Eden rubbed the back of her head, sighing. God, this man… she wasn’t angry, no. Far from it. She adored him, but she didn’t feel comfortable using his money for something she could easily buy for herself… “Sterling, it’s fine. Really. One is enough. If I need more, I’ll come back for more. Okay?”
Sterling frowned slightly, shifting his books in his arms. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Okay… If you’re sure,” he said with a shake of his head. “Just know that I want to buy things for you, and you never have to worry about cost.”
Eden stepped closer to him, standing on her toes, lips barely grazing his. She glared up at him, cursing his height.
“I know you want to, Sterling,” she started softly despite the glare on her face. “But I just don’t feel comfortable having you pay for me. Even if you’re fine with it.”
“Okay,” Sterling sighed again, running his fingers through his hair another few times. “Okay. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable in insisting I pay for you.”
“Firstly, you didn’t make me uncomfortable with your insistence. I just don’t want to use your money. It makes me feel cheap. I know you want to pay for me, and Sterling, it makes me happy knowing you do. But you’re my boyfriend, not my walking credit card. And I don’t ever want to use you like that,” she exhaled through her mouth. “And secondly, help your girlfriend and bend down so she can kiss you.”
Sterling rolled his eyes with a small smile at her last request. “Come up here and get me, shorty,” he teased with a chuckle.
Eden shot him a menacing look. “Don’t make me kick your ankle to do so, Sterling,” she threatened. “Because I certainly will.”
Sterling laughed and set his books down, then took hers and set it on top of his. Once his arms were free, he pulled her to himself and pressed their lips together.
Eden hummed in delight when he pulled her to himself, capturing her lips in his own. She immediately kissed him back as if it had been days since they last kissed. She loved it. Her arms wrapped around his neck, fingers gripping his hair. He liked that, didn’t he?
Sterling grunted softly when she out her hands in his hair. He pulled back just enough to breath against her lips, “You can have your hands in my hair as long as you don’t tug or play with it too much while we’re kissing.”
Eden nodded numbly, not even questioning him as she pressed their mouths together again. She could deal with what. Nothing too much. She could do that.
Sterling g hummed when she reconnected their lips. He lifted a hand to her cheek, thumb brushing over gently. Could he ever get tired of this? Of kissing her softly like this? He didn’t think so. Not at all.
Eden would have continued kissing him if not for someone clearing their throat behind them. Eden immediately pulled away from Sterling, her cheeks slightly pink in embarrassment.
Sterling straightened with a sigh, turning to look at whoever had interrupted then. He raised an eyebrow, a silent question of What?
The old man merely returned Sterling’s look with a disappointed one of his own.
“Kids these days…” he clicked his tongue, brushing past him. Eden couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Come on, let’s go pay for these,” she tugged on his sleeve. “The sooner we’re done here, the sooner we can get home and you can kiss me breathless.”
“Those are dangerous words, Eden McArthur,” Sterling said with a chuckle, shaking his head. He blinked a couple of times before taking her hand and picking up the books. “All right. Let’s go.”
Eden shivered at his words. What did he mean by that? Surely she hadn’t said something that tempting, right…?
“Give me half,” she murmured, reaching to take half the books from Sterling. “There we go. Let’s go now.”
Sterling smiled and kissed the side of her head before walking up to the counter to pay. Once he paid, he handed Eden the bag with her book in it.
“There you go. Now what should we do?” he wondered.
Eden took the bag gratefully, slipping her hand in his afterward. “Let’s just walk,” she suggested. “For a while, we can walk. And then we can go home and watch a movie or something.”
“Sounds perfect,” Sterling said, squeezing her hand gently. “Just around the block?”
“Just around the block,” Eden repeated, looking down at their joint hands, a small smile on her lips. “Tell me more about yourself.”
“Well, what do you want to know? My dad is a lawyer, and a good one, at that,” Sterling said with a shrug. “I either want to be a computer software designer or a lawyer after I graduate.”
Eden chuckled softly, shaking her head. “I know,” she nudged him on the side. “You said that already.”
“Did I? Well, then, tell me what you want to know about me,” Sterling chuckled, nudging her back.
Eden cast her eyes down, biting on her lip. “Um… your past,” she answered quietly. “If it’s not too much. I want to know about the past Sterling.”