Chapter 31 – Another Kidnapping

William

Thankfully, Jason didn’t say anything during our ride, but neither did Harmoni. I hoped this date wouldn’t be awkward. Luckily, the car ride was short and the radio filled the otherwise uncomfortable silence.

For our date, I had planned to take her to a park. Emily had helped with the logistics. She had asked to borrow Jessie’s truck and placed it in the park as well as twinkle lights around it so that we wouldn’t be in the dark.

Overall, I had shown Emily a few pictures of what I wanted, but she waved me off, saying she knew exactly what to do.

She was Harmoni’s best friend, that was enough for me to trust her to make the atmosphere romantic.

Parking in the parking lot, I walked out and quickly made my way to Harmoni’s passenger door to help her out. I was going to be the most chivalrous person she had ever seen.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Benjamin and Logan getting out of the van that had been following us.

As we walked towards the truck, I reached for Harmoni’s hand and intertwined them with mine, as if it was the most natural thing for me to do. She seemed surprised when she twisted her head up to look at me. I saw a glimpse of the shy smile that appeared on her face as a pink shade coated her cheeks. There was something about holding her hand that just seemed right.

“What is up with you and woods?” she teased, lifting her chin to gesture to the woods surrounding the open field of the park we were heading towards.

I chuckled at her remark. “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see, but I promise I’m not going to kill you, Princess.” I was glad she was finally comfortable enough to speak.

Jason followed closely behind, making me want to turn around and punch him in the face. You know, to slow him down a bit.

Soon, the illuminated truck came into view.

Emily had done a splendid job. The fairy lights were hung all around the vehicle creating enough light to safely eat and move around yet, dim enough to give out a romantic and intimate atmosphere.

The trunk of the truck was opened, creating an open space, where a few white pillows were scattered, and blankets were piled. In the middle sat a basket which I had given to Emily a few hours earlier. This was perfect, it was even better than what I had initially envisioned. My eyes shifted to Harmoni to see her reaction.

“Oh my god Will, this is amazing,” Harmoni said, gasping at the truck, her hand covered her mouth as her eyes twinkled with excitement. Her gaze moved to meet my eyes. “You did all this?”

Seeing her this happy brought down my raising nerves, so far so good. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been this nervous for a date. It was uncharacteristic of me, yet I couldn’t stop. I wanted this to be unforgettable for both of us. Who knew I could be the romantic type?

“I had help,” I admitted sheepishly. By then, we had reached the back of the vehicle. The truck was too high for Harmoni to get on alone. She turned around to face me, her head was slightly lowered, allowing her hair to hide part of her tinted cheeks.

I slowly moved forward, placing a hand on each side of her body, effectively trapping her between me and the car. My heart raced at her proximity. What was this girl doing to me?

In our current position, I easily noticed the way her eyes moved down from my eyes to my lips, before they returned to meet my gaze. Taking her gesture as an invitation, I bent down and sealed our lips together in a chaste yet incredibly satisfying kiss.

I wasn’t about to start something I wouldn’t be able to finish.

Leaning back enough, I placed my hands on both sides of her waist, effortlessly lifting her.

Once she was on the truck, I hoisted myself and followed her to the back. She grabbed onto the lid of the basket, curiously cracking it open. Simultaneously, she bent down to try and see its contents.

I quickly slammed my hand on top of the lid, shutting it close. “No peeking,” I teased.

“Really?” she whined. “Well, at least it smells amazing. Did you cook for me?” she teased, giving me a toothy smile.

“Maybe,” I answered vaguely, suddenly feeling self-conscious again. I really hoped she would like the dishes I had spent all afternoon making.

“That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me,” she quietly admitted, her eyes glazing over. She took a seat on the comfortable pillow, covering her exposed legs with a blanket while quickly blinking the unshed tears away.

“Well, get used to it, Princess,” I offered. If this was the best she had ever had, then she had no idea what she was up for. I wanted to make her feel valued, cared for, and important to me. I wanted her to know just how much she meant to me. I could always tell her, but I’ve always believed that actions speak louder than words.

Settling down next to her, I dragged the basket closer, ready to unpack each dish one by one. I hadn’t known exactly what to make, so I ended up cooking small portions of all my favorite dishes.

Her eyes widened at the number of glass containers I had taken out.

“Did you steal Mary Poppins’ bag?” she teased.

“Alright, so we have for starters Caprese salad, ceviche, and for the main gnocchi with a creamy truffle sauce, mushroom ravioli, salmon papillote, and crispy chicken,” I introduced as I removed the lid covering each dish.

“What about dessert?” she questioned as her smile never left her lips.

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” I teased, keeping her on the edge of her seat. Unexpectedly, she reached out and grabbed me in a hug. Her scent invaded my nose, creating a tingling feeling in my body. I didn’t hesitate to return the gesture, holding her close to me.

“Thank you for doing all of this, it’s perfect,” she said genuinely. She pulled her face out of the crook of my neck and bent down to peck me on my lips as if to emphasize her statement. I returned her kiss eagerly; this woman was making me feel more than anyone had in a very long time. My heart fluttered at her affective gesture.

I had many more surprises for the night, but only one left for our dinner. I had brought with me Harmoni’s favorite wine. She had a habit of drinking a glass of wine from time to time with her father and had mentioned this bottle of wine to me.

“I have a surprise for you,” I teased.

Her eyebrows curved in curiosity as she stared at me expectantly. This evening had been perfect, except for Jason at the beginning.

Unwrapping the bottle of wine, Harmoni squealed excitedly. She jumped forwards, wrapping her arms around my neck.

~I might as well keep her here.~ I thought to myself. When she tried to go back to her previous seat, I tightened my grip on her slightly. She smiled at me before sitting down beside me, with one of my arms still wrapped around her.

“How did you know?” she asked as she took hold of the bottle and examined the label. “I haven’t had it since last Christmas!” Her excitement was contagious, and I soon found myself just as eager to have a glass as she was.

“You know I do listen when you talk, right?” I chuckled. I took two glasses out of the picnic bag I had prepared.

Yet, before I could pour the wine into the glasses, an annoying voice interrupted us.

“You know she’s not legally allowed to drink, right?” Jason reprimanded.

“So?” I asked back. Who did he think he was, interrupting our date ~again~?

“Well, I could report you and have you arrested,” he stated as he rolled his eyes at me. I knew all that, why was he being such a prick at the moment.

“Look Jason, is it?” Harmoni started. “I drink wine with my father all the time, if you have an issue with the way I was raised feel free to take it up with your boss. Now if you don’t mind, I would like to continue to enjoy my date. Uninterrupted.”

Her words weren’t angry, yet they weren’t friendly either. Jason looked like he didn’t know what to do. After a few seconds, he finally stepped away and let me pour the wine for her. Smart choice.

“You know him?” she questioned.

“Unfortunately, we work together,” I groaned. Harmoni didn’t push the subject, which I was glad for. It wasn’t the time nor place to discuss that prick.

The rest of our dinner went by smoothly. I couldn’t get enough of her smiles and laughter. I wish she would relax like this more often. It was a beautiful sight to see.

Harmoni

This entire date was magical. It was absolutely perfect, from the mouth-watering home-cooked food to the light conversation. I had shared more about myself with him than anyone I knew, yet I didn’t want it to end. It felt like the more I got to know him, the more I discovered. He was charming, sweet, and caring. I couldn’t believe how blessed I was to have found someone like him.

I heard shuffling across from the open field.

“Will, I think someone’s here,” I panicked, grabbing his arm to get his attention.

“It’s nothing for you to worry about,” The look in his eyes made me believe he knew something I didn’t. His next words confirmed my suspicions. “Are you ready for the second part of this date?”

“There’s more?” I asked disbelieving. This had already been the best date I had ever been on, and it wasn’t even close to finishing. I guess there’s one thing I should add to my new discoveries: William is full of surprises.

Looking at my surroundings for the first time in a while, I realized more people had gathered in the open field and were sitting on blankets or pillows. Many of them were couples, snuggling into each other, smiling, and loving. I guess I had been so wrapped up in William that I had lost track of my surroundings.

William shifted next to me, reaching into the basket and pulling out a bag of popcorn.

“Are you kidding? How did you even fit that much in there?!” I asked, surprised. My eyes were probably as big as saucers. I swear I needed to get one of these baskets.

“That’s what she said,” he teased. My eyes widened at the insinuation, as my cheeks became crimson red. We both laughed at his remark, yet a shiver ran down my spine at the possibility of what could happen between the two of us. I knew I had strong feelings for him, and if tonight was any kind of proof, he did too.

“It’s an outdoor movie, isn’t it?” I questioned. I had always wanted to go to one, but Emily wasn’t a fan of them, always blaming the temperature and the weather to avoid going.

“Yup,” he said, grinning at me. Snuggling closer to him, I enjoyed the warmth that radiated from him while I inhaled the now-familiar scent of his cologne mixed with his aftershave. He smelled delicious.

The rest of the date went on as smoothly as it had started. Luckily, there were no more intrusions from Jason. I swear I was this close to sending him home and calling one of the backup bodyguards myself.

I had enjoyed the movie. It had been funny and full of action. I think the name of the movie was Guardian of the Galaxy, but I had honestly been more preoccupied with the Greek god sitting beside me than the movie itself.

The drive home had been quiet, but it wasn’t the uncomfortable silence we had experienced at the beginning. On the contrary, it had been a pleasant silence. William had placed his hand on my thigh, giving me the occasional affectionate squeeze.

We were now standing in front of my front door. Neither one of us wanted to put an end to this magical evening.

“I hope you had a good night, Harmoni.” William tensed, seeing as this didn’t come from his mouth but Jason’s. I swear he was relentless. I was about to answer him when something in William seemed to snap. He turned around to face the culprit, eyes blazing with anger.

“I get that your peanut brain has a hard time grasping rather simple concepts, so let me make it explicit. When a girl is taken, you have some respect and you take a step back,” he said, taking a step closer to Jason with each word. Jason took a step back himself, probably realizing he might not have poked the bear.

I slowly walked up to him and rested a hand on his arm, hoping to calm him down.

“Jason, go do a round check,” I instructed him. He gave me a thankful look before rushing away. Coward.

William ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated by the situation. “Sorry, I didn’t want the night to end like this,” he sighed.

Let’s be honest, I was more flustered by what he said than the fact that he almost bashed Jason’s face into the concrete floor.

"So I’m taken,” I said with a smug face. William’s eyes looked straight at me, his silver eyes boring into my green ones. I would never get tired of looking at him.

“Are you not?” he asked. Although his air was confident, I could still distinguish the bit of uncertainty in his voice. A little ball of lava formed in the pit of my belly as my heart staggered from the nervousness he was displaying.

“Depends,” I added, leaving a small silence to tease him a bit. “Who’s doing the talking?” I finally added. His hand reached to wrap around my waist, nuzzling his head into my neck.

“I better be the only one doing the taking, Princess,” I could feel his playfulness come back. I loved the possessive side of him. He wasn’t controlling, but he showed just how much he cared and that was more than I could have asked for.

“Then consider me taken,” I whispered into his ear. His hold on me tightened as he exhaled in relief.

“I’m all yours,” he whispered against my neck, making me shiver. This night had been amazing, and I couldn’t believe that this man in front of me was mine. He was my man.