"Believe me, Ally, you're going to be in agony tonight. In the most delightful agony. You're going to beg me to do anything to release you from that agony."
***
Dinner is an amazing, three-course affair--a fresh salad with plump tomatoes, seared sea bass with braised kale and roasted yams, and a plate of chocolate-dipped strawberries.
The sun sets, until the only light is from the stars outside and the candle flickering between us. I tell Luke about all the irrelevant details of my trip--the oppressive sunshine in Arizona, getting dragged to townie bars by the other cast members, Laurie scolding the director of the week for getting too invested in his shots.
After dinner, Luke insists on driving. "It's a surprise," he says. He takes me to the bookstore, the place where we had our first real date or something like it. Just like the first time, we walk around the aisles, our fingers lingering on the crisp paper. We find a corner upstairs in the nonfiction section, and we steal a long, deep kiss. It's been so long, and there's so much need pouring from both of us. His hands brush against my thighs, all the way to the edges of my dress, and I moan into his mouth. "Not here," I say.
"Of course not here," he says. He nods to the movie theater across the street. "Not when I have a chance to repeat one of my favorite--"
"We're not going to luck into an empty theater tonight."
"Miss Summers. What do you take me for--some kind of pervert?"
"What do you have planned?"
He just smiles, squeezes my hand, and leads me to the theater.
Inside, the theater is the same as it was before--fluorescent and almost empty. That's not a huge surprise--there's a new, cool movie theater across the street. One that serves dinner and drinks and has couches that beg you to push the limits of decency laws.
Of course, I don't need any extra motivation. My body has been flooding with want since I first felt my arms around him. He was right. This is already agony. It's going to be such delicious agony.
We buy tickets to a film that started five minutes ago. The usher assures us that the trailers are still rolling, that the theater is nearly empty. He looks at us like he knows what we have planned. Are we really that obvious?
I whisper in Luke's ear. "Are you sure this is wise? What if someone recognizes me?"
"Whatever you want, Ally," he says. "We can watch the film." But his hand slides over my waist until his fingers are pressed against my bare back. Jesus. My skin tingles with an electric current. There's no way I can sit through a two-hour movie before having his hands on me.
He brings his mouth to my ear, his breath hot and heavy. "But I am dying to make you come."
I must have a stupid look on my face, because he's grinning ear to ear. It's that confident look of his, the one that says I know how much you want me. I know how good I am at filling you with desperate, achy need. And I'm going to do it. Then I'm going to release you in a torrent of ecstasy, but not until you're begging and pleading.
"We could always go home. Traffic has cleared by now," he says, but there's no doubt in his voice. He knows we aren't going anywhere. He knows I need him now.
I shake my head. "No, I liked that other plan."
He presses his lips into my neck. I already feel it--the rush of want between my legs. "Good, because I've been daydreaming about it all week."
His lips are on my neck again, a harder kiss. We're in the middle of the lobby. The surly teenager at the concession stand is staring at us, but I don't care. I close my eyes and lean into his kiss.
He takes my hand and leads me into the empty theater. It's dark, but I can just make out a few people in the back middle rows. The very back corner is empty. Is it the same corner, the same theater where we...
"It is," he says. "But I don't want you thinking about that day when you scream my name. I want you so filled with pleasure that you're practically incoherent."
Jesus.
I nod. "That can be arranged."
His hands skim my waist as he follows me into the row. I sit next to the wall. It's the farthest corner of the theater. If anyone looked, they would be sure we were doing something...
Just like last time.
My heart pounds in my chest. Someone might see us, but I don't care. I almost want someone to see us, to see how damn good he is at delivering on his promises.
Luke lifts the armrest and presses his lips into mine. It's soft at first, and he moves slowly. His fingertips circle my knees and slide up my thighs, inching closer and closer to the edge of my dress. His kiss intensifies as his hand slides under my dress.
I clench my thighs, soaking in the feel of his skin on mine. God. He's about to... Almost... It's been so long. This is already torture.