The sun through Zane’s windshield nearly blinded him as he pulled his beat-up Camry into the parking lot, tires crunching over gravel as he rolled to a stop in front of Cherokee Park.

The past couple of shifts at La Rouge had been hell while both he and Liv had been busy working different hours. Every time he snuck into the alley for a smoke break, his gaze would linger on the entrance in the silent hope she’d round the corner. He’d even begun slowing on his arrival home in case she waited for him on his steps. In a short time, she’d consumed his thoughts, circulating in his veins with the insistency of nicotine. Still, knowing they had this date planned kept him afloat.

For the first time in a while, the dull pulse of demand didn’t drive him to reminders of the chip in his pocket, and the return to his apartment at the end of the day didn’t fill him with dread. He looped the tote bag in the passenger’s seat around his shoulder and hopped out of his rust-red car, the slam of the door echoing through the near-empty parking lot. The breeze held a crisp freshness that brought him to life, but even that didn’t compare to the sight of Liv.

She strode toward him with a sensual swing of her hips. Her scarlet lips dripped with sex, and after the way they’d left off, it took every ounce of self-composure not to kiss the ever-loving hell out of her. With other relationships and hook-ups, he had taken the lead, but he wanted to give her the security she needed by letting her set the pace. He could handle as many episodes as she doled out if she freaked again, but he’d seen the shame and self-loathing in her eyes that night. Another might be all it took to make her bolt.

“Hey beautiful,” his voice soft and sexy. He might show some restraint in his actions, but flirting was an automatic response.

“You talking about my car?” Liv winked, jerking a thumb at her green Subaru. “Love her to pieces.”

Zane’s gaze zeroed in on the camera hanging around her neck from a thick strap. He lifted a brow as he stopped his approach, inches away. “Didn’t know this was a work thing?”

Liv ducked her head, a flush spreading across her cheeks in a way that made his insides warm. She tucked a couple of teal curls behind her ear. “Uh, this isn’t about work, I love taking pictures, and when you said you were making a picnic spread, I wanted to snap a couple shots. You do such a beautiful presentation.”

Well, fuck. The woman could sweep the rug right under him like no one else. His heart melted at the vulnerability, at the high praise coming from a visual artist like her. Without even trying, she pierced his defenses, straight to the core of him. Any cool composure he’d been clinging to vanished, and he closed the distance between them, tilting his head down.

She met his mouth with her lips. Liv’s kiss tasted sinful, the sweet sort of honey he wanted to drink in, and he wrapped his hands around her waist, drawing her body to his. The way she curved to fit against him was nothing short of perfect, and he let the kiss linger, indulging in the citrus scent of her, the gentle swirl of the breeze, and the deep sense of peace that radiated through him whenever they touched.

He pulled away first as the heat spreading in his chest traveled south, his libido sparking to life. Zane hadn’t spent all that time prepping these meals for them to go cold. Liv licked her lips, swiping her finger around the outside to clean up her smudged lipstick. Damn if that didn’t tempt him to dive in again.

“Well, that was one hell of a greeting,” she said with a smile. “Let’s hope the picnic fare matches up.” He didn’t bother restraining his broad grin. The dishes he’d made for today were more significant than she could realize, and he had to admit, his nerves started buzzing the moment he slipped into his car. People could think what they liked about him and Zane didn’t give a damn—he couldn’t afford to. But when it came to Liv he valued her feedback, whether it involved his music from the short-lived band he’d been in, or the career he’d dished up for himself making meals.

“I could’ve made dessert at least,” she grumbled while they set off down the dirt trail littered with pebbles and sprawling vines. Trees loomed in every direction, the breeze carrying the early summer fragrance of unfurled blossoms and fresh-cut grass.

Zane snorted. “Unless your cooking skills underwent a massive overhaul, I’d rather not be poisoned.”

Liv restrained a smile. “Tessa made me throw out the last batch of muffins.”

He shrugged. “We all have our own skills. I might be able to cook, but I can’t sew for shit and you always had a knack for that.”

“Anything in the visual field,” she said, flashing him an earnest grin. The easy way conversation flowed between them made his heart ache. He had isolated himself for so long he had forgotten how to exchange genuine discussion that wasn’t part of a confession in group.

The picnic area stood out at the top of the hill, a gazebo with defined wooden arches in the center, and fencing around the bottom of the building. Noon on a weekday, no one else sat under the covered platform, allowing them the privacy he craved. These moments with Liv were too precious to share. He didn’t know when this fragile thing between them would crumble, didn’t know when things would fall apart, he just knew that they always did. So for the time being he threw himself into the present, savoring every moment he got with her.

Tantalizing aromas wafted from the bag, the contents still piping hot after traveling across town. Anticipation built the higher they climbed. Liv kept trying to peek over the top of the bag, but Zane shifted it away.

“Patience, padawan. You’ll get to eat when we reach the picnic area.” He winked at her, earning a flick to his shoulder in response.

As they walked up together, Liv aimed her camera capturing images of the towering trees in the distance, the pristine blue of the almost cloudless sky, and the dappled shadows patterning the paths. The sound of the camera’s shutter brought Zane back to memories of walking through this park with Lex grumbling about his annoying little sister tagging along. Even then, Zane appreciated her presence, a buffer to his sharp memories and Lex’s hotheadedness. Unlike his best friend, Zane had always appeared a placid lake, despite his screaming matches with his father. Even when the bastard passed and he had to scrape any cash he could to make sure their electric wouldn’t get turned off again, he’d still kept his cool. However, the one time he switched roles with Lex, that’s when Zane got dropped for good.

Liv skipped ahead to the gazebo, claiming the table that overlooked the steepest part of the hill. From this vantage point, there was a breathtaking view of rolling green grass, hazy blue skies, and lush clusters of healthy trees. While she snapped a couple shots Zane settled the bag onto the tabletop and began pulling out containers. After two or three more photos, the scent of tangy pork, gravy, and spices drew her attention.

“Did you get any good ones?” he asked. Her keen, artistic eye always fascinated him, how she sought to find the beauty in even the roughest places. She’d been like that with people too, one of the only souls who managed to coax him out of his shell.

Liv shrugged. “I’ll know more when I go through them, but we’ve got fantastic lighting today.”

Zane spread out the three containers he’d brought of different dishes he’d learned from his mother as a kid. She was from the islands and had brought her unique flavor of cooking along with her, a comfort on the days when his dad stormed in with a temper or could barely peel himself off the floor. Despite the jagged memories of those days, the food still brought comfort. Even now when he visited his mother, the smile that lit her face as he cooked for her cast a bright spot amongst the bleakness.

Liv’s hand rested on his shoulder, the touch and her proximity sparking him to life. He was a little uneasy at sharing something so personal this early on, but despite their recent time apart, he’d known Liv his entire life.

“What did you make?” she asked with a slight smile, the curiosity in those heartbreaker blues ensnaring him.

Zane flipped open the first lid. “This is Loco Moco, a bed of rice covered in gravy, topped with a hamburger patty and an egg.”

“It’s beautiful, Z.” She snapped a shot as she let out an excited squeal. Liv snapped another one before continuing. “You’ve got a great eye for separating the colors—the contrast is stunning.”

His grin spread wide, and pride thrummed in his chest. “I learned a couple tricks over the years.” He pulled off the rest of the lids. “I made poke over white rice with spicy mayo, and shredded Kahlúa pork over fried rice, so I hope you brought an appetite.” The chunks of ahi tuna in the poke glistened with a beautiful reddish hue, the drizzle of spicy mayo creating a striking contrast. The tangy scent of the pork made his mouth water. Liv snapped away, taking a couple shots of the meals he spread out in front of them.

Zane slipped his hands around her waist, unable to keep from touching her as he pressed against her back. Liv bit her lower lip, stopping mid-shot to glance up at him.

“You take gorgeous shots, sweetheart, but the food’s going to get cold.” He enjoyed the way she sank against him when he whispered in her ear, loved how reactive she was, like she could possibly be as turned on as he was every time they interacted.

Liv slipped away to perch on the table beside the food, resting her sneakers on the seat. She scooped up the bowl of poke and held her fork poised over the glistening surface, and hesitated. “It’s too pretty to eat. I feel like a monster ruining this display.”

He rolled his eyes, and snagging the fork from her, he speared the ahi tuna and a bit of rice before lifting the food to her lips. She took the proffered bite, and a moment later, a moan slipped from her throat. He sucked in a breath as the sound shot straight to his cock.

“Z, this is unfair. How are you so goddamn talented?” she complained, stealing the fork from him to nab a couple more bites. He settled on the other side of the table and dug into the Loco Moco, the yellow of the eggs mixing with the gravy and soaking into the rice. As the flavors of the savory meat and gravy hit his mouth, the smooth texture of the eggs, and the grain of the rice, memories came flooding back. Of the frying pan’s sizzle and pop as his mom hunched over the stove and the gentle melodies she sang to herself while she cooked.

“Not like I get to cook this stuff on a regular basis. These are the recipes passed down to my mother from my grams back in Hawaii.” He chewed slowly, enjoying the way the comfort food filled his stomach. Liv leaned across him to spear into the Kahlúa pork, her eyes lighting up the moment the shredded, seasoned meat hit her lips.

“You should open your own place,” she said as she returned to the pork for more.

His heart thudded at the casual way she spoke his dreams aloud, like they were the most natural thing in the world and not some shameful secret. Someone who had fucked up as badly as he had didn’t deserve dreams, but Liv had always believed in a wide-open future for him, one he struggled most days to imagine at all.

“Food truck,” he admitted, staring at the grain of the bench. A flush crept through him that his bronzed skin didn’t betray. “I’ve been saving to open a food truck to serve this sort of stuff.”

“You’d make bank,” Liv responded with a confidence he sure didn’t feel. She glanced up to meet his eyes, her gaze more knowing than he liked, like she lasered past the layers to the deepest core of him. “That’s one hell of a beautiful dream, Z. I hope I’m around to see it realized.”

His heart thundered, but he couldn’t look away from her, not in the wake of the powerful understanding between them. She’d always been reaching for the stars from an early age. Her words struck a deep chord in him.

“You know I’ll be around for as long as you’ll have me,” he murmured. Liv had unlocked the joy he’d buried long ago under layers of shame and self-loathing. She inspired him and accepted him, flaws and all, when not another soul on the planet cared to.

“Come on now,” she said, her voice growing caustic. “We both know you’ll get tired of my freak-outs and extensive damage.” She didn’t need to finish the statement for him to hear the ‘everyone else does.’ He’d lived through it.

Anger flared as he heard his own self-hatred coming from those gorgeous lips. “Not a chance, Livs.”

Her phone beeped, and her glistening eyes glanced to the screen, breaking the tension between them.

“Fuck,” she swore, kicking the wooden seat in front of her.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Tessa can’t come with me to my cousin’s wedding next week. I’m taking pictures, but I’d already told them I had a guest coming, and it’s too late to cancel.” Her gaze rested on his, but a second later she dipped back to stare at the glowing screen. Her lips pursed, and by the way she glanced to him a second time, he knew what question rested on them.

“Two questions,” he said, raising his hand. Her brows lifted, and those bright blue eyes widened. “What day, and will Lex be there?”

A huge smile spread across her face as she rested her phone on the table. “Lex responded no, and the wedding is next Saturday. You’d come with me?” The hesitation in her voice broke his heart.

“Sure, you can introduce me as the obnoxious guy who’s reappeared in your life,” he said with a smile, resting his hand over hers. The contact ignited his veins, and a second later she leaned up to brush her lips over his in a honey-sweet kiss.

“You’re not annoying,” she murmured upon pulling away, her breath on his lips. “Though that does beg the question of what the hell I’m introducing you as?” Liv’s eyes glowed, and she swung off the table to land on her feet, propping one knee up to the wooden seat. She reached up and grabbed his hand. “Zane Parata, would you do me the honor of being my boyfriend?”

“You’re ridiculous,” he retorted, despite the wide smile straining his cheeks. She snuck to his other side and nestled beside him with a casual comfort he’d longed for too many nights to count. He tilted her chin with his fingers to press a kiss against those lips he found so entrancing. Tasting her sweetness, he lingered, savoring the crush of their mouths and how for that moment she chased his loneliness away.

“I’ve only ever been yours, Livs,” he murmured against her lips. In response, she kissed him with a hunger threatening to ignite. Her arms twined around his neck, her body crushed against his, and he slid his palms along the smooth curves of her waist. The insistent demand of his cock made itself known, a pulse he found hard to ignore.

Even though Zane’s life contained too many black stains to be considered a good one, in this moment, he was absolved. Her lips against his, the sun soaking into their skin, and the sweet, fragrant breezes that wafted through this isolated picnic area were nothing short of perfection. Zane would ride out this afternoon for as long as he could, because he’d learned at any early age—that warm, real moments like this were hard to come by.