I pull away from him so I can stare into his eyes. “How do you even know about this place?”
“My first year here, my art teacher suggested I take horticulture fundamentals. I thought it was a complete wasteof time, but eventually the professor brought us up here to do some hands-on work with the plants and flowers, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. She explained the importance of ‘budding artists’ spending as much time in nature as possible. I’ve come here almost weekly ever since, save for when Emily …” He clamps his lips shut and shakes his head once. “This rooftop has become my sanctuary. It feels like I’m in another world.”
“Almost like a jungle.” I glance about the room, wondering if Mrs. Harrington spends time up here, what with her love of plants and flowers. “It’s truly magical. There are even fairy lights.”
Twinkling white lights have been strung up haphazardly all over the greenhouse, adding a whimsical element to the space.
“I added those.” His cheeks turn ruddy as if he’s embarrassed, and it’s the cutest thing. “I wanted to make the night special.”
I press myself into his side like a magnet, helpless against his pull. And it’s true—I can’t help myself. I need to touch him, to feel his solid heat beneath my hands. “It’s already special.”
When he kisses me, we get lost in each other for long, wet-hot minutes. Our hands wander and our breaths quicken until he finally pulls away, taking a step back as if he needs the distance. “We’re getting ahead of ourselves.”
My body sways, and he grabs my elbow, steadying me. “I don’t mind.”
“Well, I do.” He chuckles. “We need to eat dinner.”
“We’re having dinner up here?”
Connor leads me to a small table covered in a pristinewhite tablecloth with two silver dome plate covers at each setting. He holds my chair out for me, and I settle in, leaning over to breathe in the scent of the single white rose sitting in a glass vase in the center of the table.
“Was this grown in here?” I gesture to the rose.
“Actually, no. It came from the alumni garden.” He sits across from me. “Ready to eat?”
I nod. “I’m starving.”
“Let’s see what we’re having for dinner, then.” The mysterious look on his face tells me he already knows.
On the count of three, we lift the domes off our plates and I gasp in surprise. There’s a giant cheeseburger sitting on my plate, accompanied by a pile of skinny fries. I lift the sesame seed bun off the burger to find there are two strips of bacon crisscrossing the cheese and barbecue sauce slathered on the bun. “Oh my gosh, this is like a western bacon cheeseburger!”
Connor can barely contain his smile. “I heard that’s what you miss the most, being here in the UK now.”
“From who?” It dawns on me almost immediately. I complained to Sophia at one point that I was sorely missing cheeseburgers. American cheeseburgers. The dining hall serves them, but the buns are always soggy and the meat is too thin. Being stuck out here in the middle of nowhere means we can’t go out to eat anywhere, either. “Sophia.”
“She’s a valuable source of information.” He unwraps the cloth napkin from his silverware and sets it in his lap. I do the same. “I’ve never had a western bacon cheeseburger, as you call it.”
“Well get ready to have your world rocked,” I tease.
We start to eat, and the moment I sink my teeth into myburger, I groan so loud I embarrass myself. It’s too delicious to hold back, though, and within minutes I’ve devoured half of the burger while Connor has only taken a couple of bites.
“You like it?” he asks.
“It’s delicious.” I pour some ketchup onto my plate and dunk in a couple of fries. They’re salty and crispy, and I immediately grab a couple more. “Where did you get all this?”
“I have my ways.” His sly tone makes my stomach flutter. He most definitely has his ways. He only has to say a few words and I turn into a puddle. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
“Are you?” I watch as he opens the tiny jar of mayo and pours some on his plate, then dips a fry in it. “I don’t get the fries-in-mayo thing.”
“Have you tried it?”
I shake my head. “It sounds disgusting.”
“It’s quite good.” He swipes a couple of fries from my plate and dunks them in the mayo before holding them out toward me. “Try it.”
Warily, I lean across the table and wrap my lips around the fries, our gazes locking. Holding. His intense stare has goose bumps breaking out all over my flesh as I chew slowly, then swallow hard. “Meh.”
He bursts out laughing, shaking his head. “Meh? That’s your response?”
