Page 65 of Summer Kisses

I reached over and interlaced my fingers with hers, marveling at the feel of her smooth thigh underneath our joined hands. "That makes it even better."

She licked her lips, and I wondered if it would be okay to turn around and take this to the bedroom. Who needed fancy dinners and candlelight? Not this guy.

We had a longer ride since we were going off the island. When we approached the historical house, she sucked in a breath.

There were white twinkling lights wrapped around the palm trees as we drove closer. "I think they keep the holiday lights up year-round."

"Are we going to tour the house?" Hazel asked eagerly.

"We're not here for an official tour." The evening was just dinner in the library and then a stroll through the gardens afterward.

Her face fell. "Oh."

"Don't worry. You'll like this even better. And I can bring you back for a tour another time."

"I'm sure whatever you have planned will be great," she said.

I hoped so. I parked in front of the house, allowing the valet to take the keys. By the time I moved around to the passenger side, another valet had already helped Hazel out of the car. I offered my elbow to her, and we walked up the stairs. Inside, a butler greeted us. "Let me take you to your private room."

"Fancy," Hazel said under her breath.

My heart beat so hard; I could barely hear over the sound of it. The butler led us down the hall past several ornately decorated rooms until we got to the library.

"You will be dining in the library this evening," the man said as he bowed and then went back to his post at the front door.

Hazel sucked in a breath. "We're eating here?"

There was a two-person table covered in a white cloth in front of the fireplace. There were leather chairs around the room, and the walls were covered in wall-to-wall shelves of books. "That's the plan."

My heart was suspended in midair while I waited for response.

Hazel let go of my arm, moving farther into the room. She touched the spine of several of the books. "I can't believe you planned this."

"Do you like it?" I held my breath.

She turned with a smile. "I love it."

I let out the breath I'd been holding. "Good. I was hoping you would."

"How could I not? The only thing better would be if I had one of these in my house," she said with wonder in her voice.

I made a mental note to see if we could install one. Shelves could easily be added to my office. But I'd let that be a surprise for another day, if she decided I was the one for her. This wasn't a done deal. I needed to court my fiancée.

A server came into the room with a bottle of wine and a white cloth over his arm. "Would you like your wine now?"

"We'd love some."

We waited while he poured the glasses, and Hazel tested it. Then he left the room, giving us time to explore for a few minutes before dinner.

"This is amazing. I didn't even realize they allowed people to eat dinner in here." Hazel couldn't seem to tear her gaze awayfrom the spines of books, occasionally reaching out to touch the worn covers.

The fireplace gave the room a cozy atmosphere, and the rain that had just started to fall outside heightened that feeling. "Yeah, it's a new thing apparently. Hudson told me about it."

"I like it. It's very romantic."

I relaxed more with each sip of wine. Hazel appeared to be enthralled with the room itself, and I was merely a backdrop to the evening. I didn't mind because I had plans later where I would be front and center.

We circled the room, talking about the various books we found, and Hazel occasionally squealed with delight when she discovered a favorite title. I made a mental note of the ones she liked so that I could add them to the library I now fully intended to build for her one day.

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