This woman—she’s feisty, sassy, and she will be all mine. Tomorrow night, I will treat her like the strong, independent woman that she is.
I’m starting to sweat way too much. Time to hop out and shower. Drying myself off, I hang up the towel on the hook bythe hot tub and make my way inside. As I step into the bathroom with the cool floor on my feet, I stare at my reflection in the mirror. It reminds me I haven’t been sleeping well. I undress and slip into the cold spray of the shower, cooling off my body.
Once I’m done in the bathroom, I pull the covers down on my bed and slide in. It doesn’t take me long, and my eyes are so heavy I crash into a deep sleep.
In my dream, I see Kendall’s face, her smile, her lightness. She’s like an angel twirling in a white dress. The sun is beaming down on her like a spotlight. I’m in awe of her beauty and her fiery red hair flying in the air all around her. I feel a smile spread across my face as I watch her. Then our eyes meet, the excitement and heaviness in my chest, and all I want to do is hold her in my arms. She never breaks eye contact as she moves her body toward me. Her smile never leaves her face. When she finally stands in front of me, I reach up, cup her face, and caress her cheek with my thumb. She leans into my touch. Those emerald green eyes hypnotize me, like I can’t look away from her if I wanted to. She has a hold on me. My entire body is electrified, sparks firing as I gently press my lips to hers.
Then there’s a ringing noise that has my head spinning as I look for the source.
Turning ever so slightly back to Kendall, she’s gone. Vanished.
Where did she go?
The ringing is getting louder and louder. Just as I try to move, I realize I’m in bed. The sheets are tangled around my legs.
Once I untangle myself from the sheets, I sit up and run my hand over my face. I glare over at my nightstand, where my phone is lit while the alarm keeps ringing. Reaching over, I slam the stop button to shut the alarm off. I groan. A few more hours of sleep wouldn’t hurt, but the day must begin, so I throw my legs over the edge and lift myself off the bed.
First things first—coffee. My mug is full, and the sun is shining, which means I’m sitting out on the deck to drink my coffee. Dropping myself in the chair, I kick my feet onto the ottoman. With my phone in my hand, I find the text messages with Kendall. Rereading them, a smile takes over my face. She isn’t even here; just thinking about her makes me smile. I haven’t smiled like this in a very long time.
Dane:
Good morning, Gorgeous! I’ve been thinking…what if we start our date a little earlier? Noon work for you?
Not thinking she’ll respond immediately, I’m about to exit the message, and I see three dots.
Kendall:
Noon? You’re bold. You didn’t even answer my question from last night. Dodging me already?
Dane:
If I tell you, it will ruin the surprise. And you strike me as the type who loves to be teased. So… you sure you want to ruin the fun?
Kendall:
Fun is my middle name. Don’t tempt me with a good time. I love surprises.
Dane:
Then be ready at noon. And Kendall…wear something that’ll make it really hard for me to be a gentleman.
Kendall:
I can absolutely do that :)
Noon can’t come soon enough for me. My palms are sweaty, and I keep wiping them on my shorts. It’s like I don’t know how to act. I’ve been on plenty of dates—well, maybe not dates. Casual hookups are usually my thing. This woman makes me nervous, which is laughable considering I can go toe-to-toe with some pitbull defense attorneys and not flinch. This woman, though, has my blood flowing in all the places, including my dick. No questions asked, but now? Now I’m standing here, and it’s still an hour before I pick her up. Fuck it. I’m picking her up now.
Swiping my keys off the ring, I stalk out to my car and jump in. On the way to pick her up, I think about spending time with her, getting to know her, and soaking up her sass. I’m feeling like a teenager on my first date with a girl. I shake my head at myself. I already know she’s someone special, and I can’t deny the instant attraction we had; now, it’s intensified. I want to touch every part of that gorgeous body, but first… our official date.
I turn into her driveway. Running my hand over my hair and down to my beard, it’s go time. I didn’t bother texting her. She said she likes surprises, so this is one of them.
As my foot hits the bottom step, she opens the door. “What are you doing here?”
“Surprise!” I say with a bright smile.
Kendall is shaking her head. All I see is her red, fiery hair swaying in the air around her, like a goddess. She is wearing shorts and a tank top, with no bra—definitely no bra.
Keep your eyes up.
