Page 35 of Love Resurrected
I giggle at that. “Were you a scout?”
“All the way to Eagle Scout.”
“Is that good?”
“Pfft. Is that good?” he mimics and puffs out his chest in an exaggerated manner. “Eagle Scout is the highest rank a scout can get.”
“My mistake, sir.” I salute him.
He laughs. “Finally, I’m getting the respect I deserve.”
“Is that all it took, for me to salute you?”
“That, and a goodnight kiss,” he says, his eyes twinkling.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I look back to my menu, trying to decide what I want to order. “What do you recommend?”
“My favorite is the pot roast, but that might be a little heavy on a night this warm. The crab cakes are also amazing. And you can’t go wrong with the seared Ahi.”
“Then that’s what I’ll get.”
“All three? I like a girl with an appetite. I’ll try to keep up if I can.”
I giggle again, something I’m doing a lot of around him, even though I wouldn’t ordinarily consider myself to be a giggler. “No, the seared Ahi. That’s one of my favorite things to eat. Ever.”
He taps his temple. “Locking that knowledge away for another time.”
I smile and he returns the gesture. It feels good. And easy. I like that.
Neil keeps talking. “They serve the Ahi with this creamy ginger sauce on the side that is just amazing. Even though it’s creamy, it’s light.”
“Are you a foodie, Neil?”
“A bit. I do a lot of the cooking at the station, and I try to experiment with the guys, since they are a captive audience. I’m definitely a better eater than chef, though.”
The server comes by then to take our orders. At Neil’s suggestion, I go with the seared Ahi, and he gets the crab cakes. He surprises me by ordering a bottle of a local Pinot Noir to go with our meal.
Neil is easy to talk to and before I know it, we’ve finished dinner, the bottle of wine, dessert, and two cups of coffee. The restaurant is closing, and they politely ask us to leave. We head outside, where the air has cooled, but is still a welcome warm to the chill of the air-conditioned restaurant. He takes my hand in his to walk me to my car.
“I had a good time tonight,” he says.
“I did too,” I tell him. I pull my keys out of my bag and turn to face him when we reach my spot.
“I’d like to do it again.”
“I would too,” I say, shivering slightly as he reaches up to tuck a tendril of hair behind my ear.
I lean in and kiss him softly on the side of his mouth. “That’s for the respect, sir.”
He laughs. “May I return the gesture?”
“Of course.” My breath catches as he lowers his lips to meet mine. The kiss is gentle at first, his lips ghosting across mine. Then he moans and takes it deeper, his tongue searching for entrance and I open to him. He groans and steps in closer, one hand circling around the back of my neck, holding my head in place, with the other around my waist. His body presses against mine, trapping me between him and the side of my car.
I wrap my arms around his neck and mold my front to his, my clutch in one hand, my rose in the other.
He’s a good kisser. A really good kisser. But I’m not ready to take it beyond this tonight. So, I let it last a moment longer before I slowly stop the kiss and rest my forehead against his. His breath is heavy on my face.
“That was quite the kiss,” I tell him.
