It’s funny how the human mind works. I’ve known Natalie most of my life. I’ve shared countless meals with her. I’ve seen her bare-ass naked. Hell, I’ve been inside her…created life with her. Yet here I am, nervous as fuck over this date.

I made it to Cobalt about fifteen minutes before our reservation time. Talk about being eager. But, better early than late, I guess. Especially when I’m trying to make an impression. Which honestly seems a bit strange—because once again, I’ve known the girl since she was knee-high to a grasshopper, whatever the fuck that means. My grandpa used to say it, and it seems right.

As I wait in my car, my mind drifts. Unwelcome thoughts of Mia invade my brain and I shudder. Nope. No way. Not letting that bitch ruin my night. I bolt out of my vehicle and head for the entrance. Maybe they’ll have our table ready. Because if I let my thoughts stay on the path they were on, tonight’s going to be a total shitshow. Nothing—and I mean nothing—brings out the worst in me quite like my ex.

I manage to regain my composure on the walk over, but seeing Natalie standing near the entrance dressed to kill—yeah, I promptly lose what little chill I had.

My feet carry me directly to her, and I don’t stop until were toe-to-toe. She looks absolutely radiant, and I can’t help but to lean down and kiss her. When our lips meet, it’s deep and slow and delicious. She tastes like melon-flavored lip gloss and something inherently Natalie.

I groan and pull away. “C’mon, beautiful, we don’t want them to give our table away.”

Seated, with menus in hand, we peruse them together, commenting on the various dishes. It’s so refreshing to be able to talk about food with someone who’s just as passionate about it as I am. Unlike Mia. She rolled her eyes and checked out every time I mentioned a new technique or flavor profile. No. Bad, Alden. Cut that shit out. You know good and well Natalie is nothing like Mia.

But it seems I don’t cut it out quite fast enough, because Natalie picks up on my change in demeanor. “You okay?” she asks, placing her hand on top of mine.

The gesture brings me completely back to the here and now. “Totally fine. What sounds good to you?” I ask, changing the subject.

“I think I’m gonna go with—” Our server comes by, cutting her off. We place our drink orders, along with an order of their black-eyed pea dip. The server jots it all down with a smile and heads off to ring it in.

“As I was saying, I’m gonna go with the chargrilled beef medallions. Something about those loaded mashed potato cakes and fried oysters has my mouth watering. Gonna skip the Tabasco hollandaise though—that stuff is gross.”

“Not a Tabasco fan, Small Fry?”

“Hell no. Cholula or bust.”

“Girl after my own heart,” I murmur, and she blushes the prettiest shade of pink.

“What about you?”

“Def going with the shrimp pasta. There’s no way to go wrong with fresh shrimp paired with roasted mushrooms, chargrilled lemon, greens, and spicy marinara. A match made in culinary heaven.”

“Ooh. That does sound good.”

“Play your cards right, and I’ll share.”

Her returning smile is so beatific, it almost hurts to look at it dead on.

Our server returns, drinks and app balanced on her tray. The grilled French bread accompanying our dip looks divine. After we place our order, I spoon some onto a slice and lift it to Nat’s lips.

She parts them in acceptance of my offering, moaning as the flavors burst across her tongue. The sound is so sensual my pants start to feel a few sizes too small.

Throughout the rest of our dinner, we cover all of the usual first date topics—from our favorite foods to our favorite colors and everything in between. It’s actually refreshing, getting to know more about the woman Natalie is now, learning about her little quirks and what makes her tick.

Our server returns with the dessert menu, but we both pass, too full from our dinners. I pay the tab and together we exit the building. I guide her with my hand pressed to the small of her back. My pinky finger brushing over the exposed skin is almost like an adrenaline rush.

Outside, we linger, neither of us wanting our night to end. I check my watch, noting that it’s already after eight. “What time did you tell Jenny you’d be home?”

Natalie shrugs. “I told her I wouldn’t be too late, but we didn’t really settle on an exact time.”

I grin. “Wanna go for a drive?”

She smiles up at me, looking ten kinds of mischievous. “Sure.”

Quickly, I guide her to my car, opening her door and helping her in. “Such a gentleman,” she murmurs, her voice low and suggestive. Jesus, this woman oozes sex appeal, and I’m not even sure she knows it.

I crank the engine and reverse out of my spot. At the stop sign for the main road, I ask her, “Have you ever play Left-Right?”

“Uh, no. What’s that?”

“So, every time we come to a turn, you tell me if I should go left or right and we’ll see where we end up.”

“Ooh! Okay. Go left.”

I flip on my blinker and pull into traffic. At the next light, she directs me to go right. We continue on like this, weaving a maze until we find ourselves on an unpaved backroad. It leads to a small parking lot at the water’s edge. It’s dark, secluded, and…perfect.

“What is this place?” I ask, scanning our surroundings.

“It’s a boat launch.”

“You been here before?” I ask, petty, school-yard jealousy prickling my tone. After all, this place practically screams make-out spot.

“No.”

“Then how do you know where we are?”

She giggles. “The sign, you doofus.”

“What sign?” I look around again, and sure enough right outside her window is a freaking sign telling us exactly where we are. Oops. “Ah. That sign.”

She laughs again, the sound light and infectious. I reach out and brush my fingers over her cheekbone. “You’re really beautiful when you’re happy.” That didn’t come out right. “I mean, you’re always beautiful, but when you smile, it just radiates.”

Thanks to the moonlight spilling in, I can see her blush. I know from our time in the pool just how far that blush reaches, and damn if I don’t want to see it again. Feeling bold, I palm the back of her neck and draw her nearer to me.

Our lips meet in a kiss so soft and sweet it puts every fairy tale to shame. But it’s not enough. I want more. And judging from the little noises Nat’s making, she agrees. I reach over and click the button on her seatbelt, releasing it. “Backseat?” I ask, like an over-eager teenaged boy.

She doesn’t answer with words. She simply climbs over the console and into the back. I follow suit. Thanks to the car seat I have for Tatum, it requires a bit of tricky maneuvering, but finally, I get her straddling me.

Our lips come together again in a clash of teeth and tongue. This kiss isn’t sweet. It’s fierce and full of want. I bite down on her bottom lip before sucking it into my mouth to soothe the sting away. She grinds into me, and I grip her ass—a cheek in each hand—like a lifeline.

The feeling of her moving over me and her hands in my hair has me so wound up, and even though I promised her we would take things slow, the head on my shoulders is at war with one below my belt. All I can think about is how fucking good it would feel to slide into her, to feel her squeezing me as I push us both toward release.

“Touch me, Alden, please.”

Keeping one hand on her ass, I bring the other to her breast, tweaking her nipple through her sexy-as-hell top. Her eyes all but roll back in her head—so fucking responsive.

“More,” she moans, and before I can do a thing, she removes her shirt, bearing her beautiful, full breasts to me. I waste no time giving my girl what she wants, kissing and sucking and nipping at her tits until she’s trembling in my lap.

“More,” she demands again, guiding my hand to the edge of her shorts. I pull back and look her in the eye, making sure she means this. She nods, and I pop the button and work my hand beneath her panties.

I find her wet and ready. Gently, I stroke two fingers over her seam, parting her. She rolls her hips and rides my hand like a fucking rodeo pro. Before I know it, she’s coming apart, calling my name, and I’m about ready to blow my load in my pants. What is it about this girl that gets me so hot?

Once she comes back down, she slumps down onto me, her cheek landing on my shoulder. I withdraw my fingers, and the sensation causes her to rock against me. “What about you?” she asks, sleepily.

“Don’t worry about me, Small Fry.”

She lifts her head and looks at me with a wicked gleam in her eye. “That doesn’t seem fair.”

I watch in fascination as she scoots back on my lap as far as the seat in front her allows and undoes my pants. I hiss as she frees me and fists me, running her hand from root to tip. What really gets me, though, is when she releases me, licks her palm and gets back to work, jacking me like she knows exactly what I like—like she was made for me and me alone.

“Fuck, Nat…feels so good.”

She moans as if pleasuring me pleasures her. “I still want more, Alden.”

I’m so close to release I can hardly think. “We…we said sl-slow.”

“I’ve been waiting for you for what feels like forever. Fuck slow. I want you.”

I haul her up to me, pushing her shorts down as I go. She’s poised above me, and as she sinks down, encasing me with her heat, I swear I’ve died and gone to heaven.

She swivels her hips, and a tremor works its way up from the base of my spine. “Nat. Wait. Protection.”

“I have an IUD.”

And with that, I thrust up from beneath her, setting our pace. She rides me without any abandon, seeking her pleasure and taking it until she’s a writhing mess, calling my name as she comes. An embarrassingly short amount of time later, I find my own release, loving the way it feels to finish inside of her.

“Jesus, Small Fry,” I groan out the words, and she looks so proud that I don’t even care that I just got off in my backseat like a sixteen-year-old. All I care about is keeping that smile on her face forever.

Holy shit, did I just think forever?

Natalie fumbles around until she finds her top, pulling it on. I’m expecting her to climb into the front seat—and excited for the view it will give me—but instead, she carefully exits the car and rushes to open the passenger door. Standing between the two open doors gives her a bit of privacy as she roots around in her purse until she finds baby wipes. She flips the pack open and grabs a few and uses them to clean me off of her thighs. Huh. Who knew those things were so useful?

I scoot over and climb out as well, and she passes me a wipe. I take care of business before tucking myself back into my pants and buttoning up. With us both redressed, I cage her against the car and kiss her deeply. “Tonight was more than I could’ve ever imagined.”

She smiles up at me and then ducks into the car, where she promptly buckles up. “Tonight was perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

“Damn straight it was.” My chest puffs up like a proud peacock. “Now, let’s get you back to your car so you can get home to our daughter.”