Page 13 of Love Me Forever

I looked at Bonnie, stunned. I’d never met anyone like her. She was thoughtful, and kind, and that smile lit up her entire face.

We were completely alone in the theater—apparently no one else was going to see a movie tonight. That wasn't totally unexpected, but now I understood why the guy didn't even bother giving us printed tickets.

"Should we sit in the first row?" she asked, so eager that she kept bouncing from her toes to her heels.

"Yes, let's do that," I said, then added in jest, “In fact, since we’re the only ones here, we can move throughout the movie and try all the different seats.”

She laughed as we both took off our coats, putting them on the seats next to us. We sat down, and the screen lit up right away. There were no commercials or other movie previews; no, the main show began immediately. This was a definite perk. The movie was good enough, but I wasn’t paying much attention.

Bonnie was staring at the screen, transfixed, barely even breathing. Out of the corner of her eye, she looked at me and then turned straight on, elbowing me.

"Hey, pay attention."

"Why? Are you going to quiz me on the movie later?"

"Don't tempt me."

"Youare tempting, Bonnie."

She drew in a sharp breath. I tilted closer, bringing my mouth to her ear. She shuddered.

"You are so damn tempting."

I brushed her cheek with the tip of my nose, inhaling deeply. Fuck me, I could smell her perfume. She'd applied so little that I couldn't sense it unless I was super close. It smelled like freesias and the sea. It fit her—sweet but with a very defined edge. She shuddered again.

I wanted to draw my nose down the side of her neck, trace my fingers up her arm, and drink in every reaction. Being with her was intoxicating in a way I hadn't expected. I couldn't focus on the movie now, as I was too consumed by her. Here in the dark room, alone with her, it was impossible to keep my thoughts in check. I wanted her, and I wanted to explore her all night long.

"Travis," she murmured, "the movie."

"I won't even pretend I'm paying attention," I told her.

She sighed, shaking her head. "Well, that's good, seeing as it just ended."

To my astonishment, the credits rolled. How had two hours passed? I had vague memories of glancing at the screen now and again, often enough to get the plot of the story but none of the details. My brain was too preoccupied, memorizing every detail about her.

The room lit up, and Bonnie stood immediately, practically shooting out of her chair.

"Oh God, I almost forgot."

"What?"

"I need to drop by the clinic and check on Steve."

I stood up as well, holding her coat for her.

"Who's Steve?"

"Our dolphin."

"You named the wild dolphin?"

"Yes, I name all the animals here. The ones at the clinic back home have names, since they're pets, but here it feels weird to just call him Dolphin."

"You're damn adorable, you know that?"

As she slid her coat on, I traced a path with my fingertips up her arms, and just as I'd imagined for the past two hours, goose bumps broke out on her skin.

"I'll come with you," I offered.

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