The Perfect Date

SHAY

I’d been at the water park for a good three hours. I’d had my fill of slides, tube rides, and playing with the kids.

Now, I was perched at the bar, nursing a margarita. I was pretty much spent from all the stair climbing. Suddenly, I felt a pair of warm, strong arms encircle me and a kiss land on my bare neck.

“Hey, love, having a good time?” Zane murmured, his arms tightening around my waist.

I tried to swivel around, but he held me in place.

“Yeah, the kids have kept me on my toes. We’ve been racing down the slides and having a blast.

“Your staff is so sweet. I made sure to ask their permission when their kids wanted to join in, and they were cool with it as long as we stayed within the park. I’m officially pooped.”

He kissed my neck, snuggling against me despite my damp skin. “I’m glad you had fun. Let’s go freshen up. I’ve got a special place in mind for dinner tonight.”

He eased his hold, and I finally managed to turn around on my stool. “You want to go out instead of having the special meal I planned for tonight?”

His face fell a bit. “Have they started preparing it yet?”

“No, I told them to wait another hour.”

His face brightened again. “Would you mind postponing it till tomorrow night? I really want to take you to this place to celebrate you being back in my arms.”

I looked away for a moment, but he gently turned my face back towards him. His eyes held a hint of hurt, and I couldn’t say no if he’d gone to all this trouble.

“That’s okay, baby. We can have my special meal tomorrow if it means that much to you.”

He kissed me passionately and scooped me up in his arms. “I wanted to do something special, and I’m glad you agreed.”

He carried me out of the park and straight to the elevator leading to our room. He set me down in the bathroom. “Take a shower; I’ll join you in a bit. We need to leave in twenty minutes.”

I stripped off my swimsuit and turned on the shower. I waited for the water to heat up before stepping under the warm spray. I tilted my head back, letting the water soak my hair and trickle down my body.

A low growl made me snap my head up. He was standing just inches away, his eyes blazing with desire. He pinned me against the cold tiles, lifted me up, and entered me.

This time, it wasn’t slow and gentle; it was fast and passionate. We both reached our climax quickly, and he rested his head in the crook of my neck.

“I’ve had a stressful day, but holding you in my arms makes it all disappear. You’re the only one who can tame the beast inside me.

“Just one look at you—your touch, your voice—it’s the only thing that keeps the beast at bay. It keeps me sane.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you like this forever. If I ever stray again, promise me you’ll bring me back to my senses.”

His eyes were filled with so much love, and I gently kissed his lips.

“Of course I will. I don’t think you’ll have much of a problem with that, except maybe dealing with blue balls when I get pregnant.”

He gently set me down, cupped my face, and kissed me deeply.

“The thought of you carrying our child makes me happier than you can imagine. Knowing that a part of me is growing inside you...”

I looked down, and he squatted to meet my gaze. “I can’t wait for that day, baby,” I said. “I hope it’s not too soon, but when it does happen, I’ll be over the moon.”

He looked a bit puzzled. “Why do you hope it’s not soon?”

“Zane, we’ve just restarted our relationship after a rocky start. I lost trust and respect for you, and I’m just starting to regain it. I don’t think I can handle another complication right now.”

He stood up and pulled me against his chest.

“As you said, if it happens, we’ll deal with it then. Until then, I’ll spend every minute I can rebuilding the trust and respect between us.”

We finished showering and stepped out. A stunning gold sequined dress was laid out on the bed next to a black suit and gold shirt.

I turned to ask Zane about it and bumped into his solid chest. His arms wrapped around me to steady me.

“Why are we getting so dressed up?” I asked.

He grinned down at me. “That’s for me to know and you to find out, love. Let’s get ready. We need to go.”

He started dressing, and I slipped into the dress. He helped me zip it up and planted a kiss on my shoulder.

“You’re going to love the night I’ve planned for us. We’re going to one of my favorite places to eat.”

“You say that a lot. Do you have so many favorites?”

He chuckled, his laugh sending shivers down my spine. “This is the best place to eat. I might say that about a few places, but this one is my absolute favorite.”

We finished getting ready, and he led me to a black stretch limousine waiting out front. We climbed in, ready to start the special night he’d planned for us.