I return the gesture before hurrying to the passenger side, opening the door, and slipping inside. Barely do I open my mouth in greeting when his fingers slide through my hair to cup the side of my head before pulling me toward him until his mouth can settle over mine. That one touch is all it takes to lose myself on a rising tide of sensation. Just as I’m about to sink into the caress, he breaks away.
“Hey there.”
“Hi.” My voice comes out sounding breathy and high pitched, not at all like it usually does.
His lips curve into a slow smile as if he knows exactly how affected I am.
“You ready to do this?”
I jerk my head into a nod and attempt to put the kibosh on the chaos unfolding inside me.
“Glad to hear it.” There’s a pause and my breath catches, wondering if he’s going to delve in for a second kiss. I’m disappointed when he doesn’t.
“I think you’re going to enjoy it.”
It takes effort to dispel the haze clouding my mind. “You never mentioned what we’re doing.”
He sends me a cagey look before shifting the truck into reverse and backing out of the parking space. “Yup. That was purposeful.”
I turn in my seat to face him as he pulls onto the street. “Wait a minute. Is it a secret?”
A smile simmers around the corners of his lips. “Maybe.”
“Hmmm.” I settle against the leather and stare out the windshield as my mind spins with all the possibilities. “Are you going to give me a clue?”
“Nope.” Looking pleased with himself, he pops the P at the end of the word.
“Not even a little one?”
He presses his lips together before shaking his head.
I’d figured our date would be lowkey and we’d end up grabbing dinner somewhere and then hitting a party. Or maybe we’d see a movie. Something along those lines. But that obviously isn’t part of the plan, since we’re on the outskirts of town. The lights from the city fade before Easton turns onto a side road and we head into a county park. As we roll to a stop at a tiny, one-story building, he rolls down the window to speak with the guard.
“Hey, Mitch. How are you doing? Is everything set up?”
The blond guy grins as his gaze flickers to me. “Yup, all ready. Have fun.”
“Thanks, take care,” Easton says with a wave.
“You, too.”
And then he’s rolling up the window and we’re driving on a narrow road that cuts through the woods.
He glances in my direction before focusing on the black ribbon of asphalt stretched out in front of us. “You want to take any guesses?”
I stare out at the vast darkness that surrounds us. “I have no idea what you’re up to,” I mutter, brows pinching together.
His grin widens. “Good, then it’ll be a total surprise.”
That it will.
After another five minutes of winding our way through trees that spear up into the night sky, the road opens into a wide parking lot. With the darkness blanketing us, it’s difficult to figure out where we are or what we’re even doing here. It takes a moment before my gaze sharpens on orange flames that dance and twist in the distance.
Is that a fire?
My attention slides to Easton in silent question. Instead of giving me an answer, he unleashes another smile before exiting the vehicle. And then he’s jogging around the hood and opening the passenger side door.
When I don’t move, he asks, “Do you trust me to give you an experience that you’ll love?”
Of course I do.
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go.”
He takes hold of my hand and pulls me from the truck. Once my feet touch the asphalt, he tugs me toward the wide swath of grass. Now that my eyes have adjusted to the darkness, I realize there’s a lake in the distance and more trees that flank the shoreline. My gaze drifts to the fire again and the ring of large rocks that surrounds it. Two Adirondack chairs are parked near the small blaze and there’s a red cooler next to them.
“I don’t understand...”
“Remember all the times we went camping when we were kids?” He doesn’t give me a chance to respond. “We would sit around the fire, cook hot dogs, and look at the stars, trying to find the Big Dipper. Then we’d roast marshmallows and make s’mores. You loved that so much.”
A heavy wave of emotion crashes over me, threatening to suck me under as tears prick the backs of my eyes.
“I did. I loved all the trips we took when we were kids.” Once we were in high school, it became more difficult to carve out time when our families weren’t busy with work obligations and athletics.
I can’t believe he remembered that.
Or even attempted to recreate it.
If I closed my eyes and inhaled the scent of burning wood and listened to the crickets chirping or the animals scurrying in the underbrush, I would be transported there again.