"Umm..." I stammer, trying to wipe the shocked look off my face. "I can live with that."
"Good." He smiles and pats the seat next to him. "Your coffee is getting cold."
I fold my arms across my chest. "I'll change first."
"I wish you wouldn't."
His eyes pass over my body. It's a look of pure desire, and it sends electricity buzzing through my body. Fine. If he's going to torture me, I'll torture him too.
"I'm taking off my underwear and I'm not putting any on."
He smirks. "I like the way you think."
I drag my heels to the bedroom and pick out the sexiest outfit that is still weather appropriate. Thigh-high socks, ankle boots, and a short V-neck dress. A really, really short V-neck dress.
It's perfect.
When I return to the kitchen, Luke looks at me, well, like I look at him.
"You're going to pay for that," he says.
"Good."
I join him at the table and we talk about little things over breakfast. He asks about the play. I ask about his current cases, but he insists he wants to keep his mind off work. So I request the same. This weekend, well, this Monday and Tuesday, is going to be about us.
***
Luke and I are tourists all morning. We start at the MoMA, making our way through rooms of famous pop art and truly strange installations. He takes me into the staircase and runs his fingers over the edge of my dress. It's a small thing, something no one else would notice, but it wakes up all the nerves in my body.
We eat lunch at a quaint Japanese restaurant, and Luke keeps his mouth shut when I order nothing but sashimi. The fish is amazing, fresh and melt-in-your-mouth tender, and I almost relax, even though Luke is making a point of not watching me eat.
We linger in the restaurant, drinking green tea and catching up on all the little details of the last few weeks.
After lunch we take the subway to one edge of Central Park, and start making our way to the other end. It's quieter than I expected. And more of an oasis. If I don't look up, I can't tell I'm in the middle of the most populated city in the country. All I can see is long grass lawns, clumps of deep green trees, and little man-made lakes.
We walk quietly for a while, soaking in the scenery and the pure ecstasy of being only three inches apart.
Finally, Luke breaks the silence. "I've been thinking..."
"That doesn't sound like you."
He stops and pulls me towards him. Our bodies connect, his hands on the small of my back.
"I think about you constantly," he says. "You have a vise grip on my thoughts."
I shake my head, my teeth sinking into my lip.
"Ally, do you really doubt that?"
"Sometimes."
He runs his hands over my back. "Don't. I love you so much. More than anything." He leans closer, until I can smell his earthy aftershave, feel his breath on my cheeks. "I've been thinking about the future."
My face flushes as I struggle to find any appropriate words. "What about it?"
"I have an amazing vision of the immediate future--how I'm going to tear that dress off and lick every inch of your body."
He brushes his fingertips across my neck and jaw, resting his palm on my cheek. I turn into the gesture with a quiet sigh.