Dylan

“Can I go eat with my friends tonight?” Tyson asked as they neared the cafeteria.

Dylan squeezed the boy’s shoulder. Tyson was helping him with a surprise for Bonnie. “I think that would be fine.”

“Um, sure,” Bonnie agreed. She frowned slightly but shrugged. “Whatever makes you happy.”

“Thanks.” Tyson grinned at the two of them and then attempted a wink to Dylan.

“Get out of here,” Dylan told him with a chuckle. He smiled as the boy ran to catch up with his two bunk-mates. He waved before disappearing inside the building.

“So are we doing something special then?” Bonnie asked, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows at him.

“What makes you think that?” he replied, feigning innocence.

“Because that was just way too obvious,” she told him. “Tyson can’t keep a secret to save his life. He already told me you have something planned.”

“That little traitor.” Dylan shook his head, but couldn’t help but smile. Tyson was such a good kid. Dylan hadn’t bonded with any of the kids here quite like he had with Tyson. He adored the little orphan, even if the kid couldn’t keep a secret.

“So? What are we doing?” Bonnie asked, nudging his arm with her hand. “I’m hungry.”

He turned and looked at her.

“You sure are beautiful, you know that?” he said.

She raised an eyebrow. “Dylan, my hair is a mess, and I’m not wearing any makeup at all. All of that, on top of the fact that I’m in a wet swimsuit and sweatpants. I hardly think I look beautiful right now.”

She obviously doesn’t know how I see her, he thought.

To Dylan, she looked incredible, despite the fact that she didn’t have makeup on and her hair was a little out of place. He thought she looked just as good without makeup and it wasn’t her hair that he was falling in love with. It was her. She could have been wearing ripped overalls and covered in tractor grease, and he would have felt the same way about her. It was something in her energy, something in her smile. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but whatever it was had him head over heels for her. It was unlike anything he’d experienced in his life.

“Well, I still think you look really pretty anyway,” Dylan said.

Bonnie’s cheeks turned a light shade of red as she blushed. It made Dylan smile seeing her flush at the complement. Without saying another word, he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. When he pulled away, Bonnie’s eyes were lit up in her face was beaming with happiness.

“You’re really sweet. You know that?” She said.

Dylan shrugged. “I’m just being honest.”

“I like that.” Bonnie innocently shuffled her feet in the dirt.

“How do you feel about dinner at my place?” Dylan asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bonnie brought her gaze up to meet his. “Is that the surprise?”

“You don’t sound too excited,” Dylan said.

“It’s not that,” Bonnie said. “I just didn’t know you cooked.”

Dylan laughed. “I don’t cook. I have tried, but I am extremely unsuccessful at it. Chef’s making chicken cacciatore tonight, and she is delivering it to me so we can have a romantic evening alone.”

She chuckled. “She must really want you to date me.”

“So, you’ll come?” His heart sped up, even though he knew she would say yes. Just knowing he would have a whole evening with her made the future look bright. Dylan smiled. “You don’t need to change.”

She took a step back and held her arms out do while glancing down at her body. “Dylan, look at me right now. I know you said that you thought I looked beautiful but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m wearing a wet swimsuit and sweatpants. I’m not exactly dressed for a nice dinner.”

He glanced at the sky as if you were thinking deeply. Then he brought his gaze back down to Bonnie.

“Well, I think I have a solution. Maybe you should just take off the wet swimsuit when we get back to my place. Problem solved.” He flashed a wink and a playful grin. “Naked eating is always good.”

Bonnie laughed. “Tell you what. If you let me take a quick shower at your place and also let me borrow some more clothes of yours to wear, then we can head to your trailer now. I just want to get the pool off of me.”

“Sounds like a deal.” Dylan held his hand out to take Bonnie’s and the two of them made their way back toward his place.

* * *

Dylan loved walking alongside Bonnie. He loved having her hand and her fingers interlocked with his. He noticed that his stride was a little longer and he held his chin a little higher when she was next to him. There was something about being in her presence that put him at ease. He had dated many women in his life, but none of them were like Bonnie. None of them had given him those butterflies of excitement in his belly that she did. There was something very special about her, and even though he couldn’t put his finger on exactly what it was, he knew that she was worth cherishing and worth holding onto.

Maybe part of it is because she doesn’t want me for my money, he thought. It seems like Bonnie just enjoys spending time with me because she wants to spend time with me. There’s a real connection here. I can feel it. I know for a fact it’s not just in my imagination either.

It was only a short walk back to his trailer, but in a way, he wished that it was a little bit further. He really enjoyed the simple things, and just strolling next to her put a smile on his face. He could see a future here.

“I think I can smell our dinner from here,” he said, as they neared the trailer.

Bonnie drew in a long breath or her nostrils and nodded. “Me too. Smells amazing.”

“Chef must have just dropped it off,” he said. “Perfect timing.”

They made their way down the dusty path that led to his home. As they stepped up onto the front porch, Dylan noticed a large brown paper bag that was stapled up at the top. On the front was a little smiley face drawn in black ink. Underneath it, the chef it scribbled the word “Enjoy.”

“You really did have this all planned out, didn’t you?” Bonnie said, squeezing Dylan’s hand.

He glanced over at her and grinned. “I just wanted to do something special for you.”

“Thank you, Dylan.” She smiled, and his heart melted just a little bit more.

He picked up the brown paper bag and held open the door for her. She smiled again as she passed him.

Chef had followed his instructions perfectly. Not only had she made an amazing meal for the two of them, but she had also arranged his trailer to be as romantic as possible during her off time. The table in the dining room was arranged with three purple candles in the center. Next, to the candles, there was a bouquet of a dozen red roses. Playing throughout the speakers was soft classical music. He wanted to make sure this dinner was special for one reason, and that was because he thought that every dinner with Bonnie should be special.

She stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw the romantic set up. Then she turned around, her eyes wide with surprise. “You set all this up for me?”

Dylan smiled. “Technically, I asked Chef do it earlier, but I do have to take credit for the idea.”

Bonnie approached him then stood on her tiptoes to give him a quick kiss on the lips.

“You are seriously the best,” she said. “Nobody has ever done anything like this for me before. I feel so spoiled.”

“Just wait,” he said. “I actually have another surprise for you besides all of this.”

“Are you serious?” She asked. She motioned to the candles and flowers. “Dylan, you’ve already done so much.”

“I enjoy doing things for you,” he said.

Her shoulders relaxed, and she smiled. It looked like she might cry.

“Thank you.” Bonnie then placed her hands onto his forearms. She gave him a quick kiss. “Before we eat, can I get that shower that you promised me?”

“Of course,” he said. “There’s a change of clothes in the closet.”

He watched her disappear through the doorway and into his room, then he headed upstairs to the guest bedroom to catch a quick shower of his own.

He stripped down and stepped into the shower. The whole time he was in there all he could think about was how excited he was about having Bonnie in his life.

Dylan knew that these were unique circumstances. Bonnie wasn’t just some girl he had met in a bar and had decided to take home that night. The connection between them was so much more than that. She had confided in him, and he had told her that he could keep her safe. He needed her in his life, and he was going to do everything in his power to make that happen.

When he was done showering, he dried off and got dressed. He normally would have worn something nice for dinner with Bonnie, but since she was going to be wearing workout pants and a T-shirt, he decided to wear the same thing. Once dressed, he headed back downstairs to find Bonnie sitting at the dining room table wearing one of his t-shirts and pajama pants. Her hair was still a bit damp, making it appear darker than usual.

“Feel better?” He asked.

“Much better,” she said. “Thank you. I needed that shower.”

Dylan pulled the food from the oven and brought it over to the table, then took a seat across from Bonnie. He served up the chicken cacciatore and then filled the glasses with white wine.

He held his glass in the air. “We should do a cheers.”

She nodded in agreement. “What should we cheers to, though?”

“How about we cheers to us?” He suggested.

“To us, huh?” She replied as she thought about it. “I like that. Here’s to us.”

They clinked their glasses together, and each took a sip.

Dylan was beside himself as he began to eat. He couldn’t remember the last time he was this excited about a woman or this happy. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t hesitant about the possibility of letting someone get close to him. He was ready to go all in with her, to throw caution to the wind. He was ready to open himself up to her more than he ever had for anyone before. All of this was related to the final surprise that he had for Bonnie that evening.

“How’s the food?” he asked.

Bonnie finished a bite then swallowed it down with some wine. “It’s so good! I can see why it’s your favorite.”

Dylan laughed. “Then we might have to make this a regular thing.”

“I’d like that,” she said, with a smile.

“Me too.” He took a sip of wine and smirked at her. “Now all we have to do is convince Chef.”

Bonnie laughed and raised her glass to cheers once again.

It was starting to get dark outside now. The sun had found its way behind the mountains and the sky was turning a dark shade of purple. The only light in the dining room was coming from the candles, surrounding them in a warm orange glow.

“This is really romantic, by the way,” Bonnie said. “I’m glad you had Tyson ask to eat with friends. I love eating with him, but this is super nice.”

Her eyes glowed in the candlelight, and her features became softer. She was already feminine, but this made her more desirable than Venus herself.

What Dylan really wanted to do right then was to clear the table and make love to Bonnie right then and there. It was tempting, but he wanted to give her the one last surprise first. He was a little nervous about it, and waiting would only make things worse.

“Are you ready for your surprise?” he asked, pushing the plates to the side.

She nodded eagerly. “Yes, please tell me. The suspense is killing me.”

He went to the counter and picked up an envelope he had waiting there. “For you.”

She carefully took the envelope from him and delicately opened it. Her eyes widened in surprise.

“These are plane tickets,” she said. She looked up at him, not quite understanding.

“I want to take you to New Orleans,” he explained. He sat down next to her, watching her face in the flickering candlelight. “I want to show you my home. I want to share it with you.”

A slow smile filled her face. “You do?”

“Very much,” he told her. “Please say you’ll go.”

She looked at the tickets in her hand and hesitated. “I have to ask Mia. And Mike.”

“Mike?” He didn’t know that name. Jealousy stirred in his belly.

She put her hand on his arm. “He’s a police officer working my brother’s case,” she told him. The jealousy still swirled, and she must have seen it. “He’s also ten years older than me and happily married.”

“Oh. Okay.” The jealousy ebbed. He shook himself to clear it. “Well, I can’t speak for Mike, but I already asked Mia. She approved it.”

“Of course you did,” she said shaking her head. She smiled but didn’t say yes.

“Will you come?” Anxiety started to creep up. He so wanted her to say yes. She paused and looked up at him.

“Yes.” She grinned at him. “Yes, and thank you!”

Bonnie smiled, then wrapped her arms around his neck. She leaned over and brought her lips to his. She tasted sweet like the wine, and he reveled in her taste.

Bonnie broke the kiss. The expression on her face had changed. Her pupils dilated, and her eyes were dark. She licked her lips, and he noticed just how plump and perfect they were. How incredibly kissable.

“Let’s go to the other room,” she said, her voice husky with desire. Heat instantly flamed inside of him.

She then took his hand and let him down the center aisle of the trailer. Dylan happily followed.

As they entered the living room, he expected her to stop at the comfortable couch. She didn’t do that, though. Instead, she walked straight into the living room and into his bedroom. There was an urgency in her steps. She obviously had something on her mind, and Dylan hoped that she was thinking the same thing that he was.

As soon as they got into the room, Bonnie released his hand.

“Have a seat on the bed,” she said.

He grinned. There was no way he was going to turn her down. She wanted the same thing he did, and he was already feeling his pants tighten as he watched her move. Her hips swayed, drawing him in like a magnet.

He took a seat on the edge of the bed and Bonnie approached him. She placed her hands on the top of his shoulders. He glanced up at her and noticed that she was gently biting her lower lip once again.

“Lay back,” she said, the tone of her voice low and sexual. It made his brain go fuzzy with desire. All he could think about was having her. Bonnie gently pushed on his shoulders.

She leaned down and began kissing him again, only this time it was more than just their lips touching. Their tongues darted in and out of each other’s mouths while Bonnie pressed her weight down over the top of him. The bulge under his sweatpants continued to grow until was pressing out firmly against the material. He could feel the warmth between her legs even though they were both still fully dressed.

Dylan’s hands moved up her sides, taking the bottom of her shirt with them. Bonnie let out a soft moan the instant his fingers grazed her nipples. The sound made him so hard he nearly moaned himself.

Bonnie broke the kiss and sat up on Dylan’s lap. He was still holding her shirt up, and her perfect breasts were exposed to him. She lifted her hands in the air, a smile on her face as if to give him permission to undress her. So he sat up and pulled her T-shirt off. As soon as he tossed it to the ground, he leaned in toward her chest and immediately began to pleasure her nipples with his mouth.

He couldn’t get enough. The more he kissed her, the more he needed to kiss her. The more he touched her, the more he wanted to touch her. He breathed her soft scent in and pulled her close. The low sound of Bonnie’s moans drove him wild.

He brought his gaze up and locked eyes with her. Before he could utter a sound, she leaned in and kissed him once again. It wasn’t gentle, but instead full of such ferocious need that she pushed him back into the bed.

She rocked against his growing hardness, her head rolling back as she found pleasure from him, even though they were still clothed. He reached up, brushing a knuckle over the skin just under the swell of her breast. His finger traced southern, pausing to dance around her bellybutton.

She looked down, and her lower lip went between her teeth as he kept going lower. He slid his hand into the waistband of the pajama pants and found she wasn’t wearing panties.

His eyes went to her, and she winked, giving him a sexy little shrug. It was a smile that promised all sorts of naughty pleasures.

His fingers searched for her pleasure spot, and he loved the way she gasped and arched her back as he found it. It was then that he flipped her onto the bed, her excited body giving him no resistance. He pulled off her pants, leaving her completely naked before him.

It was a feast of beauty, and his breath caught.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispered, pulling his own shirt off and tossing it to the floor before pressing his fingers into her again. He held her hip with one hand as he dragged his thumb over her. She panted with every brush, her eyes glassy with desire as he slowly tortured her with pleasure.

“Dylan,” she gasped, her fingers digging into the bed-sheets. “Please...”

Slowly, he slid a finger into her, followed by another. It was her undoing. She cried out, her back arching and the most beautiful expression of release filling her face as she bucked and writhed against his hand.

He nearly came just watching her. It was possibly the most erotic thing he’d ever seen to watch her come undone at his touch. To know that he had given her that pleasure. He kept the gentle touch of his thumb against her, keeping her lost to ecstasy for as long as possible.

Slowly, she came back to earth. His angle came back to him, her pupils blown and her mouth open as she sat up.

“I need you,” she whispered. “I need more.”

Her voice was husky with her orgasm. He vibrated with tension and knew he wouldn’t last long if he didn’t’ have her as soon as physically possible.

He stood from the bed and pulled off his pants as he walked to the nightstand and removed a condom. His fingers were clumsy with the speed he wanted to get the condom on, but he managed to get it.

He straddled his beautiful creature on the bed. She looked up at him with dark eyes full of want for him.

“Please, Dylan...” Her breath came in small pants. “Don’t make me wait.”

So, he didn’t.

He slid in deep and hard, feeling her heat and wetness take over him. His mouth found hers as he thrust deep again, her moans joining his. She threaded her hand through his dark hair, tugging him into her as she writhed her hips to give him better access to her.

He leaned back, putting both hands on her hips and thrusting home. The new angle was so deep, he nearly lost himself on the first thrust. She cried out, her hands grasping the sheets in a desperate attempt to control the pleasure coursing through her.

So deep, he pressed and heard a groan from deep inside of him. Release pulled at him, begging him to lose himself in this beautiful woman. He wanted to wait, to explore her further. He wanted to send her to pleasure a thousand times.

“Dylan, I need you,” she whispered. Her eyes met his. “Make me yours.”

Her words pushed him over the edge. He wanted her. Needed her. Desired her. He was as much hers, and she was his. His body claimed hers anyway.

Color exploded and sound faded. Everything but the sweet touch of her skin, the curve of her breast, and the smile on her face was lost to him. She was his everything. She was his.

He collapsed into her, pressing his forehead into the curve of her shoulder. Her arms and legs wrapped around him, pulling him into her. He never wanted to leave. He wanted to stay just like this forever. It would be heaven.

Slowly, their breathing returned to normal, and she released her death grip on him. He rolled to the side, and she cuddled into him. He loved the way she seemed to fit in the nook of his shoulder like she was built specifically for that spot.

“I think this was the best dinner of my life,” she murmured. “And it had nothing to do with Chef’s food.”

He chuckled and kissed her forehead. “I agree.”

She sighed with contentment and relaxed into him. This was heaven. He smiled, imagining a life for the two of them. Thoughts of having her with him always made his heart sing with possibilities and joy.

He smiled. The first step in their life together would be New Orleans. And she’d said yes.