I relaxed. I wasn’t sure why I trusted him, but for some reason, I didn’t question it. Didn’t want to. Something about him made me feel safe.
Blake guided me down what seemed to be a never-ending stone staircase, leading to the giant, open green field of a breathtaking park. He wore a smile reserved for five-year-olds as he picked up his pace again and walked with determination, pulling me along the grass.
Squinting, I tried to take in the sites. It was enormous. Vibrant colored trees of red and orange hues lined trails that stretched for what seemed like miles. There were fields set up for different types of sports and activities, and set to the back was a duck pond filled with turtles and different wildlife. It would be easy to forget you were in the city once you entered this space.
Slowing his pace, he maneuvered me where he wanted me, then turned so we were face to face, hand in hand. “Just what I suspected.” The corner of his mouth tipped up.
“Huh?” I was mesmerized by his blue diamonds glittering in the sun.
“You. The way the light looks behind that golden head of yours. Like a halo. You really are an angel, aren’t you?”
I touched my hair, looking away. “I’m far from an angel.”
He took my chin and brought my gaze back to meet his. “Bullshit. It’s right there.” He reached up and slowly caressed the top of my head where my imaginary halo rested. His hand lingered there before twirling a lock of my hair around his finger on its descent. He tucked his hands back into mine.
Snap. The fuck. Out of it. “Maybe you’re delusional,” I retorted.
He was unfazed. “Doubtful.”
“Need your eyes checked?”
“Twenty-twenty.”
Self preservation kicked in. “I have a boyfriend, you know.”
He didn’t even flinch.
Crap.
Instead, he leaned in, caressed my ear with his nose, and whispered, “Well, then you should probably warn him you have a new BFF.” His breath danced on my earlobe before he moved to look me in the eye. “And this one’s all male.”
Oh shit.
His lips, only a breath away, had stolen every ounce of mine. It felt as though he was taking inventory of my skin, and pins and needles erupted everywhere. Just when I thought I couldn’t take the closeness anymore, he winked and tugged me forward once again.
Catching my breath, I tried to figure out what just happened.
Is “my boyfriend” now a moot point? Do I push the issue?
Reaching his destination, he turned abruptly, and I walked straight into his hard chest. My heart banged against its shell, and my breath was coming out in hollow spurts. I might die if this keeps up.
He looked down at me, and his jaw flexed, momentarily giving away that whatever this was going on between us was painful for him as well. “I’m about to let you in on my best-kept secret,” he said calmly, quickly composing himself. He walked two fingers up from my chin and placed his index finger to my lips as if to hush them. “But you have to promise,” he brushed his finger gently over my mouth, “to never,” brush, “ever,” brush, “tell anyone.”
Brush.
My eyes closed for a moment as that one touch sent signals to all my buzzing nerve endings. Oh my god, what is this?
When I opened my eyes, he was still staring down at me. Bent slightly, his face was so close, I could see every fleck swimming in his gorgeous blue pools. He smirked at my obvious discomfort and my eyes followed the curl of his lip.
“Hi, Angel.”
I was so lightheaded, I felt like I was swimming on a cloud. “Hi, Blake.”
“Wanna know my secret?”
“I don’t know, do I?”
He opened his mouth, then shut it and was silent for a moment, trying to decide something. I could see an internal struggle ensuing and his jaw had developed a serious tic. He must have decided to go with the angel rather than the devil because he straightened his spine, turned, and sat, putting his back against an enormous weeping willow. He patted the space to his left and squinted up at me.
I slid down onto my backside, thankful for the reprieve because my legs were weak. For the first time, we weren’t looking at each other. Rather, we were staring into the horizon, and it felt . . . comfortable.
“This is my favorite place in the world,” he told me. “I feel like it belongs to me. I don’t know how no one has found it yet.”
We were hooded by the hair of the oversized tree, staring out across the pond. Shimmering twinkles danced across the water. Little by little, the pressure in my tightly wound up body subsided.
“It’s so peaceful here. I may have to steal it from you.”
“You don’t have to steal. I share. This can be our place now. It’s only fitting the most beautiful place be filled with the most beautiful creature.” He made that word sound so endearing, I pushed back the chill that coated my spine. “When I first saw you, I knew I had to get you here.”