Page 38 of Wrapped in Red

“I would be honored if you would be my date. Do you need to go shopping? We can go first thing in the morning.”

“I—” Ezra quickly climbed from my lap and rushed from the couch before I could stop him. I heard him moving around in the spare room before he called my name. “CC, could you come here for a second?”

I smiled as I got to my feet to get to him. “What do you need, princess?”

“Can you move that desk for me? I want to plug in my sewing machine.”

Ezra must have had that in the closet or hidden in here somewhere, because I hadn’t seen it in forever. When I pushed the desk out of the way, he rolled it over, reached down, and plugged it in.

“I have an idea.”

I bet. “Tell me.”

When we were in high school, Ezra had made everything he wore. Nothing was store bought, nothing was mail order, and a lot of the girls in school had gushed over his clothes. Not all of them, because jealous cunts, but most of them? Yeah, they adored what he made. He even made his own prom dress.

“I have this.” Ezra moved to the closet to grab an oversized baby blue men’s dress shirt. “Oh, and these, too.” He shuffled around in the closet before he held out some white lace. “I was going to make it into something. I just never got around to it.”

My brows dipped. “Something?”

“Yeah, something. It’s a surprise, boo. I can’t tell you yet.”

“I know I’m going to love it.”

He ducked his head, and he gave me a shy smile. “I hope so.”

“I have just one request, though,” I murmured before I wrapped my arms around him so I could tuck his body against mine.

Ezra rested his chin against my chest. “What’s that?”

“You wear a pair of those sexy panties underneath so I can take them off with my teeth in our hotel room later that night.”

He giggled and pressed his face into my shirt. “I think I can manage that.”

***

The rest of the weekflew by. During the day, Ezra spent most of the time working on his super-secret outfit that he wouldn’t let me see, no matter how much I begged him, while I helped my father at the tavern. At night I was wrapped up in my best-friend-turned-boyfriend. We couldn’t get enough of one another. Kissing, getting one another off; it was like a switch had been turned, and we couldn’t stop. Not that we wanted to.

When it came time to fly down to Nashville, Ezra was a bundle of nerves and happiness. He had never been before, so he was more than excited. I let him sit in the window seat, and he babbled nonstop while I held his hand, smiling at him and wondering why I had never thought to bring him as my date before. Even as friends, I would have had fun with him.

Once we checked into the hotel, Ezra gave me that sneaky smile. He had kept his outfit hidden from me the entire time he worked on it, then held onto that garment bag like it was the rarest possession in the world. I was dying to see what he had created.

“Don’t look at me like that, CC.” He pointed a finger at me. “Perfection takes time.”

I snorted. “You’re already perfect.” I watched the blush creep up his neck and face, something that kept happening lately when I complimented him.

“I have to do my hair and makeup, boo. You’re going to have to wait a little longer. Do you need help with your tux? Your bowtie or anything?”

“I think that I can manage.”

Ezra nodded as he dug around in his suitcase before he pulled out a small makeup bag. “No peeking.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, princess,” I assured him.

I wouldn’t either. I didn’t want to ruin the element of surprise. Of seeing Ez all dressed and ready for me. Butterflies swooped inside my stomach as I glanced at him slipping into the bathroom. He winked at me over his shoulder before he shut the door.

Warmth bloomed over my skin as I stripped out of my clothes, including my underwear. I wasn’t nervous about this. I was excited. It felt like a first date. I couldn’t wait to show Ezra off.This is my boyfriend. My boyfriend, Ezra. Have you met my boyfriend, Ezra?I smiled as I pictured all the ways I could introduce him. I dug around in my own suitcase to find clean briefs, my deodorant, and aftershave.

I heard the door open.