gaze.
“You, Sunshine, will be well worth the wait. I don’t want anyone but you.”
Then he leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. I could feel the heat from his mouth surge though my entire body. With his lips still hovering over mine, Aaron closed the distance between us. He kissed me again but this time with more intensity. My breath caught as he expertly moved his tongue into my mouth and caressed my tongue. Just as my body started to get weak, Aaron placed his arms around me and held me tight. I melted into the warmth of his body.
“I promise not to hurt you,” he whispered softly into my ear.
I wasn’t sure if I was crazy but in that moment, I believed him.
“What are you doing Saturday?” he continued.
“I don’t have any plans. Why?”
“I’d like to take you out on a real date.”
I smiled. “I’d love that.”
“I’ll pick you up at around three, if that’s okay. Be sure to wear your hair in a ponytail.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Trust me,” he said and grinned.
Trust him. Interesting choice of words. That really was the heart of the matter.
Eight
A Birdie
I was a little relieved that Olivia had gone away for the weekend with the speech team. They had a tournament out of state. I wanted to enjoy spending time with Aaron without having to explain what was going on with the two of us or be subjected to her third degree. I knew she was only trying to protect me and didn’t want to see me get hurt but I still didn’t want to deal with the drama—at least not right away. I
still needed time to figure out what was going on between me and Aaron before I could explain it to anyone else.
Right at three o’clock, there was a knock on my dorm room door. When I opened it, Aaron gave me a big smile. “Don’t you look beautiful?”
I was wearing a snug fitting coral sweater and black jeans.
“I love your hair pulled back from your face,” Aaron continued.
“You specifically asked for a pony tail,” I reminded him.
“And you will probably want to bring a jacket, just in case.”
A few minutes later, we were standing next to an azure blue BMW Z 4 convertible. I had never ridden in a convertible before and the idea both excited and frightened me. Aaron held the door open for me and I got into the passenger’s side. Then he made his way around to the driver’s side and hopped in.
“Well, what do you think?” Aaron asked as we got settled.
“It’s nice.”
“Just nice?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know that much about cars.”
“You’re not impressed at all?” he actually seemed a bit disappointed.
“I’m glad that you have a car. It’s better than having to take the bus for our date.”
Aaron laughed. “You’re the only girl I’ve ever been with, who didn’t care about my family’s money.”
“I hope this doesn’t sound bad but other than the good fortune of birth, what does your parents’ wealth say about you?”
“Good question.” He thought about it for a moment. “Not much, I guess.”
“I’m not dating your parents. I’m dating you.”
“Then we’d better get to it,” he said as he put the car in gear and took off.
I was extremely glad that Aaron had suggested the pony tail for my hair because riding in a convertible is windy. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an exhilarating feeling the wind on your face and the sun warming your body as you’re speeding down the highway but it comes at a price—messy hair.
It surprised me when Aaron pulled into a nearly empty parking lot.
“Here we are.”
“And exactly where are we?” I asked. There wasn’t a building to be seen. Just a dirt trail.
“You’ll find out. Come on.”
When we got out of the car, Aaron took my hand and we headed toward the footpath.
“It isn’t very far. Less than a mile. Do you mind walking?”
“Of course not. I love to walk.”
We headed along the dirt pathway into the quiet woods. The trail was well worn but I didn’t see any other visitors on our trek. It could have been because the weather was getting colder or perhaps it was still a bit early in the day for visitors. The sun was out and it was almost too warm for our jackets, in a few hours, though the sun would be setting and it would get cold.
Aaron took my hand and laced our fingers. When I looked over at him, he had a