kissing you isn’t enough.” He rests his forehead against mine. Our chests lift with each ragged breath. “I was afraid I was two seconds away from mouth fucking you on the middle of the dance floor.”
“That would have livened up that place, for sure.”
“Yeah, sorry it was a little quiet tonight. We’ll come back another time when it’s busier.”
“Not necessary. I would have blocked them all out anyway. You have that effect on me, you know? I forget other people are around.”
“Same.” He grins.
I sit across from him with my feet up on the side of his seat as he drives back to the house. He keeps one hand resting on my ankle. The fifteen-minute ride felt short on the way here, but the anticipation building as Tanner guides us home in the dark makes every minute feel longer than the last.
I’m starting to get the hang of this whole boat thing, so I help him tie up at the dock. As soon as we’re done, Tanner lifts me into his arms by sweeping my feet out from under me and carrying me against his chest back onto the boat. “I promised you dancing and stars,” he says, stopping and looking up.
It really is a beautiful night. He sets me down and I wrap my arms around his neck. There’s no music and I’m definitely not looking at the stars, but as our bodies come together and sway in the dark, it’s perfect. A moment in time that I know I’ll never forget.
“It was a good date.” I rest my head on his shoulder. His cologne has all but worn off, just the faintest hint of it lingers.
Despite all my efforts to throw myself at him to somehow make up for holding back years ago and show him how ready I am, he’s managed to give me something I didn’t even know I wanted. He’s made me feel special. Extremely frustrated? Yes. But also extremely special.
“Thank you for this. Seriously, tonight has been so much more than I expected.”
“What, like you expected it to suck?” he asks with a laugh.
“No, I knew that we would have fun, we always do, but I feel closer to you in a different way. It feels real. I’m probably not explaining it very well.”
“Nah, I get it. I wish I could say that was all part of my master plan, but I just wanted to give you a real first date. I feel it too, though.”
“So, two dates down. What’s next?”
“One date down. Nice try.”
“How about a friendly wager?”
He smirks. “No, way, babe. You’re dating me. Get used to disappointment.” He stops. “Wait, that came out wrong.”
“Hear me out. If I can guess date number two then we make the official date count two. Last night was amazing, cheese puffs and all. It should count as a date.”
He smiles, showing his perfectly straight teeth and full lips. He rarely smiles with teeth and I love it when he does. “You’ll never guess date number two. Date one was traditional first date material, but date two…” He shakes his head and makes a face like the idea of me guessing what goes on in his brain is absolutely ludicrous.
“Then you have nothing to worry about.”
“All right, fine. You know what? I’m planning on taking you on a lot more than five dates in the future so any which way you count it, we’ve only scratched the surface. Guess away.”
“Really?” I shouldn’t be this excited, but the idea of winning something combined with getting naked one day sooner has me all sorts of giddy.
“Three guesses. No hints.”
We’re still standing in the middle of the boat swaying gently under the moonlight. It’s quiet except for the occasional boat going by.
I’m almost positive I know what the next date is. He thinks he’s hard to read, but he isn’t. Not to me.
Date one was traditional and romantic. Dinner, dancing, the boat ride. Whatever he has planned next will be lighter and more us. Our best times together are silly, fun, and playful, and I guarantee that worked its way into his dates, even if only subconsciously.
“Mini golf?”
“Nope,” he says a little too proudly.
“Jet skis or something water related.”
He shakes his head, a super smug smile pulling his lips so high I can now see his gums in addition to those pearly whites. “Wrong again.”
Crap. I was so certain it was one of those. I really don’t think I’m wrong about it being something athletic and fun, though. I’m