Page 6 of Daniel
Daniel was sitting close, having pulled our chairs tight together. “I hope I don’t make you nervous, Prairie,” he said gently. He placed his hand palm up on his thigh, and I took it.
“It’s just a lot to take in all at once,” I explained. “I mean, the flight home, a new town, a new house, and now…this.”
Daniel’s sweet smile was so handsome that it nearly stopped my heart. “I’m glad you’re in Holly Valley now.”
“Why did you ask me out?” I asked. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful. I just…it’s a bit odd, don’t you think?”
He chuckled. “Okay, I’ll tell you the truth, if you promise not to tell my brothers. I’d never live it down.”
“Deal.”
He leaned in to breathe in my ear, sending shivers straight down my spine. “On my flight home, I was staring out the window while thinking about what I wanted to do with my life. What I was lacking. What I needed to change. I was staring down at a beautiful prairie, and that word sort of lodged in my mind.”
I stifled a giggle, since he was completely serious.
“When I heard that a woman named Prairie was moving to town, I just felt that I had to meet her. Then I did. And the second I saw you…” His lips grazed the edge of my ear, making my breath sputter. “You’re so wildly beautiful that I had to ask you out that very second.”
I could feel myself blushing as his thumb ran along my cheek. “I hope it doesn’t embarrass you to point that out. But honestly, Prairie, I can’t stop staring at you.”
Maybe it was this strange town, but I felt like I had dropped straight into a fairytale. “I feel the same way,” I admitted, staring into those deep, chocolatey eyes.
“I have an idea,” Daniel said, “but it involves walking about two blocks. Is that okay?”
“Sure.” To be honest, I was up for anything this incredible man suggested.
He paid the check, then bundled me into my coat, taking my hand as we walked down the street.
He led me to a beautiful large park, with a gazebo laden with silver icicle decorations. In the center of the structure, Daniel wrapped his arms around me.
“Prairie, I know this is ridiculously fast. You can tell me to stop at any time. But this park is sort of the heart of the town, and this is Christmas Eve Eve.”
Looking up to see his gentle smile, I could tell this meant a lot to him. It did to me as well. He was already overwhelming me with his care and attention.
“So I can’t think of a better place for a first kiss, can you?” he asked softly.
My knees tightened as I realized that he wasn’t joking. Daniel was actually feeling all of the enchanting energy that I had been experiencing from the second we met.
I couldn’t even find words, simply nodding and tipping my face up to his. As his lips gently grazed mine, we could both feel our hearts racing even as our breath stopped. There was a force field around us, shutting out the quiet noises of the town, the dusting of snowflakes, everything.
We were wrapped in our own world. The center of a snow globe. Consciously making a memory that was going to last forever.
His hand slipped under my coat to caress the small of my back, holding me tightly as our gentle kiss caught fire and became searing hot. Our mouths opened and my sensual side was allowed to come out for the very first time.
Daniel was so sexy, and feeling his hard body against mine was already driving me crazy. His tongue moved against mine gently, as I felt the outline of his arousal pressing against me.
Even though we couldn’t possibly go any farther at the moment, it made me indescribably hot. Maybe that was the point. The underlying heat of something that was on the surface so sweetly innocent.
“Prairie, baby,” he groaned, cradling me against him as our kiss became extremely inappropriate for public viewing.
I nearly whimpered, clutching at him desperately as a spiral of lust released, twirling through my core. I’d never wanted a man like I wanted him. He was a fantasy come to life.
Finally he pulled away a few inches, leaving me gasping. “I knew it,” he said with a smile.
“Knew what?”
“That you were the one. No couple kisses like that the very first time unless there is a deep, soul-to-soul connection.”
I couldn’t help laughing lightly, even though he seemed deadly serious. “How about we give it at least a few hours before we make any life changing decisions?”
