I bite my lip. We've been so busy--I've had early call times and he's been home late--that we've barely touched each other in the last two weeks.
Tonight can't come soon enough.
"We'll see," I say.
This time, his smile is too sharp, too hungry to be at all innocent.
I can't look away.
"Ally... you're going to be in agony tonight." His finger traces a line across my palm, oh so lightly. I feel that small touch... everywhere. His gaze is knowing as he continues. He knows exactly how he affects me. "In the most delightful agony. You're going to beg me to do anything to release you from it." He brings my hand up to his mouth, kissing my palm softly. "And... I just might."
I still haven't fully caught my breath when the waiter arrives.
* * *
Dinner is an amazing,three course affair-- a fresh salad with plump tomatoes, seared sea bass with braised kale and roasted yams, and a plate of chocolate dipped strawberries.
Yum.
The sun sets, until the only light is from the stars outside and the candle flickering between us. I tell Luke about all the irrelevant details of my trip--the oppressive sunshine in Arizona, getting dragged to townie bars by the other cast members, Laurie scolding the director of the week for getting too invested in his shots.
It's exactly what I didn't know I wanted.
After dinner, Luke insists on driving. "It's a surprise," he tells me.
I don't know what to expect, anticipation building.
My heart melts when I see where we end up.
The bookstore. The place where we had our first real date.
Just like the first time, we walk around the aisles, our fingers lingering on the crisp paper. We find a corner upstairs, in the non-fiction section, and steal a long, deep kiss.
It's been so long, and there's so much need pouring from both of us. His hands brush against my thighs, all the way to the edges of my dress. I moan into his mouth.
"Not here," I say hoarsely.
"Of course not here," he agrees. He nods to the movie theater across the street. "Not when I have a chance to repeat one of my favorite-"
"We're not going to luck into an empty theater tonight."
He draws back, feigning offense.
"Miss Summers. What do you take me for--some kind of pervert?"
His eyes twinkle mischievously.
"What do you have planned?" I ask, suspicious of that look.
He just smiles, squeezes my hand, and leads me to the theater.
Inside, the theater is the same as it was before--fluorescent and almost empty. That's not a huge surprise--there's a new, cool movie theater across the street. One that serves dinner and drinks and has couches that beg you to push the limits of decency laws.
Of course, I don't need any extra motivation.
My body has been flooding with want since I first felt Luke's arms around me.
He was right. This is already painful.