Page 55 of Until the Ink Dries

“I’m nervous, but excited. Expect me to squeeze you for dear life.”

He chuckled. “I’m okay with that.”

He pecked my lips, then placed the helmet on my head, ensuring that it was safely secured. I watched as he climbed on the bike before swinging my leg over to climb on. Seated behind him, I secured my arms around his waist as he put his helmet on.

The roaring of the engine had me excited. I held on tightly as he pulled onto the street. The ride through the neighborhood was a moderate pace, but picked up once we hit the interstate. I took in the scenery and relished in the wind whipping around us. This was exhilarating. About fifteen minutes passed before we were getting off another exit. A few lefts and a right later, we were pulling into a parking lot of a beautiful park.

“This is nice,” I said after taking the helmet off.

“It’s one of my favorite places. Sometimes, when I wanna get out of the city, I bring Charlie here. She loves a damn park.”

He climbed off and helped me off the bike. Lifting the storage compartment on his motorcycle, he retrieved a basket and a blanket.

I smiled. “We’re having a picnic?”

“That cool with you?”

“Yes! I love picnics.”

“Good, because I took my time making this lunch for us. I was gonna be real offended if you didn’t like it.”

I waved him off. “The fact that you took time to do something like this for me is more than enough.” Cupping his face, I pressed my lips to his in the sweetest kiss. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Can you hold this right quick?”

I took the items from his hands. He lifted the other side of the storage compartment and pulled out a covering for the bike. Once he had it on, he grabbed my hand and we made our way to find a space to set up for the picnic. We settled on a spot that was under a big, shady tree with beautiful blooming flowers.

After he spread out the blanket, we took a seat and made ourselves comfortable. I was excited to see what he packed for us. I hadn’t eaten breakfast, so I knew whatever it was would hit the spot. My eyes widened as he unpacked a spread of chicken salad sandwiches on croissant rolls, chips, pasta, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, and fresh fruit. To drink, there was tea, lemonade, and water.

“This looks so good!” I said, rubbing my hands together. “Let’s hope it tastes good.”

He threw a grape at me. “See how you try to play me? One thing I can do is make a good snack. Ask Charlie.”

“Where is my little friend?”

“With my parents. She was low key upset she couldn’t come with us.”

“You’ll have to bring her next time.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I get a next time?”

I blushed. “We’ll see how this date goes. Feed me.”

He chuckled. “You handicapped?”

“No, but every picnic I’ve seen is cutesy and the couples always feed each other. I want the whole experience.”

“You are out of control, woman.”

Even as he said that, he put a little of everything on our plates. Picking up the chicken salad sandwich, he cupped my chin and brought it to my lips.

“Open.”

Shit!Something about that command made me tingle. I opened my mouth and took a bite of the sandwich. My eyes immediately fluttered close as the flavors danced on my tongue.

“Oh. My. God.” I moaned in satisfaction. “That is amazing. You made that?”

“You ate it and still doubt my skills? Wow.”

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