Her tongue sneaks out of her mouth, gliding over her lips. “Yes.”
My dick stirs in my pants at the sight, and I’m even more relieved I came up with the scarf idea. It gives me some of that close contact with her I’ve been craving as well as build up the suspense about the surprise.
Let’s hope she’ll like what you did.
My mouth turns dry like the desert at the thought of having missed the mark with what I came up with.
Only one way to find out.
Leading the way, I pull Harper after me, careful to walk slowly so she doesn’t trip or run into anything. The patio door opens with a quiet creak—something I need to fix—and I guide Harper outside, across the patio and onto the grass, until we reach my destination.
Nerves flutter in the pit of my stomach as I let go of Harper’s hand and turn around to face her. “Ready?”
“I am.” She shifts her weight from foot to foot, her fingers moving nonstop by her sides.
I make quick work of the tie at the back of her head, lingering with my hands for a moment longer. Unable to help myself, I brush them down her neck and over one shoulder. Then I step aside so she can fully take in what I did to the backyard.
“Open your eyes.”
My gaze is stuck on Harper’s face, not wanting to miss a single reaction of her taking in what’s in front of us.
Her eyes widen, and she sucks in a quick breath. She’s completely still except for her eyes. They’re moving around like they’re on fire, trying to see everything at once.
Harper lets out a sudden laugh, and I exhale a breath of relief because she seems happy.
My heart reacts as well, pounding even faster than before.
She likes it. She really likes it.
At first, I wasn’t sure about having a movie night outside. But then I got the projector and large screen, alongside a ridiculous amount of blankets and cushions on the ground to nestle in comfortably. Somehow, I also managed to drag the heaters across half the lawn so we can stay warm. And, we have enough food, snacks, and drinks to last us all night long.
Harper leaps my way, her eyes shimmering under the evening sky.
I catch her and wrap her in my arms, where she immediately nestles into the crook of my neck. She fits perfectly.
“Thank you so much, Ryan.” She pulls back and admires the setup again with a wide smile. “I can’t believe you did all of this for me.”
“I wanted it to be special.”
“It’s absolutely amazing.”
“I’m glad you like it.” Without thinking, I lean down and press my mouth to the top of her head.
Harper stiffens for a moment but then relaxes again. “Should we get started? I’m so excited.”
Her voice is an octave higher than before, and heat radiates through my chest at the enthusiasm in her voice. We go to the mountain of pillows and blankets, and I hold Harper’s hand to make sure she doesn’t trip. Once she’s comfortable, I get the movie set up on my laptop, watching the screen to check it’s projecting the picture correctly. The Marvel logo pops up bright and sharp, and I’m off to my next stop. The food.
I rub my hands together and face Harper. “I got us some panini sandwiches from the deli, a vegetable platter as well as a fruit platter, and some dessert. What do you want first?”
Harper sits up straight to get a good glimpse of the food. “A panini and some veggies, please.”
“You got it.” I point to the cooler on her side. “Drinks are in there. If you want something else from inside, just tell me and I’ll get it.”
She opens the cooler. “Oooh, look at those delicious smoothies.”
I smile, enjoying the fact that we seem to have the same taste in a lot of food and drinks. “You should try them. They’re really good. The blueberry pineapple one is my favorite.”
“Do you want one?”