The Caleb thing continues to eat at me, especially when Willow told me that she was going to hunt him down as soon as she left my place. I know she wants to make sure he's alright, but still. Her tenacity is a bit alarming.

I've never felt more insecure than I do right now. Caleb is one of my closest friends, so I doubt he'd try to steal my girlfriend. Still... The memory of their kiss lingers in my mind. Was it just a fluke of drunkness or does he actually have feelings for her? Not knowing the answer bothers me, but I won't mess up our friendship by asking him. That would make things awkward between us.

Instead, I need to focus on securing Willow's heart. I need to make sure that she sees no one else but me. And to do that, I need to be the best boyfriend I can be.

I think I've done alright so far. I didn't try to molest her when she was drunk. I made sure she had water first thing in the morning. I even cooked for her. That's far more than I would have done for anyone else. But I keep feeling like it's not enough. After seeing Caleb kiss my girlfriend—after being made to feel that my friend is now a threat—it's not enough.

I decide to play the romantic card and get Willow flowers. It's too late for any of the floral boutiques to be open, so I end up having to go to the grocery store instead. I scowl at their selection. Nothing seems good enough for my girl. I need to get her something that will completely blow her away, and everything here is average at best.

Displeased, I hunt down a sales associate to find a florist for me and custom make a bouquet. If I had my choice, I'd make sure that there were willow leaves woven into it, but that will take a special order from somewhere far better than this.

I have the florist arrange a mix of spring flowers in the largest vase they sell. It takes her a good hour to put together my order, and when she presents me with the final product, I'm still not impressed. It will have to do, though.

I take the flowers and climb into my car to head to Willow's apartment. The entire way there, all I can think about is her smile and the sound of her laughter. It's scary that I'm falling so hard so quickly, but that must be the case or else I wouldn't be going this crazy over her. She makes me feel possessive and affectionate and so many things I'm not used to feeling.

I wear a grin as I take the elevator up to the third floor, thinking about how surprised Willow is going to be when she sees me standing there with the flowers. Hopefully, she's home. If not, she's probably next door at Caleb's.

The thought makes me scowl. It reminds me of the kiss. It makes me imagine less pleasant things they could be doing together.

But Willow isn't like that. She wouldn't cheat on me. I have no doubt about that.

I knock on the door and wait. Within minutes, it swings open and Willow's face lights up like the fireworks from my balcony last night. Just seeing her reaction makes this totally worth it.

She gasps, drawing her hands up to her chest.

“Hi.” I peek around the bouquet at her.

“Hi.”

“I know it's late. I'm not going to come in. I just wanted to bring you these.” I hand the flowers over, trying to ensure that she knows my intentions are pure.

I want to savor every sweet moment that leads up to the time that we have sex. For the first time ever, she's someone I want to take things slow with. That alone should tell me how special she is to me. Normally, it would be a personal challenge to see how quickly I can get a girl into bed.

Willow takes the flowers and sets them on her kitchen island before returning to me.

The elevator dings, and I glance over in my peripheral vision just in time to see Caleb step out. Our eyes don't connect. He must think I didn't see him, because he immediately backtracks, his head barely poking out from around the corner to watch us.

There's no reason why he wouldn't just keep going straight to his apartment.

Except there is a reason. And in that moment, it's crystal clear to me.

He likes Willow.

It's not that he doesn't want to interrupt us. He wants to see what's going to happen between us.

Well, if he wants a show, I'll give him one. More than that, I'll stake my claim.

“Thank you for the flowers. They're beautiful.” Willow blushes up at me.

“They don't hold a candle to you.” I caress her cheek gently.

“You're just saying that.” She casts her eyes downward, obviously not that great with compliments. It's adorable and endearing.

It's now or never. I need Caleb to see this.

I grab Willow and pull her towards me. She lets out a soft gasp, gazing up into my eyes. I lean in, pressing my lips against hers, and she melts in my arms.

The kiss is full of all the passion I feel inside. I part her lips with my tongue and seek entry, my hands sliding around her waist to draw her closer. She's warm and wanton, her palms resting against my chest, her mouth reciprocating.

We kiss until we're breathless and my dick is painfully stiff. I don't even bother checking to see if Caleb saw the kiss. I know he did. He doesn't matter anymore anyway. All that matters is her. Being with her. Being inside of her.

I wait for permission. I want her to invite me in—need her to invite me in.

She doesn't, though. Awkwardly, she glances down the hall towards the elevator as if she knows that Caleb is there.

“What?” I ask, pretending to be oblivious.

Willow returns her attention to me. “Wow. That was just...wow.”

I chuckle. “I'm glad you approve.”

“Of course I do.” She traces the pad of her index finger across her lips as if it was the only kiss I'll ever give her. The way she seems to be savoring it is uniquely Willow. She's definitely a diamond in a sea of rhinestones.

I glance into her apartment, trying to subtly give her the hint. She's stunned into silence, though, still lingering on the kiss.

After a few moments, she thanks me for the flowers and takes a step back into her apartment. “That was very sweet of you. I guess we should both get to bed soon.”

Invite me in. Please.

“I guess so.” I don't let my disappointment reach my face, already knowing that my silent plea will go unanswered. “I'll let you get to bed, then.”

The elevator dings, and I know that Caleb has stepped back inside. He's retreating either downstairs or upstairs to hide like a coward. No matter. He saw what I needed him to see. He's got the point now. She's mine, and I'm not about to let her go. But in case that wasn't enough...