Page 16 of Sheltered

I didn’t know what I expected Blaze to do or say in response to that, but I was pleasantly surprised by what he did. As the corners of his mouth slowly tipped up into a smile, his eyes darkened. Then he said, “I think we’re going to spend the rest of this dinner tonight talking about all the things you haven’t done yet, and tomorrow is going to be the first day of me giving you those experiences.”

Just like that.

Blaze was prepared to take this on his shoulders.

Not only that, but he seemed excited about doing it. It was almost as though he believed he was going to have more fun with this than I would.

And I couldn’t say that bothered me.

I liked him, so if he was prepared to take this journey with me, I would have been a fool to turn him down.

The rest of our dinner had gone off without a hitch. The two of us stayed there long after we finished our dessert talking to one another, because we were having such a great time.

Blaze was so eager to hear about all the things I hadn’t ever done, never once making me feel bad about myself. I couldn’t remember ever laughing as much as I had while telling him all about my boring life, and when we finally got up to leave long after we’d first arrived for dinner, I was convinced Blaze had a list at least a mile long of all the things I’d never experienced in my life.

Since we had planned to get together tomorrow, Blaze and I thought it would be best for him to take me home after dinner. Considering we’d spent hours talking to each other at The Ridge, it didn’t feel like the date had been cut short, which I was grateful for, seeing as I’d had such a wonderful time with him.

And on the drive back to my place, even with Blaze continuing to ask me about whether I’d ever done certain things and me being completely wrapped up in that conversation, I noticed my belly trembling with nerves about how the night would end.

I’d truly had the best time with Blaze, and being back in the confined space of his truck together, I was being consumed by the clean and sharp scent of sandalwood that mixed with a hint of warm spice. It made me want to feel him wrap his arms around me so I could nestle myself close.

But I knew that wouldn’t happen unless Blaze took charge and made it happen. I was far too timid, far too inexperienced in that arena, to be the one to initiate something like that.

We finally made it back to my place, and once we arrived, Blaze said, “Wait there. I’ll come around to open your door.”

I honored his request, loving that he was such a gentleman. Within seconds, Blaze and I were walking hand in hand along the path that led from my driveway to my front door. Once we made it there and I had unlocked the door, I turned to focus my attention on Blaze.

Smiling at him, I said, “Thank you for dinner. I had such a lovely time tonight.”

Blaze returned the smile. “The pleasure was all mine, Harlow. I’m not sure I’ve ever laughed so much in all my life. I’ve never had a first date go so smoothly and feel so comfortable right from the start.”

Wow.

That was nice to hear.

“Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. My cheeks hurt from laughing so much. I’m really looking forward to seeing what you decide for us to do tomorrow,” I said.

“No matter what, I promise it’ll be fun.”

I offered a nod in return, the smile still plastered on my face. “Well, I told you earlier that I was putting my faith in you for this date, and you proved I was safe to do that, so I’m going to do it again tomorrow.”

A look of pride washed over him. “I’m happy to hear that.”

There was an awkward moment of silence, and my smile began to fade. Blaze’s did, too, but I realized it wasn’t because either one of us was upset. If I had to guess, Blaze might have been feeling some of the same things I’d been feeling on the return drive here.

His eyes were roaming over my face, stopping several times to linger on my lips. I remained frozen to the spot, unsure how to proceed.

There was a big part of me that wanted to kiss him, to feel his arms around me, but if he didn’t make that move, it wasn’t going to happen. So, I waited.

And a moment later, I didn’t get all that I’d wanted, but I’d gotten something.

Blaze took half a step forward and closed the distance between our bodies. He wrapped an arm around my waist, leaned forward, and pressed a soft kiss to my cheek. I was caught between trying to commit the feel of his lips to memory at the same time I attempted to inhale the scent of him so close to me.

When he pulled back, he smiled and said, “I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Goodnight, Harlow.”

I licked my lips, returned the smile, and rasped, “Goodnight, Blaze.”

He waited for me to open my door and step inside before he turned to leave. I stood in my doorway, watching as he backed out of the driveway, and when he finally drove off and I closed my door, I was thrilled to realize I could still feel the faintest touch of his kiss lingering on my cheek.

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