The days before their date flew by, which was a relief because anytime Sara thought about Saturday night her stomach did summersaults in nervous anticipation. School kept her busy with papers and midterms so she barely saw Keith, and studying all evening after chasing after Carter left her so exhausted that she didn’t linger when he came home from work. Surprisingly there was no awkwardness after the spanking. Neither one mentioned the situation, but it didn’t feel like they were avoiding the topic either. They’d both put it behind them.

Sara’s biggest worry was that Molly would show up out of the blue and ruin everything, but when there was no sign of her by Saturday morning, Sara breathed a sigh of relief, fairly certain that Molly forgot about the visit to Keith’s house entirely. However, Keith kept his word and had an alarm system installed. He also made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that Sara was required to keep it armed all the time. He didn’t want to take the chance that Molly would just barge in without knocking. So far Sara had remembered to set the alarm every day, mostly because she wanted to see Molly even less than Keith did. The fact Keith promised a punishment she would feel for a week if she forgot also helped!

Keith worked a half shift on Saturday, asking a co-worker who needed the extra money to cover the rest so they could go out. Since Sara had to watch Carter during the day, she’d packed a bag with her outfit and toiletries so she could get ready at Keith’s. This also served the dual purpose of keeping Keith away from her house.

It wasn’t that her housekeeping skills were lacking, in fact she was barely there long enough to make a mess, it was just that everything in it needed to be upgraded and the exterior could use some major TLC. Her life the past few years hadn’t left much time, or money, for home improvements. Not that she knew the first thing about maintaining an old house anyway. She knew she’d have to invest some cash into upkeep soon, but she didn’t know where, exactly, that money was going to come from.

Sara pushed those pesky worries to the side and focused on preparing for their evening out. It felt awkward, and kind of titillating, to be showering in Keith’s bathroom. Thinking about spending the evening with him while she washed her hair and soaped her body in his personal space aroused her beyond belief. Her skin flamed with each pass of the washcloth and her toes curled when she washed between her legs. It was almost enough to tempt her into easing the ache right then and there, and only the knowledge that Keith would be arriving home soon stopped her.

Sara hadn’t felt this way in forever, if at all. Her experience with men was fairly limited, and ever since Grandma had a stroke, Sara’s love life had been non-existent. Even though she wanted Keith desperately, she also didn’t want to ruin their relationship by rushing into things too quickly. Deep down Sara knew that she and Keith could be something special, if they took their time. She could wait to relieve the pressure building inside her because the promise of a future together was worth it, and the risks if they failed were too great. She didn’t want to disrupt Carter’s life because Keith and Sara jumped into bed like horny teenagers. And she really didn’t want to lose her job. Hopefully, Keith would agree that she was worth waiting for.

Forty-five minutes later Sara was washed, dried and dressed in a plum-colored knit-jersey wrap dress that exposed a hint of cleavage and skimmed her knees. It was sexy, but demure. Sultry without exposing too much. At least she thought so. Keith might think she looked like a nun, but if he did it would just prove they were not compatible. Her hair was down and hung in a silky wave that she’d painstakingly straightened with her seldom-used flat iron. She’d used more makeup than normal, which actually meant she was wearing some. Her daily routine involved a swipe of mascara and lip balm, but tonight she’d brought out the big guns and applied smoky gray eye shadow and added a hint of black liner. A shimmering lip-gloss was the final touch. She wished she had some jewelry to wear, but pretty necklaces hadn’t been high on her shopping priority list. The only reason she even had the dress was because a friend from work had gotten married last year and she’d purchased it for the wedding, and never worn it again. It was a miracle she’d even found it hanging in the dark recesses of her closet, but there it was, with the matching strappy black heels looped around the hanger, just waiting for this night. Her first date with Keith.

As if thinking about him conjured him up, Sara heard the front door open. Keith was home, and Angie must have come in with him. Low murmurs came down the hall, though Sara couldn’t make out what they were saying. Until Keith let out a loud laugh and said, “Okay, Angie. Thank you. You were right.”

That made Sara smile. Angie called weekly for updates on how things were going between Keith and Sara, always sounding disappointed when Sara informed her they were just friends. When Sara finally reported the news of their date earlier in the week, Angie let out an ear-splitting shriek that made Sara jump and drop the phone. Every day since then Angie had called or texted, asking if anything else had happened between them, wanting every juicy detail she could get her hands on. Well, now she’d have a front row seat so she must be in her glory.

Sara was so lost in her thoughts, and trying to get the damned straps on her shoes fastened, that she didn’t notice Keith standing in the doorway until he spoke.

“You look fantastic.”

Sara shot up, her facing burning when she realized he was probably getting an eyeful of her breasts as she bent over trying to put on her sandals.

“Thank you.” He looked great too, even though he was still in his work clothes. Sara thought Keith was one of the handsomest men she’d ever met no matter what he wore, but she had to admit that she couldn’t wait to see him dressed up in the tailored shirt and dress pants that were hanging behind his door. At least she assumed those were for tonight since she’d never seen him in anything but jeans, sweats or work clothes.

“Let me take a quick shower and I’ll help you with those.” He nodded towards the shoe hanging from her foot. “I’m gross right now and don’t want to mess up how beautiful you look.”

Sara couldn’t speak. No man had ever paid her a more sincere compliment. He truly believed she looked beautiful, and didn’t want to ruin the hard work she’d put into her appearance. It made her feel appreciated, knowing that he knew she’d taken extra time and effort to look pretty. And he liked it and wasn’t afraid to tell her so.

“Is that okay?” Keith prompted.

“What?” Sara struggled to remember what the question was. Shoes. He wanted to help her put her shoes on. “Oh, yeah sure. I’d like that.” She barely managed to leave off the ‘a lot’.

* * *

His jaw dropped and his eyes bugged out of his head when he went to his room to take a shower and found Sara sitting on his bed, dressed to kill. In fact, he almost had a heart attack on the spot. Her normal uniform of jeans and comfy sweaters was gone, replaced by a hot as hell purple dress that clung to her in all the right places, but didn’t flash much skin. Except when she was bent over, like she was when he found her. Then the slightly dramatic V-neck became downright dirty, exposing far more of her chest than he was sure she would like. Luckily, he recovered his composure before she saw him drooling in the doorway. Instead of embarrassing her, Keith made a note to make sure she didn’t do that while they were out tonight. It was one thing for him to catch a glimpse of heaven, but no way in hell was anyone else. Especially since that’s all he’d get to see for a while. Just a tantalizing little tidbit.

Sara wasn’t the kind of girl who’d take kindly to being sweet talked into bed on the first date, and the truth of the matter was he didn’t want them to start out that way. She was special and deserved to be treated like a princess. He wanted to get to know her better, find out what made her tick, and then, after a while, he’d discover what would make her purr.

Twenty minutes later Keith was out of the shower, dressed and ready to go. The reservations weren’t for another forty-five minutes and the restaurant was only a half hour away, so everything was right on schedule.

Despite Sara’s begging him all week for details, Keith kept their plans for the evening to himself. He hadn’t gone on an actual date in years, and it felt good to spend time trying to make the night special for her. He wanted it to be an evening she’d always remember, so that when their children asked about their first date they’d be able to give them a romantic story.

Keith’s shoulders stiffened when he realized he’d been envisioning him and Sara being together forever, and having more kids. It was a little soon for thoughts like those, but they actually didn’t scare him as much as he thought they would. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that thinking about spending the rest of his life with Sara made him happy in a way he’d never felt before.

For now, he locked those thoughts up tightly and focused on how to make the night memorable. Sara would be blown away by the restaurant he’d picked. Harry’s Harbor Place was the place to go for a night of delicious seafood with a gorgeous, waterfront view. Keith had been there once a few months ago and had wanted to return for a while, but never had a reason, until now. He’d made a reservation for a table by the windows so they’d have an unobstructed view of the water since it was far too chilly to sit outside.

A few minutes later, they managed to make it out of the house without any tears from Carter and were taking the scenic route along the river to the restaurant in Keith’s reliable four-door sedan. Unfortunately, he’d had to trade in his pick-up for something more family friendly when Carter came along, though he still had his Harley in the garage. Not that he’d been out on it more than once or twice in the last seven months. Maybe Sara would like to go for a ride in the spring?

The thought of her thighs wrapped around his ass on the back of his bike had Keith so distracted he almost missed the turn for the restaurant. Thankfully, he caught himself just in time and pulled down a winding road to where a group of buildings were tucked along the riverfront. He smiled in happy anticipation of the lobster dinner he’d be eating shortly, but his joy was cut short by the noise Sara made when she finally saw where they were having dinner.

“Oh,” she said, not sounding the least bit excited about pulling up to one the best places to eat in the area. In fact, she sounded a little distressed.

“What’s the matter?” Keith asked, wondering what could possibly be her problem. He’d looked forward to this all week and he really wanted Sara to have a good time.

“Nothing’s wrong. This will be great!” He was somewhat reassured when she turned and gave him a smile, but her words sounded forced. Like she didn’t really mean any of what she said and would rather be anywhere else but here. Had she had second thoughts on the way over? She’d seemed excited about their date all week, but now that it was happening, had she changed her mind? He really hoped like hell that wasn’t the case, but before he could press further she opened her door and slid out of the car.

“Sara, wait!” Keith called as he jumped out and rushed around to her side. “I was going to get the door for you.” He couldn’t help the frustration that edged into his voice, though he tried to stop it.

Sara avoided his gaze, but grasped his arm when he reached her and started walking to the restaurant. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. No one’s ever opened my door for me before.”

“I was trying to be a perfect gentleman for you tonight, but I guess I should have warned you ahead of time.” His joke earned him a small laugh, but even that felt contrived to him. He glanced down and found Sara searching the front of the restaurant intently. He followed her gaze trying to figure out what the hell she was doing, but then she started tugging him to the left of the front door, obviously having found what she wanted.

“Aren’t you ready to go in, babe? I’m hungry.” What the hell was she doing pulling him away from the door and over towards an area with benches and tables where people could have a drink while they waited for their tables in the warmer months? There was another door over here, and Keith finally realized where they were headed.

“You don’t have to look at the menu outside on the wall, Sara. We can go in and sit down at our table and they’ll give us one.” It came out sounding more snarky than he intended, but she was seriously acting crazy.

“I just want to see what they have before we go in,” Sara replied, now studying the two pages mounted in a glass case.

“What’s going on, Sara?” Keith asked, gently turning her to face him. When he saw that her eyes were brimming with tears he became even more confused. And pissed. Was she seriously crying over his choice in restaurant? He couldn’t believe this was the same Sara he saw almost every day of the week. He never would have suspected she was this nutty.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” she whispered. She was so quiet he almost didn’t hear her over his own churning thoughts. “I should have told you before, but it didn’t even occur to me since I haven’t been out in so long, and I was so excited about our date.”

“Sara, you’re not making any sense. What’s the issue?” Keith realized she was truly upset and not just pitching a fit for no reason, but she needed to tell him what the problem was so he could fix it.

She took a deep breath and Keith watched her fight back her tears and attempt to regain control of her emotions before she spoke. He appreciated the effort, but every second she didn’t tell him what was wrong made him crazier. Finally, she looked him in the eye and said, “I’m allergic to seafood.”

Keith’s mouth dropped open for the second time that night as the ridiculousness of the situation hit him hard. He hadn’t even thought to ask if there was anything she didn’t like or couldn’t eat. What an idiot. He’d forged ahead and planned the date, repeatedly refusing to tell her anything so he could surprise her. If he’d just given in and told her where they were going she would have clued him in, and it would have been no big deal. Instead, they were standing outside a restaurant Sara couldn’t eat in, at seven o’clock on a Friday night. There was no way they’d get into any other nice place now, unless they were willing to wait until midnight to eat.

“Keith, did you hear what I said?” Sara asked, shaking his arm lightly. He’d been so deep into beating himself up over his own stupidity that he’d totally missed whatever she’d said.

“No, I’m sorry.” He was far too busy berating himself, and scrambling to figure out an alternate plan, to hear anything

“I said, I wanted to look at the menu to see if they had any meat, and if they have a steak that I could get.” She was sweet to make the offer, but no way were they having dinner at a place where she could only have one thing on the menu, and probably risk cross contamination from all the seafood in the kitchen. If they went in there and asked for a shellfish-free meal, the staff would laugh them out of the place. Or give him nasty looks for bringing her there in the first place, which he would completely deserve.

“We’ll figure something else out. I don’t want you to be stuck eating the only thing on the menu that won’t kill you.” He pulled up his phone to see what was close that might have room, but Sara pointed across the street where an old house was lit up with a flashing sign advertising hot barbeque, cold beer, and live music.

“How about we walk over there and see if we can get a table?” she suggested, already tugging his arm in that direction.

Keith was going to protest that it wasn’t nice enough—he could see the red checked tablecloths and jeans clad waitresses through the window—but Sara’s stomach picked that moment to let out a loud rumble and made the decision for them.

“Let’s check it out, though we’re probably going to be way overdressed,” Keith warned, but steered her across the street and up the wide front steps of the converted home.

“I’m too hungry to care as long as you don’t mind,” she said as he pulled open the door for her. “Oh look, they have live blues music at 9:00!” She pointed to the sign on the wall in the lobby advertising a local band for that night. “That would be fun to stay for.”

Sara looked back at him with such a look of hope and joy Keith couldn’t possibly say no. They had a sitter until midnight so they might as well live it up. “I don’t care if we’re overdressed as long as you enjoy yourself, babe, and if listening to the blues would make you happy, then we’ll do it.”

An hour later, Keith had to admit that dinner was much better than he’d expected from the restaurant’s initial appearance, but wasn’t that always the way. Places that you thought would be disappointing usually turned out to be hidden gems, and Keith knew that they’d be returning to this one. Especially after the night they’d had. It was one he’d never forget. Sara didn’t mind that she was the only woman in a fancy dress and heels, instead digging into the two huge Bar-B-Q samplers they shared. She’d gamely strapped on the plastic bib the server provided with their ribs and dug in, not caring that her fingers were sticky or that she dripped sauce on her chest. Keith was tempted to reach over and wipe it off himself, but reined himself in and instead just pointed out the drop that had landed in the middle of her bib. And Sara didn’t get embarrassed or annoyed like a lot of girls would. Nope, she just laughed at her clumsiness and wiped it off with a napkin before it could run down into her lap.

Every minute he spent with Sara made Keith like her even more. She didn’t act bitchy or blame him for making reservations at a place she couldn’t eat. She moved on and made the most of where they ended up. Keith almost couldn’t believe she was for real, except he knew that was just how Sara was. A good, sweet girl who didn’t hold a grudge and always looked for the positive.

After they finished stuffing themselves, the music started, and the band was good. Really good. The place was packed by that time, and they were lucky that they’d kept their table. Before the band even started, it was standing room only, the crowd a mix of young and old, singles and couples. Everyone was dressed casually and obviously out to have a good time while listening to some music, without the usual bar or club drama. Keith wasn’t really into blues, but even he could appreciate the quality of the band.

The whole time Sara laughed and clapped, and sometimes even sang if she knew the song. She let loose and enjoyed herself in a way Keith suspected she hadn’t in a long time, if ever. Seeing her like that made him feel things he’d never felt before. Sure, he was having a good time too, but watching her smile and giggle made it one hundred times better.

The evening had turned into one of those rare nights where everything came together to create a magical experience, despite some initial setbacks. When they got back to his house, Keith wanted nothing more than to take Sara up to his room and make love to her, even though it was not what he’d planned. Luckily, when they arrived home, Sara proved she still had her head on straight, even after several beers.

“I had a really good time tonight, Keith,” she said as he pulled in the driveway. “And as much as I would like to spend the night with you, I hope you’ll understand that I think we should wait. I don’t want to rush into anything physical and then have it be awkward if it doesn’t work out. That wouldn’t be good for Carter, or for me.”

He turned off the car and looked over at the passenger seat where Sara sat, staring at the hands she was nervously twisting in her lap.

“Sara, look at me,” he said softly, but firmly. He wanted no misunderstandings on this point.

When she finally raised her eyes she gasped at the intensity he knew was blazing from his. “I had a great time tonight.” He paused then corrected himself. “No, it was the best time I’ve ever had on a date. I’d like nothing more than to continue that, but I agree with you that we should take things slow. I want you to understand that it’s not because I don’t want you. It’s because I want you so much that I want to make sure that when we take that step, I’ll be the last person you ever take that step with.”

He heard her take in a quick breath at his words, and probably the vehemence with which he said them. It was probably insane, but after tonight he knew she was the one. Without a doubt. Because of that, he also knew that there was no need to rush anything. Eventually she would be his in every way possible, and it would be all the sweeter for having waited.

“Okay,” she replied on a shaky breath.

“But, you’ve been drinking so I want you to spend the night in the guest room. I don’t want you driving home.” He didn’t ask or leave any room for argument. There was no way she was getting in her car and if she didn’t like it he’d put her over his knee until she agreed, though he didn’t really want to end the night that way. Thankfully, he didn’t have to.

“Okay,” she agreed, but didn’t turn to get out of the car.

“Are you coming in?” he asked. When she nodded, but still didn’t move it took him a minute to figure out what she wanted. When it finally sank in, he laughed. Harder than he’d laughed in a while.

“You’re something else, babe.”

“What?” she said, giggling. “I didn’t want to ruin your gentlemanliness twice in one night.”

Keith got out of the car and quickly went around to open her door. Before she could take a step away, he pulled her in for a kiss.

“Thanks for making this a great night, and letting me be a gentleman, even though we ended up at a Bar-B-Q joint.” He paused and lowered his mouth to hers for another taste before continuing. “And for not getting mad that I tried to take you to a place that would have put you in the hospital.”

The look she gave him made his heart thunder in his chest, and he wished he could make her look at him like that for the rest of her life.

“Thank you for giving me one of the best nights I’ve had in years, Keith. I know that you were trying to make the night special, and I really appreciate it, but I’m not a fancy girl. I’m just happy we spent time together and had fun.” Like everything else she said, Keith knew that she meant every word, and it meant the world to him that she felt that way.

“You’re welcome, babe. Now let’s go in and go to our separate beds. I’m beat.”

“Okay.” She leaned in and gave him one last sweet kiss on the lips, then let him lead her into the house, where they both went straight to bed. Alone.