“A botanical rainforest.It took some looking, but I finally found a place you would be willing to travel to and with no risk of dangerous animals eating you.”
It took Andrea a moment to understand what he was talking about.She couldn’t believe he’d remembered from their date.She didn’t like landmarks but preferred nature where nothing could kill her to enjoy its beauty.
“I could stay in here for hours.”Andrea closed her eyes and breathed in the earthy smell all around.Now that she knew it wasn’t a swamp, she could relax.It was so calm and peaceful in here.It was silent except for the water system misting the flowers and making it feel like a muggy rainforest.She could forget about the horrible ugly world just outside those doors for a moment.There was no danger, just peace.
“There’s no rush.The place doesn’t close for hours yet.”
“Maybe I should just build one of these in my backyard, so I’d never have to leave.”
Michael looked around the place.“It is a nice escape, isn’t it?”
Escape.That it was.
Andrea opened her eyes to see Michael watching her much like a hawk seeing its prey.Did she want to be devoured?“Thank you,” she commented, turning away from his penetrating gaze.
“You’re welcome.”She heard him move closer.She could move away or stand her ground.She remained rooted.“Andrea—” Her name on his lips sounded like a purr.She felt it like a caress across her skin.
She wanted to dislike him.Keep that barrier up she had erected years ago, but he was chiseling away at it.If she wasn’t careful, he would crack the fountain, and it would crumble.Or was it already too late?
Against her better judgement, Andrea looked up into his eyes again and felt caught.
“Oh my god, look!”a young girl squealed, running into the room.
The girl’s voice was as effective as a bucket of ice water being dumped over her.Andrea stepped away from Michael.“We should go.I don’t want to hog this place from others.”
Michael didn’t look happy about the separation, but he didn’t say anything.“Okay.Are you hungry?”
“I could eat.”She wasn’t starving by any means, but she wasn’t ready for this…what would she call it?Outing, yeah, that sounded good.She wasn’t ready for this outing to end.“Are you going to make me put the blindfold back on?”
“No.”Michael leaned closer, his breath tickling her ear.“But if you like it so much, I won’t stop you.”
No, she didn’t like it.Didn’t she?No, of course not.Who liked feeling helpless and relying on others?
“I don’t,” she stated firmly.“So where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise,” he responded with a twinkle in his eye.
Andrea wondered if he’d said that just to get a rise out of her, but when they returned to the car, and he didn’t say where they were going, she realized it had to be true.
Chapter 20
“Here?”Andrea couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice when Michael parked and turned off the car.
“Yeah, something wrong with this?”
“No, I just didn’t expect to eat—”
“At my house,” he finished for her.
“No.”She’d figured they would go to a restaurant, not back where they’d started.
“Well, you told me you’d think about it.So I decided to take matters into my own hands.”
Very sneaky of him.“Are you ordering food?”She hadn’t been kidding when she’d said she didn’t want food poisoning.Her cooking she trusted, but she didn’t know about his skills.
“No,weare cooking it.”
She knew she hadn’t heard him right.“What do you meanwe?”
