I wanted to actually know her.
I pressed my finger gently to her lips.
She blinked up at me.
Confused.
Breathless.
“Hey,” I murmured, brushing my nose against hers. “Too soon, baby.”
Her mouth curved. “Too soon?”
“Coffee in the morning,” I said. “Breakfast. A real date.”
She laughed soft. “Oh… you’re gonna wine and dine me, huh?”
I smacked her thigh lightly through the blanket.
“You bet your sweet ass I am.”
She snorted, then buried her face in my chest.
And just like that?—
The fire cooled into something softer.
Better.
She tangled herself around me like she planned on staying.
And we fell asleep to the slow rock of the harbor.
Like two kids hiding from the world.
Like nothing bad had ever happened.
Like nothing bad ever could.
We stretched like lazy cats when we awoke that morning. There was no chance of sleeping in—the marina was already bustling with people going sport fishing, going sailing or just taking their kids out for a day on the water.
I tucked a piece of her honey blonde hair behind her ear, “I want to take you out later. I don’t want to wait until tomorrow to see you again.”
She leaned into my touch. “Okay.”
We left the boat, hand in hand. She still carried her shoes down the dock. The early morning breeze went over us bringing the scents of Sunday morning—percolating coffee, baking bread and salty air. I’d never felt so many perfect moments as I did with her and it was just starting.
I hailed her a cab and we kissed slowly before she climbed in. “I’ll call you in a few hours…”
She smiled softly. Her lips swollen from mine. For such a firecracker she had soft sides. A vulnerability that made her sweet even though I had also seen her thorns. I was so far gone already for this girl.
I watched the cab until it disappeared. Whistled as I walked back to the bar form the night before to grab my car—one hand in my pocket, feeling like I owned the whole damn world.
I couldn’t wait until dinner.
That was the problem.
All day, my BlackBerry felt heavier in my pocket, like it knew something important was coming. Every email I sent, everymeeting I half-listened to, every glance at the clock—none of it mattered. All I could think about was her mouth when she smiled like she wasn’t trying to, the way she tilted her head when she listened, like she was cataloging me for later. Mike had called they already had someone else lined up for today, I was a bit disappointed but seeing Sage eclipsed playing for a few hours at the bar. Now all I had to do was figure out a perfect first real date,
