Page 5 of Pierre
“I wondered if you would ask me,” she grinned. “If I recall the last time I got to dance with you, I was dancing while standing on the toes of your shoes.”
“Well, you were ten, so it seemed okay back then.” He brought an arm around her waist, pulling her close to his body. “This time, I’d appreciate it if you danced on your own feet.”
Ambry just laughed, shaking her head. He smelled so good she was having a hard time concentrating. It was an unusual fragrance. She picked out the notes of bergamot, lavender, and pink pepper. There was a slight hint of amber and vanilla, and she breathed in deeper.
“You okay?” he asked, frowning down at her.
“Y-yes. It’s your cologne. I just inhaled and got all the fragrant notes of its formula. It’s wonderful.” He smiled, nodding at her.
“Thank you. Mom and Dad sent it to me a few years ago for Christmas. I think Mom was hoping it would attract a woman. I don’t get to wear it much.”
“Why not?” she asked, wrinkling her adorable little nose.
“Because my teammates don’t appreciate me stinking up the joint, and it doesn’t bode well for me if I’m trying to hide from the bad guys,” he laughed.
“Oh. Right. I guess I was thinking you would wear it when you went out or something.”
“Ambry, I don’t really go out much. If I do, it’s for one beer, and then I go back. There’s not a lot of opportunity for me to date casually, and that’s not something I would want to do anyway.”
“I see. So, you’re not dating anyone?”
“Nope. You?”
“Nope.”
“Good to know.”
“Is it?” she asked quietly.
He pulled her tighter to his body, and Ambry lost every ounce of breath in her body. He was rock solid, rock hard, and just plain rocking. This was way better than she imagined, and that was saying a lot.
“Yeah. It is. Ambry, it’s a common problem for our men here. We’re raised with all these beautiful, funny, energetic little girls that turn into stunning, brilliant, amazing women before our very eyes. The challenge is always to wait until their age is right, our age is right.”
“Wh-why is that a challenge?” she whispered.
“Because I don’t kiss little girls, and I damn sure don’t kiss a woman without intention.”
“Are you going to kiss me?” she asked, staring up at him wide-eyed.
“Yep.”
“Wh-when? I mean, I’d like to be prepared for it.”
“Prepared?” he laughed.
He shook his head and took her hand, guiding her out of the tent. He walked toward the gardens and noticed that several other couples had the same idea. Turning, he moved toward the maze and encountered the same problem.
Then he had another idea. Seeing the numerous boats at the dock, he boarded one, carefully lifting her on board as well. Neither said a word as he drove away from the docks and toward a clearing in the bayou. Setting anchor, he leaned back in the seat and looked up at the stars.
“It’s a beautiful night,” she said softly.
“It is. I dream of this when I’m away. I think about being here with my family, friends, and you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. You. You’re all I thought about, Ambry. You.” She swallowed, staring into his dark eyes. “Did you think of me?”
“Y-yes. I mean, of course. I worried for you. I worry for all our guys serving.” He nodded but said nothing. She realized that she was messing this up and needed to change her tune quickly.
