Page 81 of Summer Nights

I wanted to be so close to her that she knew in her soul that I was the one for her. The plan was partially selfish because I couldn't keep my hands off her. But there was a bigger plan. One I hoped would work.

When the meat was done grilling, I set it on the table and grabbed the linens my mom bought as a housewarming gift when I moved in. I never had any reason to use them before. I thought Ivy would appreciate them.

I lit a few candles down the center of the table, bringing out the vase of fresh flowers I'd bought earlier in the week from the grocery store.

The flowers and candles added to the ambiance of the outdoor space. I lit the tiki torches around the pool.

I wanted Ivy relaxed and focused on me. Not worried about the future or what anyone would think. At the end of the day, it was just us. We made this baby, and we were creating our future. No one else's opinion mattered.

I was filling the glasses with lemonade when the slider opened.

"What are you doing?" Ivy asked, her voice rough with sleep.

I turned to see that she'd brushed her hair, but her eyes were puffy. She wore the same dress from earlier, the one I wanted to lift over her head to see what she wore underneath. But first, I needed to feed her. "I made dinner."

Her eyes widened as she took in the table. "I can see that."

I pulled out a chair for her. "I hope you like grilled chicken and pineapple."

"Who doesn't?" she asked as she sat and let me push her closer to the table. Her gaze followed me as I moved to sit across from her. I piled kabobs on her plate and spooned watermelon cubes into a bamboo bowl before passing it to her.

"Everything looks delicious."

"I thought our date day called for a special dinner. Not that this is anything fancy."

She looked around. "You lit candles and the tiki torches. It feels intimate and cozy."

Her face was illuminated by the candles, and her skin was flush from her nap. She was gorgeous, and I couldn't believe she was here with me.

Convincing her to move into my place hadn't been easy. Getting her to this point was the most difficult thing I'd ever had to do. And I wasn't about to give up now. Every day, things became clearer for me. She was the woman for me.

"This is really nice. Thank you."

We dug into our food, talking about the day and how she was feeling.

Ivy played with her glass. "Spending time in the heat did a number on me."

"I was wondering if you wanted to take a dip in the pool after dinner." I figured the water would feel good on the aching muscles she'd been complaining about recently as her body stretched to accommodate the baby.

"I think that would feel good."

I played music over my speakers. It was rare for me to have any guests. I always saw Shep out or at his house. The family tended to congregate at Mom and Dad's, so it was nice to entertain her here.

When Ivy bit into the pineapple, she moaned, and my heart skipped a beat. "There's just something about grilled pineapple. I can't resist."

"Feel free to eat whatever you want. I cooked more than enough for the two of us."

"Mmm. I'll take you up on that." She licked pineapple juice off her finger, and I wasn't sure I was going to survive this meal.

I adjusted myself, hoping she didn't notice my discomfort. Watching a woman eat wasn't supposed to be sexy.

I almost wished I had ice cream so I could watch her lick it again. Or better yet, whipped cream so I could eat it off her body.

I fanned myself with the napkin. "Do you think it's hot out here?"

"A little," Ivy admitted.

I got up to turn on the overhead fan. I needed to finish eating so I could dunk myself in the pool. We resumed our meal, and when we were done, I placed the leftovers in a container in the fridge, leaving out the watermelon to snack on.

---