She smiled back. “Hi.”
She was wearing her fur coat and matching hat, her dark hair loose and bouncy beneath. He was obsessed with her hair. She was wearing knee-high heeled boots and stockings.There must have been a dress under the coat, but he couldn’t see it; the coat was done up to her chin.
She had redone her makeup, with the usual smoked-out kajal around her dark eyes. Beneath her elaborate nose-ring, instead of a bold lip color like red or maroon, her lips were a light shade of pink. It made her look different. Softer.
“These are for you.” He offered her the bouquet, and she took them, smiling.
“I love red roses,” she said, looking surprised. Relief poured through him. “You’re taking this date thing seriously.”
“Of course,” he replied, confused. “I take everything that has to do with you seriously.”
Her cheeks flushed, and he’d meant it when he’d said he liked her in pink. It was even better when he was the cause. He wondered just how pink he could make her cheeks, and his mind immediately took a salacious turn as he imagined all the ways in which her face would flush with pleasure.
Heat zipped down his spine, and he ached to pull her into his arms, to kiss her right then. But he had waited this long—he could wait a little longer. At least until the end of their date. He knew once he kissed her, it would be the end of anything else, and he wanted to have a good date with her, a proper one.
It was the first time he’d ever felt such a way, this wish to be cautious despite how deeply he desired her.
Emmeline pressed her nose to the flowers, then put them on her saddle on Torch so she wouldn’t have to carry them around. After a last pat goodbye, Torch took off, leaving the two of them.
“Did Motu get cleaned up okay?” Luke asked, as they started down the walkway.
“Yes,” she replied. “He’s a little devil, I swear.”
“He seems better behaved than he was a few weeks ago,” he replied, and she arched an eyebrow. He laughed. “I mean it. He listens to you, and I can tell he’s really attached.”
She smiled fondly at that. “It’s been fun having him around, despite the chaos,” she said. “Though it can be tiring—I dropped him off with my family for the evening so they can deal with him.”
“Good,” he replied. “I get you all to myself.” She beamed. “I want to show you all my favorite spots.”
“I’d love that,” she replied, and they kept walking down the path.
“Of course, most people think Bayview is best in the summer,” he explained, “and it is really beautiful then, too, but there’s a special quality in the winter. It feels smaller, somehow, more enclosed and cozy. All the snow and lights and festive decor—and my favorite hot chocolate.”
They had made it to the hot chocolate truck. Going to the front, Luke told her about the different flavors, explaining the different types of chocolates that were used, along with the flavors in different blends.
“There’s twenty options, but you can make your own, as well,” he told her.
“Have you tried all of them?” she asked. He nodded proudly.
“My mom is obsessed,” he told her. “We used to come really often when we were kids.”
She smiled. “Hm, well what would you recommend? They all look so good!”
“The milk chocolate with hints of molasses, pecan, and coffee,” he said. “It’s amazing.”
She nodded, and he ordered for both of them, paying. They stood by the side, waiting, and when their orders were ready, he handed her a to-go cup, watching as she took a sip. Her eyes lit up, and she smiled.
“Mm, that’s delicious,” she said. “I can taste everything you said, and it all goes so well together!”
He was glad she liked it. He took a sip of his order, savoring the decadent flavor.
“What did you get?” she asked.
“A dark chocolate blend,” he said. “It’s rich and a bit bitter.”
“Ooh, let me taste.”
They switched cups, and she took a sip. “Mm, that’s good, too! It’s so different. I can’t tell which one I like better.”
