it doesn’t sound too bad.

I’m on day twenty-two since Daniel gifted me the CD and I’ve heard just about everything both in English and Spanish. There’s no telling what’ll play next, and I’m both intrigued and excited for the day to end just so I can hear a song.

I know I could listen to everything in one go, but it makes it more thrilling like this. And I’m certain Daniel also looks forward to this. He’ll ask me about the song of the day and what I thought about it.

The front door opening and closing has me turning around. I’m nervous and happy. My thoughts feel like marbles, scattering and bouncing all over the place in no particular direction.

My heart is going haywire, my brain isn’t functioning properly, and my skin is covered in goose bumps from my neck down to my legs.

When Daniel steps into the living room, my first instinct is to run to him, but I stay rooted in my place. My gaze bounces to his suntanned face, the backwards hat, the crooked grin that drops when his gaze darts to my outfit. Then to the stuff he’s holding in both hands.

He’s holding a bouquet of a variety of yellow flowers and assorted throughout are tiny white flowers. They’re beautifully wrapped in a cream-colored paper, with a pastel yellow bow holding it together. In the other, he’s holding a large brown paper gift bag.

“Hi, pretty girl.” There’s a rough edge to his voice, and his smile looks strained, like he’s forcing it to stay up.

Heat spreads throughout my body, and I’m smiling uncontrollably as he walks to me.

“Hi.” I push the word out of my mouth, feeling unsteadily happy. My legs wobble and my stomach somersaults when he stands in front of me. There are so many things my mind is screaming at me to do—jump on him, hug him, kiss him—but I can’t do anything because I feel stuck.

I’m never like this and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little overwhelmed by how much happiness I feel right now. I can’t even find a way to sabotage this moment because my brain is obliterating any negative thoughts.

I’m actually enjoying this. I’m really happy. I think I might cry.

Don’t be weird.

“You make me so happy,” I stupidly blurt out.

The tension on his face melts, and his smile is as blinding as the sparkle in his eyes. With everything still in his hands, he envelops me in a hug. It’s different from any other hug we’ve given each other.

It’s all-consuming, and my heart, mind, and soul feel entwined to his.

I’m so deeply absorbed in him, I don’t know what else to feel other than pathetically and ardently—no, that feeling is too soon.

We just began dating. There’s no way I actually feel that.

I can’t feel that; I don’t even know what that feeling actually is.

I pull away, realizing the song is about to end and rush over to the stereo to turn it off.

He grins, eyes sweeping over me again. “You make me so happy.”

I’m crushing so hard for him, it’s insane. I’m blushing and smiling so much, I think I’m actually crashing out. This can’t be healthy, can it?

“What are those for?” I eye the gorgeous flowers in his hand.

“You know I love a good holiday.” He sets the gift bag on the sectional, drops his duffle on the floor, and stands in front of me.

“Holiday? I don’t think there’s a holiday today.”

“It’s Josie said I’m Her Boyfriend Day. This is one the biggest holidays of them all. So naturally I had to get my girlfriend these.”

The backs of my eyes burn. “But you got me flowers last month—a lot of them…”

Don’t cry!

“That was last month, and they’re dead now. This is this month, and next month will be next month.”

I laugh. “Don’t you dare get me flowers next month.”

“If it means I get to see you smile like this, expect them every month.” He kisses the crown of my head then retrieves the gift bag. “I also got you this.”

Daniel takes the flowers from me and hands me the bag. “You understand you don’t have to get me anything to like you, right? I really don’t?—”

He places his finger on my lips, keeping it there to shush me. “Whatever I buy or do for you is nonnegotiable. Don’t make this difficult. Accept the gifts, Josie. They’re going to keep coming whether you want them to or not.”

I softly swat his hand away. “Okay.”

“Now if you could kindly hurry up because I’m really struggling here.” He clears his throat, gaze drifting to my chest where the first few buttons are undone, exposing my cleavage. “I didn’t know you owned two of my jerseys?”

I only had one but after sitting out in the sun for almost three hours, I had started to sweat. I bought another, showered when I got home, and put on a matching green bra and thong.

“It was hard to pick one. You guys have so many.”

“I will get you the rest if you promise to wear them all the time.”

I smirk. “You improve in the pool and I will.”

“Deal,” he rapidly says, eyes darkening with need. “Now open.”

“You’re so…” The rest of my words get caught when I open the bag and find a bunch of picture frames. They’re all different sizes and colors. Some look vintage, while others look retro or rustic. “What’s this?”

“I wasn’t sure which style you’d like the best so I got a little bit of everything.

I was thinking we could put them around the house, fill them up with pictures of us, but it doesn’t have to be us; it can be anything you want.

You’ve let me put my things around and I think it’s time you start doing that too. ”

I attempt to speak, but I’m struggling to find the words. I never rearranged the house because I felt like I shouldn’t. It never felt like my house despite it being in my name, and I never had the desire to want to mess with anything.

It was in denial at first, thinking Mom would burst through the doors and she’d be angry that the house didn’t look the way she left it. Then I accepted she wasn’t ever coming home. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to make any changes.

But things are different now. The house has drastically changed since Daniel moved in.

It’s still clean, but the daunting echo that used to follow me around isn’t anywhere to be heard.

He’s filled every inch of this place with him, and I don’t mean that physically.

Him just being here, making this place his home, our home.

Don’t cry!

“Do you like it?” he asks hesitantly.

“I’m having a moment here, and I’m trying to remain calm,” I honestly say. I’m doing my best to regulate my emotions and not go off anytime I feel overwhelmed by how much he cares about me. I look up at him, and my world steadies. “I l…like you. I like you a lot.”

He cups my face and brushes his lips over mine.

“You don’t have to remain calm. You can let yourself feel whatever you want as long as you let me hold you.

” I nod, drowning in an ocean of emotions.

“I really like you a lot.” He pecks my lips a few times before he pulls back. “There’s one more thing.”

My brows furrow and I dig through the bag until I find a light brown envelope. I get giddy because I love his cards.

“I didn’t have time to make one this time. I’m sorry.” He sounds genuinely disappointed in himself.

I don’t deserve him.

“That’s okay.” I pull the card out and grin at the cartoon squirrel on the front.

Above it reads, I have something special for you , and when I open it, I burst out laughing because the squirrel is holding two nuts and underneath it reads, I want to share my nuts with you.

And underneath that it reads, I’m so happy you’re here, Jos.

He laughs too and stares at me with pride, like hearing me laugh is something he just ticked off his goals list.

“I can’t with you.” I suppress my laugh, taking the flowers from his hands and setting them and the bag on the coffee table. Wrapping my arms around him, I circle my legs around his waist as he instantly snakes his arms around me and lifts me up.

“I want to do something for you,” I say into his ear, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“What’s that?” He looks at me hungrily.

Instead of telling him, I connect my lips with his. I kiss him deep, savoring him, slipping my tongue inside his mouth and stroking it against his. He reciprocates the kiss with as much vigor, but it’s softer this time, knowing we don’t have to rush to get it out of our systems.

Daniel doesn’t break the kiss as he moves backwards until the back of his legs hit the sectional. He plops down, and I moan into his mouth as I settle right underneath his erection. His cock and the denim push into my clit, grazing it, and I shudder from the sensation.

It feels so good, I grind myself a little into him just to feel it again. Daniel groans against my mouth but doesn’t stop kissing me. Instead, he deepens it. Our tongues become frantic and sloppy as if that’ll fulfill the need for both of us to get off.

His tongue is thrusted so far down my mouth, I feel the vibrations of his grunts against the side of my throat every time I grind upward against him. I’m moaning with every rock, sucking his tongue, swallowing his saliva, tugging his hair.

Dry humping shouldn’t be this hot, but it is. I’m squirming, loving how hard he is, reveling at how the denim of his jeans and the lace of my thong dig into my pussy and rub against me.

His hands slip under the oversized jersey and he palms my ass, squeezing it hard before smacking it. I shoot forward, squeezing my eyes at the sting, but then I tremble with pleasure. He smacks the other and the same feeling of pain and pleasure returns.

I’m panting into his mouth the second time around, breathing heavily, aroused and sopping wet. My nails dig into his back, and he faintly hisses before he slaps my ass a third time.

I scratch and hold on to his back, bucking my hips into him, holding on as the orgasm ripples throughout my body.