Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
“You look pretty darn good yourself.”
I grinned and cupped one of her hips, pulling her against me. “Glad you like what you see, baby.”
I kissed her cheek and smiled when I pulled back and saw her trying to hide a look of disappointment. That was all I was willing to give her for now. I wasn’t sure if we’d make it through our date if I took her mouth the way I wanted to.
She was young and unfamiliar with the life of a motorcycle club, so I’d decided to take things slow. Give me time to make sure she was hopelessly in love with me before I fully claimed her. Not that she was any less mine now.
I opened the passenger door and grasped her waist, lifting her and setting her on the seat. Then I closed the door and strolled around to get in on my side.
“Where are we going?” she asked as she buckled her seat belt.
I tossed her a grin as I started the truck. “It’s a surprise.”
Rhiannon tried to pout, but there was a sparkle in her eyes that gave her away.
“Had a feeling you love surprises.”
She laughed then and nodded. “I do. But I still want to know.”
“I’ll give you a hint,” I chuckled as I pulled out onto the road. “It reminds me of you.”
A giggle popped out of her mouth, and she shook her head, leaning back against the seat. “That’s no help.”
“Sure it is.” I glanced at her to give a quick wink. “It’s incredibly beautiful and smells amazing.”
In my peripheral vision, I saw her put her hands on her cheeks, and my lips curled up at the image of her blushing.
I wanted to feel her touch, so I reached across the console and peeled one of her hands from her face, lacing our fingers together before setting them on my thigh.
After a few minutes, Rhiannon looked around and gasped. “I know this area! The botanical gardens are just a few miles up the road!”
“Beautiful and smart,” I praised with a wide smile.
She sighed. “I love it there.”
I gave her hand a little squeeze and murmured, “Had a feeling.”
We reached the entrance to the gardens, and I turned in, then slowly approached the guard shack. I had a membership, so he waved us through when he saw the sticker on my windshield, and I made my way into the parking lot.
“I have to admit, I’m surprised that you’re such a romantic,” Rhiannon teased softly when I pulled into a space and stopped the truck.
I twisted to face her and brought our joined hands to my lips so I could kiss the back. “Me too, baby.”
Rhiannon giggled, and I gave her a lopsided smile. “Guess you bring it out in me.”
She blushed hard, and I again resisted the desire to kiss the fuck outta her.
Slow, I reminded myself.
I had my doubts about how long that would last.
4
RHIANNON
Going to the botanical gardens was the perfect date for a girl who loved flowers. Not only did it show that Dean was thinking about me when he planned what we were doing but it was also way more romantic than I had expected from a guy in a motorcycle club.
I felt bad for judging Dean like that, but I didn’t know much about MCs except for what I’d seen on TV and in the movies. And I only knew slightly more about dating since the girls in school talked about boys all the time. But none of their stories could have prepared me for Dean taking me here.
Or what he’d just implied when he said I brought the romantic out in him. The feminine thrill I got out of that made me feel…powerful.
It also gave me the confidence I needed to jump out of the truck and throw my arms around him for a big hug after he opened the passenger door for me. “Thank you so much for bringing me here.”
“My pleasure, baby.” When I tried to step away, he tightened his hold on me. “If surprises get me hugs like this, be prepared for more of them.”
I leaned my head back to smile up at him. “I guess it’s a good thing I like them so much.”
“Very good,” he agreed, finally letting me go so he could tangle our fingers together and lead me to the nearest path.
As we wandered around, we made a game of pointing out different plants to each other. Dean’s knowledge far surpassed mine, and he was able to identify just about every genus and species of the ones I wasn’t sure about. In Latin, no less.
“You’re surprisingly good at this, even for a guy who owns a landscaping design company.”
He bent down to pick up a crape myrtle flower that had fallen on the path and handed it to me. “I have a degree in landscape design, but I also have one in horticulture.”