I open the box and find the most exquisite crimson dress and black heels. Inside, there’s another note: WEAR ME. I’m not sure what he’s up to, but I’m excited to find out. After putting on the gorgeous dress and fixing up my hair and makeup, I step outside of the room, unsure where to go from here. Liam has said we can’t leave the grounds, so I’m not sure what he has planned.
“This way, Miss,” Samson, one of Liam’s many guards, says with a smile. I follow him down the hall, passing Harold, who is on his laptop in the sitting room. He’s never far from Jasmine, even when she’s asleep.
We walk for what feels like miles down several hallways and up a spiraling staircase. When we get to the top, he motions for me to enter the door, then bids me a good night. When I step through the door, I find I’m outside. The night is black, and the stars are twinkling high in the sky. It’s beautiful out here.
I glance around and find Liam standing next to a table dressed in a suit. “You look stunning.” He walks over to me and places a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth.
“What are we doing out here?” I ask, curious.
“We’re going on our first official date,” he says with a smile. “We can’t leave the grounds, so I had to improvise.” He motions toward the table. “Join me?” he asks, as if it’s even a question.
He pulls my chair out for me, reminding me of the weekend we spent together all those years ago, then has a seat. Moments later, a server comes over and pours us each a glass of wine. I take one sip and immediately recognize it. Just to be sure, I turn the bottle to view the label. Napa Hills Estates.
“How did you do this?”
“I had it shipped over,” he says with a shrug.
My heart pounds against my chest at his thoughtfulness. “I haven’t had this wine since our time together.” I had run out of the hotel so upset I didn’t take any of the wine he bought with me.
“Good,” he tells me, taking a sip. “It’s our wine.”
The server comes back out, setting an appetizer on the table between us. “Is this insalata caprese?” It’s one of my favorite things to eat in Italy. It’s a combination of mozzarella, tomatoes, and sweet basil.
“It is. I thought, since you’ve spent the last week learning about Lexenburg, we could bring a little bit of your home here. I figured you might be feeling a little homesick.”
Oh, this man…
“Thank you.” I cut into the tomato and mozzarella and take a bite. It’s delicious.
“I also have a little surprise for you at the end of the meal,” Liam says with a flirty wink that has my insides melting.
We spend the rest of the meal talking and getting to know each other. We talk about trivial things like our favorite colors and go deeper about what we want our futures to look like. I never imagined living anywhere but in Florence, but now I can’t imagine living anywhere without Liam.
“You ready for your surprise?” he asks, after the dinner plates are cleared.
“I’m a woman, we’re always ready for a surprise,” I joke.
Liam laughs and gives a slight head nod to the server, who a minute later, walks over carrying cups of… “Is that coffee?” I squeal as she sets them down and I immediately smell the caffeine.
“It is,” he says with a chuckle. “Ordered you a coffee maker and espresso machine.”
“Oh my God, I love you,” I breathe, taking a sip of the coffee. It’s been weeks since I’ve had a cup of coffee and I’m dying for one.
Liam’s brows shoot to the top of his head, and it’s then I realize what I said. The statement was said as a joke, but the words… I mean them.
Setting my coffee down, I stand and walk around the table over to Liam, who must know what I’m doing, because he pushes his chair back slightly, so I can climb into his lap. I lift my dress up and straddle his thighs. I cradle his face, and he looks at me, his azure eyes searing into mine.
“I…” The other two words are on the tip of my tongue. I want to say them, but for some reason I can’t. Not yet. Maybe it’s because I’ve never said them to a man before. Maybe it’s because I know the power those words hold and once I say them, they’re out there. I’ve never felt like this before and I would be lying if I said it didn’t scare me. “I need you,” I croak out.
Liam sighs, and I worry he’s upset, that he’s disappointed I wasn’t able to say the words he’s so easily able to voice, but then his mouth collides with mine. His tongue delves between my parted lips, deepening the kiss, and it’s as if he’s telling me with his actions it’s okay. He knows what I want to say. He knows how I feel. And he’ll wait for me.