Page 37 of Unforgettable

Her laugh tinkled through the air once again as she threw her head back. It was the most beautiful sound in the world and did wonders at easing my nerves.

“No, they preserved the bodies using plastination. The water and fat in the bodies are replaced by plastics, which means they don’t decay or smell, but they look the same.”

An involuntary shiver ran through me, slipping down my spine and making me shudder at the thought of bodies being preserved at all.

“I’m really not trying to kill the mood, but it just kind of freaks me out—all of their eyes watching us. But I love that you love this stuff, so please continue. I’ll be fine. I’m just going to stare at the ground and your ass.”

I dipped my head again, but little fingers gripped my wrist and tugged me around a few glass cases that were likely filled with plastinates and through the exit door. Which elicited a deep sigh of relief once it closed behind us with a satisfying click.

“Let’s go see the dinosaurs instead,” Amanda said with the same enthusiasm she conjured when talking about the types of muscles in the human body.

“Yes!” I said, matching her excitement, and we took the staircase back down to the first floor and onto the last exhibit before my penultimate surprise.

She’d spent the entire time naming random facts about anything we saw that she found even remotely interesting. We spent the most time in the Ramses the Great exhibit discussing the lifestyle and culture of the ancient Egyptians. Only an insane person wouldn’t be enthralled with the priceless artifacts and the descriptions of their use.

“I love dinosaurs,” Amanda murmured quietly to herself the moment we entered the vast room. The lights were dim, with only the uplights on the numerous exhibits and features illuminating the key attractions.

“I think you’ve said that every time we’ve walked into a different exhibit,” I said as I pressed a kiss to the side of her head, lingering just long enough to smell her clean hair and warm perfume.

She laughed and gazed intently at the massive T.rex in front of us—the primary display and the first thing you see when you walk into the room.

“I’m like a kid in a candy store in this place,” she sighed before continuing farther into the exhibit, pausing to read the plaque with the T.rex information.

“Actually, you’re like a science teacher in a science museum.”

She rolled her eyes and chuckled. “Touché.”

For a few minutes, we wandered around the exhibit, stopping to read the plaques to which Amanda would add random information or pose questions that I wouldn’t even dream of knowing the answer to. And as excited as I was at being there, and as interesting as each display was, it was Amanda I couldn’t tear my attention from.

Her blonde hair was warm in the faint light and there was something about the way her heels clicked against the tiled floor that was very satisfying. Or maybe it was because her ass looked even more fantastic in the heels. She was stunning, no doubt, and I appreciated every second she let me be close to her, but my favorite part was watching her reaction.

There was a thoughtfulness in her expression when she read about a fossil or an artifact and as she processed the information—her eyes darted back and forth between the object and the plaque, piecing it all together as her brow furrowed slightly.

Then when she saw something she was even more excited to see, the excitement overtook her entire face. Her mouth spread wide in a grin and her eyes were alight with glee and intrigue. She’d bounce on her toes as she explained why she was enthusiastic and tried to dumb down the more intensive topics to my level.

The museum was cool, and I’d tried to pay attention, but she was my favorite part.

“Umm, Reed, what’s that?”

I’d been so focused on watching Amanda that I hadn’t realized my next surprise was directly in front of us. I stepped around the corner and eyed the table in the center of the room. Just as I’d requested, it was covered in a white tablecloth and there were a few candles in the center along with two cloches covering—hopefully—the dinner I’d specifically instructed should be underneath.

“What kind of date would this be if I didn’t feed you?” I asked, brushing her hair off her shoulder so I could place my hand on the back of her neck. The skin-to-skin contact made her shiver subtly, and I pushed my fingers lightly into her hair to see if I could elicit another reaction.

“It would have been an awful date, so I’m glad you remembered.”

Taking her hand, I led her to the table, and like the gentleman I was, I pulled out her chair. The entire time she watched me with eyebrows raised and an unbelieving smile playing on her lips. And before I sat down, I lifted the cloche dramatically with a flick of my wrist and waved to the warm meal on the plate.

Her mouth dropped open in surprise and her eyes darted between me and the plate a few times before she threw her head back and laughed. The sound was even better than usual as it echoed in the large space and bounced back to me for a second time.

“Burger Joint? Really?” she asked, covering her mouth with her hand in an attempt to stifle her laughter.

“Yes, of course. It’s your favorite.”

“And you even remembered the bacon,” she said after lifting the top bun to inspect the toppings.

I scoffed. “Yeah, I absolutely did because that really would have ruined the date.”

Without further delay, Amanda took a huge bite of her burger and moaned just as loud as I’d ever heard her moan. The sound barreled straight through me like I’d made it happen myself, and my dick didn’t seem to care that it was from a burger and not anything we had done. Subtly, I readjusted in my seat, unable to keep myself from watching her eyes shutter closed as she chewed the moan-inducing bite.

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