Ma packed it for me and drove like a bat out of hell to deliver it before Dahlia arrived. Bless that woman; she's a marvel. "I wasn't sure what you wanted, so I got an assortment."
"You are full of surprises," Dahlia grins before helping herself to a variety of treats. She looks as happy as a little kid breaking into Grandma's cookie jar.
"This is for you." I hand her a virtual reality headset before putting mine on as well. "Make yourself comfortable and enjoy the show."
She wiggles around, making the bean bag rustle while she settles in, but stops moving when I switch on the program.
I created an outdoor scene modeled after the forest behind our house and matched it to music designed to slow the wearer's brainwaves down to where you feel a sense of well-being and peace. It's an intro to a virtual reality program without haptics, allowing her to feel immersed without being overwhelmed.
Dahlia sits upright when the program starts, and even though she can't see me through the headset, she glances in my direction. I take my headset off and watch her naked delight as she experiences the scene.
She watches as sunlight filters through the tallest tree branches, shining brightly overhead. Dahlia glances up, lifting her hand to hold imaginary dust motes dancing on light beams. As her eyes adjust to the scene, she notices the deer camouflaged among the foliage, feeding. "Draven! It's beautiful. Is this how you see our forest?"
"Do you like it?" Reaching for her hand, I help her stand so she can move freely around the environment.
"I love it!" She sweeps her arms up, spreading her fingers wide, playing with the light and following the deer.
The smile spreading across her face makes me feel like the luckiest man on earth. She's a treasure, and I'm fortunate to have her. It's an unusual date but unique and memorable. I'll give her the world if I can. I'll do anything to make her happy.
"That was amazing," she says when the program ends. "I felt like I was really there."
"Are you ready for something more intense?"
"Uh-huh," she says, bubbling with excitement.
"We need to sit on the ground for this one." We put our headsets on again, and I load another program. We're in the forest again, looking at it from a different angle. At first, she's unsure what's going on, but she squeals when the psychedelic strains of the old Steppenwolf song begin to play.
Our one magic carpet takes off, and we fly over the top of the trees, dipping between them, swooping and soaring high above the ground. Dahlia grips my thigh, using touch to guide herself into my lap.
When the program ends, she removes the headset, placing it carefully on the ground.
"What did you think?" I'm not looking for praise, but her feedback will help me do better in the future.
Beauty gives me a chef's kiss. "Mr. Woodburn, you are superb!"
I stare at her, stunned. The connection crackling between us is enough to keep my heart racing for the rest of the night.
She twines her arms around my neck, sighing my name sweetly.
I groan, my dick throbbing. This isn't why I brought her here, but it's what she does to me anyway. I want her. Incessantly.
"Kiss me," she breathes, letting me know she's right there with me.
"Gladly." I slip my hand into her hair, drawing her lips back to mine.
Her phone rings before I can deepen it.
She huffs and reaches into her pocket, quickly silencing it. She doesn't even look at the display, but she tenses slightly, stiffening in my arms. Over the last couple of days, she's gotten several calls that have gone unanswered. Every time, she reacts the same way.
I haven't asked about them, and she hasn't volunteered any information, but I'm not an ignorant man. It's her father. And she's ignoring him. It's my job to protect her, even if that means protecting her from her own stubbornness.
"I want to show you something," I murmur.
"Another surprise? Draven, really? You're spoiling me."
"Not a surprise this time." I root around in the bags of supplies until my hand closes over the small metal Thundercats lunch pail. I'm not even sure why I brought it, but this seemed like the perfect place to share my secrets with her. I'm glad now that I did. I think she needs to hear them.
I deposit the box in her lap.