Page 14 of Backroom Boy
“I’m sorry?”
He smiled and tried again. “Ready for some dinner?”
I nodded and helped him pull containers out of the basket. “I see you got takeout.”
Each container looked different, leading me to believe he’d gone to multiple places.
Lukas shook his head. “You don’t want to taste my cooking, trust me. So, I went and got all your favorite dishes. Or, at least, the ones I know about.”
He dipped his head and got busy opening all the containers while I gaped at him. He remembered my favorites from conversations we’d had and then went to multiple restaurants for them? This boy was trampling all over my heart. If I wasn’t careful, he’d burrow himself right in there whether I wanted him to or not.
“Here you go.” Lukas handed me a loaded plate.
I took the plate and put it down on the blanket next to me. Without wasting time second-guessing myself, I hooked a hand behind his neck and pulled him to me for a kiss. I didn’t stop until we both pulled away breathless. Keeping my forehead against his for a moment longer, I whispered, “Thank you, Lukas.”
We ate, the conversation between us always a mix of playful, serious, and deeper than any conversation I’d had with someone my age. Lukas knew a lot about everything, and he always asked the most amazing questions. He seemed like a scholar of life. Someone who loved learning. Just being around him made my own brain come alive with excitement and possibility. There was so much going on behind that brooding frown of his and I was glad I’d gotten to know the real Lukas.
“Care to dance?” Lukas stood and extended his hand out to me.
Putting down my almost empty plate on the blanket, I put my hand in his. He tugged gently and I popped up. The night had gone completely dark around us, leaving us in the glow of the lights strung above us. For the first time that night, I became highly aware we were alone. Just a handsome date and the hoot of an owl not far away.
His hands landed low on my hips, the heat of him soaking through my jeans and warming me up inside. We swayed to the slow song, just staring at each other. The silence was charged, like we both had something to say, but we felt too much to get the words out. He pulled me closer and I went willingly, our bodies now pressed together as if we needed the body heat.
“You know I think you’re more than just a spoiled princess, right?” he whispered finally. “I tease you, but I see you. All of you.”
I felt a connection deep in my gut. So many people in my life saw one side of me and that’s it. The rich daughter. The sorority girl. The pretty girl with a quick smile. The tech geek with a passion for programming. I was all of those things, but I was also so much more. The fact that Lukas could see all of me was the sexiest thing a man had ever said to me.
My hands went up into the hair on the back of his head, threading through the strands and wanting to hold him tightly so he’d stay with me always.
“I know. I see you too, Lukas. You’ll do amazing things in life, I just know it.” I smiled, seeing it in my head. “You make the grapes and the wine, I’ll supply the marketing and the business side of things. We’d be a force to be reckoned with.”
Lukas smiled back. “I’ll hold you to it.”
And then his lips were on mine, and his tongue took any further words out of my mouth. His hands traveled along my backside, heating my skin everywhere they went. I shifted, needing to feel how much he wanted me. His erection pressed into my stomach and my knees nearly buckled with the want I felt.
“Delta…” he murmured, a hand now on my breast.
“Yes, please,” I answered, my own hand sliding between us.
* * *
My shoulder clipped the edge of the picnic basket and Lukas grunted. My shirt hung off one shoulder, but at least the jeans were finally stripped from my legs. Lukas pushed off of me and stood, looking down at me with half-hooded eyes. He whipped his shirt off and I bit my lip. God, those muscles were hot. His hands went to the button on his jeans and I held my breath.
“Wait!” I blurted, literally the worst at timing. “Are you sure we’ll be alone?”
The idea of one of the farm hands finding us and reporting back to my father would certainly put a damper on our perfect date.
Lukas’s mouth lifted on one side. He slowly unzipped his jeans and my brain scrambled. “I talked to the supervisor about bringing a date out here. Don’t worry, I didn’t mention your name, but he assured me we’d be alone all night.”
I rolled my eyes. “Pretty sure of yourself, huh?”
Lukas tugged the jeans off and stood in his boxers, a delicious bulge looking like it wanted to be freed by my hands. No, my mouth.
“Just hopeful and equally determined to make sure you don’t get in trouble for being with a guy like me.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “You mean a guy who put together the most thoughtful date I’ve ever been on?”
He knelt by my side. “You know what I mean.”
