CHAPTER 10
Laura
His hands come off my hips and he takes my hand in his leading me towards the door.
We leave the house and start walking towards…the barn?
“Okay,” he says. “Close your eyes.”
I do as I’m told. I feel his other hand come up to my hip as he steadies and guides me like a ship in the night crossing the harbor.
And crossing is exactly what I know he has in mind. Crossing me into womanhood. I feel like an adult already in a lot of ways, but I want to make it official so to speak. And when I speak tonight it’s his name that I want on my lips.
“Okay. We’ve got to do a little climbing, but I’m right here.”
“Climbing? With my eyes closed?”
“Don’t worry. It’s not much and it’s just a standard ladder, just made out of wood. And I’ll be right here with you. Wait! I’ve got a better idea. Get on my back,” he says.
I hear the straw underneath our feet crinkle and his side press into my hip. “I got ya,” he says.
I pat his back a few times getting an idea of where he is and after I’m oriented I get on his back.
“Okay, hold on tight and up we goooo,” he says and I feel my feet swiftly come off the ground.
“Ohhh,” I say.
“Got a good grip?”
“I think so.”
“I think so too judging by the lack of oxygen going to my brain right now.”
“I’m so sorry. I—“
“Got ya! I was just teasing. I’m a big guy. You can grab on as tight as you want. As a matter of fact you can grab even tighter. I like the feeling of knowing I’m keeping you safe.”
“I like that feeling too.”
“Okay. We ready back there?”
“Ready!” I say.
I feel our bodies start to ascend the latter. It’s a weird feeling, the balance or should I say the lack thereof. It’s almost like you’re weightless because you’re basically being carried, requiring complete trust in the carrier. And trust him I do.
“Okay. We made it.”
“Already?”
“Easy huh? When we work together.”
“The perfect team,” I say.
I feel his grip tighten just a bit on my legs letting me know he appreciates my comment.
“Okay, I’m going to set you down slowly, but don’t open your eyes quite yet. Okay?”
“Okay,” I say. This is so fun. He’s building up the anticipation a lot, but something tells me this is a man who can deliver on his promises, whether they’re said or implied. And he’s implying this is going to be great.
I feel my feet gently touch more straw and then I’m completely standing. He takes my hand again.
“Two more steps forward.”
We take the steps and I can feel my heart beating furiously inside my rib cage. The smell of fresh straw and hay is intoxicating. Whatever he’s done out here, he’s certainly cleaned it.
“Okay, on three you can open. Ready?”
“I’m ready.”
“Not yet! On three,” he says and I feel him playfully pinch my side.
“One…two…three!”
I open my eyes and my skin is immediately covered with goose bumps from head to toe.
“Oh my!” I say my hands coming up to my face. “This is…wow! Just wow!”
I turn to him and hug him tight before turning my head and looking back at…it.
It is a beautiful white bed on the far side with the headboard made of bales of hay. On the bails of hay sit beautiful antique lanterns illuminating just the right amount of light. There’s a window open in the distance allowing just a slight breeze which mixes perfectly with the fresh smell of the hay.
And I’m not even cold. I turn to the side and see he’s put a large heater about ten feet from the bed to keep us warm. Apparently we’re going to be out here all night long and I’m all for that.
“This is absolutely the most wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me,” I say.
“Well this is just the beginning,” he says.
“Just the beginning?”
“My mind has no limits when it comes to surprising you and pleasing you.”
“Wow. Just wow!” Then I pause. “I hate to ask this, but is this safe? The heaters and the lanterns around all this hay and all?”
“It would be extremely dangerous, but I took an unbelievable number of precautions to make sure it’s not. There are barriers and fire retardant materials, but I tried to arrange them so they weren’t visible.”
“It worked, because I don’t seem them at all.”
“Perfect, because I only wanted you to see the beautiful parts…just like all the beauty I see each and every time I look at you.”
I turn my head back towards him to find him looking down at me. I rise up on my tiptoes and before I’ve moved more than a fraction of an inch his lips have come down to meet mine and the absolutely blissful night that we’re about to experience together is officially underway.