I smiled. “How about we continue this conversation inside?” I suggested.
Natalie looked up and gave a little start of surprise. “Oh God, we’re here already. I barely noticed. Was that really an hour’s drive?”
“An hour and twenty minutes,” I nodded. “But it’ll be worth it. Come on.”
“Aren’t you going to tell me where we are?”
“You’ll see in a minute,” I said, with a smile.
I got out of the car and walked around to open her door. As she stepped out, she shivered a little against the bracing cold, so I wrapped my arm around her as we walked to the entrance. The sign outside tipped her off, and she looked at me in surprise.
“Botanical gardens?”
I nodded. “I’m full of surprises, aren’t I? And the best part about this particular garden is that it’s indoors and it’s heated.”
“Does that mean we’re looking at tropical flora and fauna?”
“We are,” I nodded.
“You are surprising,” she exclaimed as I paid for our tickets.
We walked through to the entrance of the gardens, which took us through a small tunnel and through a black screen. Then we stepped out into a lush world of tropical beauty, and I heard Natalie gasp in appreciation.
“Wow,” she breathed.
It was huge. There were paths that led in a dozen different directions. There were overhead paths that looked like flying bridges and little alcoves that hid benches and miniature water fountains. The temperature was comfortably warm, and I felt Natalie relax against me.
“This is spectacular.”
“I thought you might like it.”
We started walking through the gardens, and every now and then she would point out a cluster of flowers that she recognized. She knew about blood lilies and African moon flowers, she could distinguish between different types of petunias, and all the different flowers she couldn’t recognize enamored her.
While she admired the lush and vibrant flora, I admired her. Sometimes, I would let her walk ahead of me so that I could appreciate her perfect silhouette. The cream-white dress she wore hugged her body in all the right places before fanning out at her waist. She had left her hair loose today, and I loved the way the darkness of her hair contrasted with the blue of her eyes and the white of her dress.
She was a moving masterpiece, a work of art, and I was overwhelmed by how beautiful she was. The more we walked, the more worked up I got. And suddenly I was annoyed that I had chosen to bring her to such a public place. All I wanted was to take her into some dark corner, strip her naked, and ravage her until she was screaming my name.
I noticed that we weren’t the only couple in the gardens that night. The benches in the little alcoves were almost always occupied when we passed them by. In some cases, it seemed like a few couples just wanted a romantic setting to make out in.
Natalie turned to me, and my eyes fell to her low neckline. I could see the gentle curve of her breasts and felt myself harden slightly at the sight. She was obviously oblivious to my preoccupation because she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards one of the overhead bridges.
“This is the perfect place for a date,” she said. “Thanks for bringing me here.”
“You’re welcome.”
“How many other girlfriends have you brought here?” she asked, teasingly.
I smiled. “None.”
“None?” she repeated.
I nodded. “You’re the only one I’ve brought here.”
She seemed surprised by that. “Why?”
“Because you’re honestly the only girl I’ve ever dated.”
“What?” Now she looked really shocked.