I really feel like I made progress on getting through to Angie when we were together a few days ago. I want to keep that momentum going. And tonight, I have something up my sleeve that will definitely knock down a few more of those bricks in her fortress.

She kicks off her boots on the mat by the front door. “My god, it smells incredible in here.”

When she straightens, I smile at her and reach for the buttons at the front of her winter jacket. I unbutton her slowly. Her eyes shine with delight as she pulls the knitted hat off of her head.

“You think so?” I ask, sealing my lips over hers to hide my smirk as I push the tweed coat off of her shoulders.

“I’ve been starving all afternoon.” She laughs as she makes her way down the darkened hallway. “I was almost hungry enough to get a burrito from the cafeteria. Almost.” Her hand stalls on the zipper of her sweater when she steps into the kitchen. “Ben…” she gasps.

I revel in the expression on her face as her eyes fan over the spread on the kitchen table. I’ve prepared a dining space for two, lit up by clusters of artisanal candles in varying sizes. A small vase of red roses fragrances the room. But Angie seems most interested in what I have hidden under the stainless steel cloche dome sitting in the middle of the table. That’s where her gaze is focused.

“I know that you like your poultry maimed and mutilated and stitched together with surgical thread…” I whip the dome off of the meal with a flourish, “…but I hope that chicken breasts marinated in lemon and oregano, then grilled to perfection is up to your standards.”

She breaks out snickering. “Beggars can’t be choosers, I guess.” She leans over the table and takes a whiff. A sensual noise pours out of her and my cock twitches even though the lusty little sound wasn’t meant for me.

“Stop moaning like that or I’ll get jealous of the chicken,” I whisper with my arms banded around her waist.

Her pretty eyes flash me a wink. “I’ll have the chicken for dinner. But you? I’m having you for dessert.”

A rumble resounds in my chest and I nip at her ear with my teeth.

I wanted tonight to be special. I’m not superstitious or anything and I definitely don’t know anything about astronomy but tonight is a lunar eclipse. I don’t get what all the hype is about but apparently, it’s a really special one. So, I wanted to be with Angie right now. Being the huge science geek that she is, I’m sure that she’ll appreciate it and I’ve pulled out all the stops to make it memorable for her.

She burrows contentedly against my chest and I hug her closer. “Thank you, Ben. This is really amazing.”

I bury my nose in her hair and kiss her scalp. I love seeing her this happy and I love knowing that I’m the reason for it.

Sitting at the table, we dig into the meal. I listen intently as she tells me all about her day. She says she’s been working with Dr. Elliot on some research project. I’ve got to admit that I’m a bit uncomfortable with her spending so much one on one time with the man. I keep my insecurities to myself, though. I don’t know him personally but this is a small town and word gets around. And the word about Elliot isn’t good. The guy’s a player. But I’m not about to start throwing out accusations. I have to believe that Angie is mine and it’s only a matter of time before she sees that. So, instead of entertaining my insecurities, I spend our meal listening to her, asking her questions and enjoying how excited she is about her work.

Once dinner is over and we’ve loaded the dishes into the dishwasher, Angie heads off in the direction of the living room. I rush up behind her and rope an arm around her waist to halt her steps. “Wait,” I whisper against her ear, “I have a surprise for you.”

“You do?” She’s facing away from me, but I hear the smile in her voice.

My fingers sweep up her arms to bracket her shoulders. I turn her toward the backdoor. “D’you see anything unusual out there?” I ask teasingly as we hover by the door.

She squints, her gaze traveling across the yard. “Is that…?” Barely containing a squeal, her fingers clasp the handle and slide the door open. A gust of cold air blasts into the room.

I chuckle in the face of her excitement. “Hold on. Let me go get your jacket.” I race down the hall and jump into my boots. I grab Angie’s winter gear and help her put it on. Then, we step out onto the back porch. She leaves me behind, plodding across the backyard in the knee-high snow.

This is exactly the reaction I was hoping for.

“Oh my god, this is amazing,” she calls out as she reaches the picnic table in the middle of the yard. “I can’t believe you did this.”

At the foot of the table is the most powerful telescope I could rent on such short notice. Apparently, these things are a hot commodity during celestial happenings like tonight’s eclipse and let me tell you, the rental was not cheap. Good thing the smile on her face is worth it.

“Isn’t it incredible?” she sighs as she adjusts the lens to her line of vision and angles the telescope skyward. “A blue moon, a blood moon and a supermoon all at once. A lunar trifecta…”

I climb onto the snow-covered bench and perch on the edge of the table. “Yeah, it’s incredible.” Even with the naked eye, the reddish-orange moon is a sight to behold. Still not as beautiful as Angie, though…

My heart is nearly splitting with happiness as I watch her, with her fluffy knitted tuque pulled down over her hair and her thick scarf knotted around her neck, her breath billowing out in front of her as she ohhs and ahhs into the air. “It’s been 150 years since the last time one of these was visible from the Earth, y’know. And it probably won’t happen again for at least another century.”

“I guess some things really are once-in-a-lifetime…”

The way she freezes, I can tell that my words hit her hard. She looks away from the telescope and brings her gaze to me. I’m not backing down, I’m not apologizing or retracting my words. Me and Angie, the connection we have is once-in-a-lifetime and it’s time that she admit that to herself.

I slide off the table and take slow, careful steps toward her. I know that she spooks easily when confronted with the truth. But her feelings for me are more obvious and glaring than this damn eclipse. I’ve just got to find the right words. The perfect words to show her how sorry I am. The perfect words to assure her that I’ll never hurt her again. But while I’m still sorting out exactly what it is I want to say, her words come first. They’re soft but they strike me with the force of an avalanche.

“I want to give us another try.”

I blink. “You mean that?”

She smiles. “Yes.”

That’s all the confirmation I need. I go at her like a linebacker. My arms come around her and I scoop her up, with a loud howl. Angie shrieks with laughter, her little fists pounding on my chest to put her down.

I set her on her feet but I keep my arms tight around her. She tilts her head back and looks up at me, trying to restrain her grin. "I want to give us another try. I’m still terrified. And uncertain. But I’m ready to jump in and take a shot at making this work...I just want to trust you. Like I used to."

With tender strokes of my fingers, I brush her hair from her face. “We can take it slow. I’ll give you as much time as you need. Just tell me that you’ll open yourself up to the possibility. Tell me you’re open to the idea of you and me together.”

She swallows hard, blinking back happy tears, Her voice is nothing but a whisper. “I can’t fight this anymore, Ben. Okay?! I’m open to the idea of you and me together.”

My lips crash down on hers and I kiss her until we can hardly breathe. “So are you saying…?”

“I want to be with you, Ben. I want to be your girl.”