“Everything okay?” I question, as I watch Zoe. She looks panicked as if she swallowed something and it got stuck on the way down.

Forcing her tight lips to lift, she smiles, stiffly. “I’m a little surprised is all.”

A little?

Judging from the expression on her face, I’d say she’s nervous as hell. She’s been in denial all day about this dinner, convincing herself it was only to catch up. Now that she sees the trouble I’ve gone through, she must know I mean business.

I grin - I can’t help it. I’m inordinately pleased at her discomfort. Nothing like getting smacked across the face with a strong dose of reality. Her denial has been slapped the fuck away and she’s off balance. I’m not gonna lie...I like it. I’ll take whatever advantage I can get, even if it’s only catching her off guard.

“Do you think it’s funny that I’m surprised?” She scowls, deeply and puckers her sexy pink pout into a frown.

Oh shit. “No, I think you’re unbelievably cute when you’re flabbergasted. I can’t wait until I can surprise you again.”

“Hmm, well just so you know, I’m not a fan of surprises, but I think that goes with the territory when you work for the FBI.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. You need to learn how to enjoy surprises because there’s no such thing as a plan that goes off without a hitch. There are always speed bumps or potholes in the road to slow us down. How we get around them is what matters.”

“So how do I get around sitting down to this romantic dinner with you? A dinner that I might remind you, was supposed to be about us catching up.”

“We still can, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a special night, does it? Do you have something against good food and ambience? Tell me now and we can go eat in the barn.”

She snorts, and I take it as a positive sign. “All of this,” I hold my arms wide, “is also so we can talk privately. I didn’t think you’d be comfortable coming to my house and I didn’t want to be seated in a crowded restaurant and risk being overheard.”

“Oh.” She looks thoughtful.

“Yep, didn’t expect to hear that did ya? I’m not saying I don’t want this to be a date, because I absolutely do, and I’ve been completely up front about that. But I also want you to feel perfectly comfortable working with me and right now that takes precedence.”

If only my dick could remember this.

“I appreciate the effort you’ve put into arranging all this.” She waves her hand in a circle. “Now can we eat? I’m famished.” She smiles.

I chuckle and hand her the bottle of wine and glasses. “You pour, and I’ll set our dinner out.”

We focus on our tasks and then settle into enjoying the casual meal my aunt prepared. The turkey clubs and fresh baked chips hit the spot. The atmosphere now seems cordial and relaxed as we eat in companionable silence. The occasional crunch of a chip and the chirp of crickets are the only sounds around us.

Zoe pushes the final bite between her lips and sucks the crumbs from her index finger with a pop. I grimace and hold back a groan. I know what I’d like to see her plump lips wrapped around and it’s not her finger.

She falls back to her elbows on the blanket with a contented sigh. Rubbing her stomach with her palm, she groans. “That was delicious. I’m ready for a nap.”

“Auntie June can make anything taste good.” I clean up the empty plates, placing them in the basket. “Do you want a chocolate chip cookie? She made some for us.”

“I can’t eat another bite, but if you think I’m going home without taking at least one with me, then you’re crazy.”

“Good thing she gave us a dozen then.” Grinning, I hold up two zipped plastic baggies. “Six for you and six for me. Maybe we can negotiate and make that nine for me, three for you since you’re half my size.”

“Don’t even think about it.” She glares at me before cracking a smile. “Your aunt seems like a wonderful person.”

“She’s great. Uncle Tom is a lot of fun too.”

“Who’s related to them, your mom or dad?”

“Auntie June is my mom’s sister. They’re twins and look almost identical.”

“I take it you look like your dad?”

“Yeah, I look a lot like he did at my age. He’s still in great shape though.”

“You don’t look your age,” she mentions.

“Do you know how old I am?”

She sits up straight, brushing her hair back from her face. “Yeah, I remember you’re ten years older than me. You harped on our age difference enough. How could I forget?”

“Zoe, you were only eighteen. I had to keep reminding you and myself how young you were. I didn’t want to take advantage of your vulnerability and the situation we were in.”

“I know, and I appreciate that about you, but at the time it hurt my feelings. A lot.”

“I’m sorry I hurt you, but I think it would’ve been much worse if we had gone further than we already did.”

“You’re probably right,” she admits, surprising me. “I was a wreck after you got shot. If we had been involved more than we were, it would’ve been devastating not to see you again. More devastating,” she adds to clarify.

I know that she was hurt from the abrupt way we parted. There was no closure, no way of saying goodbye. At the time, I was in the hospital and had no way of contacting her. I thought the clean break we were forced to endure was the best option in the long run, but now I’m not so sure.

My hand cups her chin, raising her face. Our eyes lock and I can see the glimmer of the small lights strung about the ceiling reflected in her blue irises.

“I thought about you often when I was in the hospital and after I got out.”

“I was so lonely without you, Nash. We might not have been involved in the typical sense, but that doesn’t mean my heart wasn’t invested in you.”

I turn my hand over, caressing her cheek with the back of my fingers. “I know. I felt the same. I didn’t contact you because I wanted you to move on with your life. You deserved to be like any other college girl, going to parties and having boyfriends.”

“I’d rather have had you.”

“I convinced myself the way it played out worked in your favor. I wanted you to start college with no reminders of those months in the safe house.”

“Nash, what makes you think there were no reminders? All I had to do was think about you to bring it all back.”

“You have no idea how hard it was for me to stay away from you. I wanted to reach out to you and see how everything was and I had to talk myself out of it daily for a long time. After the first year, I’d convinced myself you’d probably moved on. Did you have a lot of boyfriends?” I inquire, annoyed with myself for asking.

She shakes her head. “Max was the only serious one.”

Her words anger me, and I have no right to feel this way. Everything happens for a reason and we both travelled the paths we were meant to. That we’re both here together proves this fact. I need to leave the past where it belongs and focus on this moment.

Zoe looks more beautiful than any woman has a right to. Her luminous eyes shine up at me. The back of my hand skims under the curve of her jaw and along the elegant column of her neck, before flipping over to clasp the front of her throat. I squeeze gently, barely restraining myself from pressing her to the ground. Fuck that. No matter how much I justify our time apart, I should’ve been her first and only boyfriend. What would our lives be like now if we had always been together? Would we be married? Maybe have a child? My chest tightens at the thought of sharing those things with her.

Guiding her toward the floor with the hand holding her neck, I catch the back of her head, cradling it in my palm and come down on top of her. My mouth captures hers without hesitation, my tongue hungrily dipping between the fullness of her tempting lips to rub and twist with hers.

She gasps in surprise and then moans into my mouth, caught between lust and trepidation, she wants to pull me closer and push me away. Fuck. I’ve never had a kiss like this.

I press my hard cock dead center between her thighs. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be for the first time in my life. The sense of rightness I feel having her in my arms is beyond words.

My hand slides from her neck to a pert breast, squeezing the fullness. Her taut nipple teases my palm through her clothing and her hips buck as she rocks her clit into my hard on. Gliding my fingertips down over the curve of her hip, I slip underneath her ass, gripping a cheek and pulling her into my dick. Mindlessly, I grind into her softness. She grips my shoulders, fingernails digging into my flesh and my dick feels like it’s going to explode. I tear my lips from hers and stare down at her as we both pant.

“Everything about you is incredible, but I’m not going to rush this. I want to take you out again soon. Does that work for you?”

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but yes, I’d like that.”