Page 373 of Steamy Ever After

The silk lifts.

Strong hands grip my shoulders, and Drake spins me to face the other way.

"You ready?"

"As I'll ever be," I say.

The tip of his nose presses against the side of my neck. "Open your eyes, city girl."

I blink to clear my vision. A firepit crackles with burning wood. Two wooden chairs stand before it. A generator hums somewhere off to my left, black electrical wires snake to a table placed on the far side of the fire where a projector flickers in the waning light of dusk.

Strung between two massive oak trees, a white sheet stretches between the branches. Rope passes through corner grommets and loops around the branches, pulling the fabric taut. The lower corners are fixed in place, tied to two large rocks.

"A movie screen?"

A Star Wars movie trailer scrolls across the makeshift screen.

"I thought a night at the movies would be a treat. The drive-in isn’t open during the week."

"So, you made one?”

My mouth waters with the aroma of whatever is cooking on that grill. I approach the firepit, leaving Drake where he is.

"What is this?"

"Well, my first thought was to cook steak. But it's a bit of a production."

Four skewers of meat are propped over the fire. Drops of fat and other juices fall from the meat to sizzle in the fire below.

I spin around. "I can't believe you did all of this."

"I'm full of surprises.”

"Well, this is one hell of a surprise." I point to the screen. “I love Star Wars.”

“Awesome. I’ve got all of them loaded up and ready to play."

"All of them?"

"Yup,” he says. “All of them. You did say you didn’t have anywhere to be in the morning.”

I did at that.

The sun dips below the rim of the valley walls and the temperature drops.

Dusk ushers in the coming of night, and as the day fades, the sky blossoms with one of the most remarkable sunsets I've ever seen.

“This is simply amazing.” I twirl in a circle, trying to soak it all in. “What a perfect place for a first date.”

“I’m glad you approve, and a first date means there will be many more. I consider tonight a roaring success already.” His grin is simply stunning, even with the scar.

Once we know each other better, I’m going to ask about that scar. For now, it doesn’t matter. I’m officially head over heels, entranced by the man standing before me.

“We’re going to have to wait until it gets a little darker before we can see the movie screen.”

I glance at the screen and the faded image of a battle in the stars. I feel like I need to pinch myself because none of this can be real. Instead, I breathe in the crisp night air, drawing the wonderful aromas deep into my lungs. "What happens if I get cold?"

"We snuggle." The corner of his mouth turns up.

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