Nodding, she gives me a nervous smile. “So, where to?”
Grabbing my keys, I shake my head. “Nope. That’s a surprise. Let’s go, Sunshine.”
Heading out to the car, I inhale her sweet scent as she walks past me. Vanilla and brown sugar wafts through my senses, and I feel my dick twitch. I know she tastes just as sweet, and I have a feeling this afternoon is going to be torture. I hope she lets me touch her, even if it’s just holding her hand.
When I open the door for her, I wait until she’s situated, then close it and head around the front. Taking a deep breath, I slide into my seat. The moment I look at Mila, seeing her excited expression and hopeful gaze trained on me, I know she’s in this too.Finally. “Safety first, pretty girl,” I remind her, reaching over, and grabbing her seatbelt. Stretching it across her body, I let my hand graze her chest and note the way she inhales. Good. I need to keep her on edge.
As I drive toward our first stop, I pray she doesn’t have a thing about small spaces, or dark areas. Pulling into the parking lot, I notice it’s pretty busy. Families are piling out of vehicles, kids running toward a small enclosure of animals, ignoring their parents’ shouts to stay in one spot. I can’t wait until that’s us.
“What is this place?” Mila asks, looking around. “Is it a petting zoo or something?” She glances at me in confusion.
“In part.” I park away from all the vans and SUV’s, giving us space from everyone else.
It’s a crisp February afternoon, but at Crystal Caverns, it’s always fifty-three degrees in the caves. I know that we share an interest in space, but maybe she won’t mind looking at rocks with me. There’s also a special place midway through the tour that I’ve been dying to take her to since I first saw it on their website. The petting zoo with goats is just a bonus.
I grab her hand in mine and walk through the parking lot toward the main building. I already bought our tickets online, so we get to bypass the ticket booth and head inside. Our tour starts in twenty minutes, so we wander around the gift shop. There are racks witheverything from rocks and gems to T-shirts hanging from the wall. I wonder if she’d get matching shirts with me.
“What are we doing here?”
“We’re going to look at some pretty rocks and pet some goats later on, but only if you’re good,” I explain.
“You brought me to look at rocks?” she asks, seeking confirmation.
“Yes, and something special. Why? Have you been here already?”
“No.”
“Oh.” Suddenly, I’m not so confident in my choice. I thought it would be something fun and different. This place has been around for over one hundred and fifty years and has an interesting story. Looking around, I try not to let my concern show.
“Hey, Casanova?” Mila’s voice brings my attention back to her. She’s looking at the wall behind me, her expression contemplative.
“Yes, Sunshine?”
“Can I get a T-shirt on this date?”
Tugging Mila’s hand, I drag her body into mine and hug her tightly, then kiss the top of her head and laugh. “You can get as many shirts as you want, Sweetheart.”
“I only need one.” She chuckles against my chest.
“Do you want some gems, too?”
Pulling back, she smiles up at me. “Only if they’re the prettiest ones there are.”
“They won’t be as pretty as you, but come on, let’s see what they have.”
Mila leads the way toward the bins of gems that are no doubt as overpriced as the T-shirts, but I can’t find the ability to care. She’s smiling and holding my hand. I’m fucking ecstatic.
We’re twenty minutes into the tour, and I almost didn’t think we’d make it. Five minutes in, the guide informed our group that we were literally underneath the parking lot and the color drained from Mila’s face. She knew it was underground, but when you put it into perspective like that, sometimes it doesn’t sound as good.
Walking along with Mila’s fingers threaded through mine, I watch her as she gazes at the limestone walls and different stalactites and stalagmites. The air is damp and musty, but it’s not exactly unpleasant. The view kind of makes up for it.
“That one looks so cool.” She points toward some stalactite hanging from the roof of the cavern. It’s a sandy color but looks like it’s iced over.
Nodding, I agree. “Just wait. You haven’t seen anything yet.”
Quirking a brow at me, she squeezes my hand and takes a few photos on her phone.Note to self: Take a picture with Mila. At least five.
“If you pause here for a moment, we’re going to turn off the lanterns. I warn you, it will get incredibly dark and you likely won’t be able to see in front of your face.” The guide smiles. Mila and I are hanging toward the back, letting the families with kids go first.
