“Oh?”
His hand that was resting behind his back comes up, and I chuckle instantly because a blindfold is dangling from his finger.
“What can I say? You know me so well,” he explains.
Now I’m anticipating what he is up to.
* * *
I’m kind of disappointedthat Connor hasn’t used the blindfold yet. Not exactly thrilled that I didn’t get a chance for a shower either, but he insisted I was fine in jeans and a t-shirt.
We’re driving along the winding road around the lake, and we are not heading in the direction of the house. He has “Follow You” by Beyond the Horizon on his speakers, and I could see him training to this.
I attempt to meander my gaze to the backseat, but immediately, he tsks me. “Eyes forward,” he demands as he focuses on the road. “Or you get the blindfold early.”
My fingers tap on my thighs. “I have no clues to work with.”
“That’s the point of a surprise.”
I scoff as I lean against the window of the car. “Haven’t we had enough surprises lately?”
A grin tugs on his lips. “This one is planned.”
“Give me something to work with.”
“I can tell you what we’renotdoing.” He glances sideways toward me then back to the road.
I give him an unimpressed look. “Helpful.” Nothing is further from the truth, but I’m curious. “Go on.”
That confident look plays on the corner of his mouth again. “Well, no Dizzy Duck Inn, because that’s your parents’ and my aunt and uncle’s spot, for reasons I don’t particularly want to know.” I smile because he is so right. “The lagoon is like sacred territory for my own parents, so I can never take anyone there,” he adds.
My smile vanishes, and he notices. “Uh, I mean, not that there are a lot of anyones, just… yeah, can’t save myself there.” He gives a pained expression before he tilts his head. “I thought about taking you to the city, looked for tickets to the Joffrey Ballet, but they’re not in season in the summer, except for a public show in Millennial Park, plus we don’t get much privacy in the city.”
My eyes nearly bug out because he put thought into it, and I’m surprised he even knows where to look for ballet tickets; surely, he must have an assistant who helps him. “So, where does that leave us?” I ask.
“Back to our own place.”
We drive a few minutes more, and he parks off the road next to the woods. I’m fairly confident that we shouldn’t be here, but Connor isn’t one for rules.
He indicates for me to wait a second when he turns the engine off, and I patiently stay seated until he circles the car to open the door.
Connor holds up the blindfold with a cheeky smile. “It’s time.”
I can’t even attempt to give him a scowl because the stirring emotions are running wild inside of me, as there is significance here. It’s been a hot minute—okay, months—since I was on a date with anyone, and what woman wouldn’t be in good spirits when her husband tries to surprise her? I’m not immune, even I know that.
My hand molds into his palm and I stand, turning on my heel to allow him to wrap the black fabric around my eyes. Connor knows how to tighten a knot, and my brain instantly registers that fact with heat swirling inside of me.
“I didn’t blindfold you on the road because that’s pure hell on the turns, but you won’t be this way for long, although we can keep this blindfold for other activities later tonight if you want,” he casually mentions, and I feel him step away and hear the hatch of his car open.
“Wishful thinking,” I call out.
He returns, and next thing I know he is guiding me. The ground feels uneven and rough, and occasionally I feel long grass against my ankles or I step on a large pebble.
“I have an inkling where we are, but really, where the hell are we? Don’t we need to worry about, I don’t know, foxes or raccoons? The old lady from the grocery store mentioned the coyotes in the area are getting bold,” I list.
Connor just chuckles as he helps me step up a rock. “Isn’t that what you want? You can feed me to the foxes.”
“That was before we got drunk and reckless. You might be growing on me a smidgen since then.”
