Page 130 of Made to Sin

She was wearingnothingunderneath the flimsy material. Selfishly, I wished the same for the bottoms.

The date hadn’t even started, and I already couldn’t wait until we got home.

“You are absolutely exquisite, sweetheart,” I placed a kiss on her right cheek.

She grinned. “And you look dashing yourself.”

“Are you ready for tonight?”

The night that would change our relationship forever.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” she said, placing her palm over mine as I led her to the car.

Like the quintessential gentleman, I opened her door and waited until she was safely tucked inside. There were going to be no mishaps tonight if I could help it.

Low jazz played in the background as we drove in silence. I stared at her from time to time, noticing she was nervous. Her fingers fidgeted with each other, and she kept shifting in her seat.

I considered distracting her to ease her nerves, but something about her being worked up on our first date brought a rush of satisfaction down my chest. We were far from being a traditional couple, so this was the closest we were going to get.

She furrowed her eyebrows, taking in the secluded boardwalk I parked at. “Where are we?”

“I hope you don’t get seasick,” I revealed, guiding her to the yacht by the nearest port.

“We’re going on a yacht? You’re crazy! I was expecting a steak and wine dinner at most.”

I chuckled at my future fiancé’s simple taste. “Don’t worry, you’ll get that too.”

She spun on her heels and jumped into my arms, and I made a mental note to spoil her more in the future. If this was all it took to get the gorgeous smile on her face, I would gladly do it every night for the rest of my life.

Rose petals lined the pathway to the deck where our table was set. Red and bold against the night sky.

Somehow, in stilettos and against my caution, she managed to run over to look at the view. New York was usually too busy to be appreciated, but out on the ocean where nobody was nearby, I had to admit it was something to remember. Yet it still didn’t beat what I saw. The moon glowed on Katarina, shining a pale aura off her dress. I couldn’t believe it, I fell in love with an angel.

Fuck, she was beautiful.

Grabbing the bouquet I’d bought, I walked to stand a few steps behind her.

“Do you like it?”

She shivered, turning around to face me. When she saw the roses, she let out another gasp. “Luciano, this whole thing is toomuch. Why did you get such a big bouquet?”

“Two-hundred-and-fifty-three roses for the two-hundred-and-fifty-three days I’ve known you.”

Two-hundred-and-fifty-three days since my life took a twist for the better.

If she thought flowers were a big deal, she would freak out at the size of her ring. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I wasn’t going to let it be wasted on some cheap luxuries.

She took the bouquet off my hands, holding it in hers with the biggest smile I ever had the pleasure of seeing. Wanting the image to last forever, I took out my phone and snapped a picture.

“Thank you, I love it.”

She placed the flowers on a nearby deck seat and walked over to return the peck I gave her earlier. The kiss she placed on my cheek was so sweet, it made my mouth jealous. My lack of control showed its feral face again as I stole a quick kiss from her red lipstick-lined lips.

I debated proposing to her right now, growing impatient every minute she wasn’t bound to me permanently, but I suppressed the nefarious means and presented her with dinner. It was the safer option too since she was more agreeable when she wasn’t “hangry,” as she called it.

She wanted a steak and wine dinner, so I made it happen. I had my cook plan twelve of her favorite dishes depending on what she was feeling. Hell, there was even instant ramen in case she wasn’t up for a fancy night.

“I’m so full,” she grumbled, patting her stomach, at the end of the meal.

---