on TV and had even had a peek at a few fireworks going off at a distance some years ago while at one foster home.
Gabriel leaned in and gave him a chaste kiss. “Not like this,” he signed in response before grabbing the blanket off the couch. Gabriel tilted his head toward the door and smiled, urging him to follow.
Ben huffed out a breath and scowled, knowing he couldn’t refuse that goofy grin. It was only one item on the endless list of things he loved about Gabriel. That carefree nature and love for life drove him to come up with new experiences for their random date nights. Experiences he refused to allow Ben to miss in this lifetime. The man’s heart was as big as his body. Yet, for all his mass, his Gabriel was a softie Ben would gladly cuddle with all night long.
Hence, his desire to stay home and get busy until the sun rose.
Resigned, he stomped toward the door, ignoring the way Gabriel’s lips tightened to hide a laugh. “We’re having sex later,” Ben signed. No way was he missing out on an all-nighter knowing he had tomorrow off.
“Count on it,” Gabriel said before planting a kiss on his pouting lips.
After a thirty-minute drive, Ben stood in the middle of the field, surprised by the number of people huddled together on towels. The park was full and the only vacant parking spots had been several blocks away. Gabriel was setting the blanket on the grass in a small empty spot he had found close to the large speakers. Ben was surprised Gabriel hadn’t found a picnic basket or some other romantic detail to create some moment Ben was certain would become another memory piece for his fantasy puzzle. Gabriel had a way of knowing exactly what to do and what to say to make everything perfect. Even with that skill, Ben wasn’t sure Gabriel could make fireworks special.
He watched as Gabriel positioned himself on the blanket. There was something seductive about the way the man moved his bulky frame with ease.
Gabriel waved him over as he pushed foam earplugs into his ears.
Ben settled between Gabriel’s open legs, nestling against his chest. He rested his hands on Gabriel’s thighs, sighing at the heat against his back. Looking out into the crowd, Ben watched couples and families together, pointing to things off in the distance. He couldn’t see more than a few feet of the lake past the shoreline, but he spotted some floating contraption in the middle of the water before everything faded to black beyond.
He turned in the embrace and pointed to the lake.
Gabriel pulled out his phone from his back pocket and typed out a note on the app. That’s where they launch the fireworks from.
Everyone looked upward in unison.
A building vibration echoed through his body. He glanced around, fidgeting as Gabriel wound his hands around his waist. The music started, Gabriel typed out in a note on the phone. We’re sitting close to the speakers. Do you feel it?
He nodded, trying to follow the rhythm of the faint thump of the bassline. He looked over his shoulder and smiled.
Gabriel pressed a kiss to his lips. The illuminated screen of Gabriel’s phone displayed another few lines. The music is timed with the fireworks. You’ll see the fireworks before you feel them.
Ben lowered his brow, not really sure the words made much sense. Maybe auto-correct had kicked in.
He glanced up as a spray of lights bloomed overhead, illuminating the night sky in a mix of red and blue lights.
A second later, he jumped back against Gabriel’s hard chest with a hand to his heart, startled by a sudden, stark strike that vibrated throughout his entire body.
What the hell!
With his heart racing, he crawled back, closer to Gabriel, seeking the security of the heat against his back and the steady arm sliding around his waist.
His head snapped up when two more blooms of light filled the sky.
Gabriel held two fingers in front of him, pointing to the sky a split second before two new deep, pounding vibrations shook through his body.
More flashes of lights above preceded more deep strikes that made his heart thunder. Each time, Gabriel held up a finger or two, counting off each rapid explosion of light until Ben’s mind finally reconciled what was happening.
The canon launching the firework from the lake.
He couldn’t hear them, but sitting so close to the fireworks allowed him to feel the deep boom when they launched.