Page 37 of Inside the Penalty Box

“You like that?” he questioned.

Before I could answer him, he licked his lips and devoured my mouth with his.

* * *

We sat in a quiet corner out on the balcony of The Sunset, an upscale Italian restaurant on the water’s edge. I poured us both another glass of wine while we waited for dessert to arrive.

I’d planned this date from my hotel room almost as soon as I’d hung up the phone from talking with her. I’d scoured the internet looking for restaurants in the area that I thought would be a good choice. When I came up empty-handed, I pulled Knox aside and asked him. This had always been his go-to place, and to be honest, he wasn’t wrong. It was perfect. Watching the sunset over the water during dinner was probably the most romantic part of the night and, she admitted it to me as the sky went from shades of pink to hues of purple.

We talked about everything under the sun. Food, music, hobbies, her childhood and mine. She picked up her wineglass and brought it to her perfect full lips.

“Alright, I have a question. What are the little things that improve your days?”

“When I need a pick-me-up or having a tough day, I always go for the cinnamon scones at Sip and Stir. What about you?”

“Probably skating. I just get out on the ice and go. It always takes my mind off everything.”

“What is one quality you wish you had?”

“Oh god, that is tough.”

“No, it’s not.”

She brought her fingers to her lips. “I wish I could be more like Lorelai at times. She just has a way of reading people, and I’ve always admired it. What about you?”

“Sometimes, I wish I could be more like Knox in the relationship department. He’s just so easygoing, where I’m more the relationship type guy.”

“Nothing wrong with the way you are,” she whispered.

I met her eyes and smiled. “Okay, I have another. If you could relive one day, what would it be?”

A light blush rose to her cheeks, and she averted her eyes down to the glass she was holding. I sat there waiting for her answer when she finally spoke.

“Are you going to tell me what is in the bag?” she questioned, looking over with curiosity. She’d been eyeing the bag the entire night.

“Once you answer the question, you can look in the bag,” I said.

“Do you want an honest answer?”

“Uh, yeah, the whole point of tonight is to get to know one another on a better basis. So, the truth would be preferable.”

She spun the stem of the glass between her fingers. Keeping her head down, she muttered something to herself.

“I didn’t quite catch that,” I said, reaching across the table and placing my hand on top of hers.

She looked up at me. “You’re probably going to laugh.”

“Doubt it.”

“Okay, here goes nothing. The one night I wish I could relive would have been that night in Mexico with you.”

I didn’t know what to say as her eyes met mine, but somehow her answer warmed me.

“Why that night?” I asked, my heart beating a little harder.

“There would be things I’d change. First, I’d have gotten your name so I didn’t need to wait so long to find you again,” she whispered.

I reached down beside me and grabbed the bag, handing it to her. “I hope you like it. I was debating not giving it to you for fear you thought I was being a little too possessive.”

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