AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why?”
“You’re the first woman to spike my interest. I’m never bored around you. What we have is more than surface level. I want to know you, starting with an official date.” He sounds sincere.
I twiddle my hair around my finger. Something’s changing between us. I can feel it. I can either take a chance or retreat from the possibility of this becoming more. Who am I kidding? Turning away from him isn’t possible. Even if I’m making a mistake, it’s already too late. I’ve caught the feels. “Yes. Okay. I’ll go out with you.”
“Excellent. I’ll pick you up in an hour.”
“That’s presumptuous. What if I’d said no? Have you already made a reservation? What if I hadn’t accepted the date?” I’m teasing, but I can’t help myself.
“This date is special. I’ll feed you, but it’s not a restaurant.”
He’s saying all the right things. Excitement bubbles in my stomach. For the first time, I allow myself to dream of the possibility of us being more than friends with benefits. “Careful, Christopher, or you’ll have me swooning.”
“Completely intentional. Grab some jeans and a t-shirt. I’ll see you soon.”
The smile on my face is uncontrollable. “Great. I’ll be waiting.”
We hang up, and I dash to get ready.
***
“Is your family home?” I ask as Christopher pulls his car onto his drive.
He must hear the shakiness of my voice. “My grandpa isn’t so scary when he isn’t trying to find out all my secrets.” He’s amused by his own words, and it settles my nerves.
“I don’t know any of your secrets, so I won’t be spilling them. I would like to know him better in time, but meeting your family sounds daunting.” I bite my lip.
“Next time, I’ll introduce you. They’ll love you, so you have nothing to fear. Tonight, you’re mine.” He gives me a smirk that says he’s up to something X-rated.
“Do you have a cowboy hat? I’ve always wanted to roll around in the hay.” I arch my eyebrow at him as he pulls on the handbrake.
“I thought you didn’t have any kinks?”
“I don’t. Although for that fantasy, I might just have to reconsider.”
“I’m sure I can arrange something romantic with a hint of playfulness.” His eyes fill with lust. We lean in and kiss. It’s soft, sensational. It’s everything. This game we’ve been playing is holding on by a thread. It’s either going to swallow me whole or… I can’t consider the possibility of more. Pulling away, I climb out of the car and let the magnitude of the farm fill my vision. There are so many buildings I’m not sure where to look.
“Do you have your own house?”
“My apartment is attached to the main building, but I have my own entrance if I want to use it.”
“Cool.” His living arrangements are nowhere near my definition of still living with your parents. If I lived here, I wouldn’t move out either.
“I’ll show you around the house another time. Tonight, we have somewhere special to be. Follow me.” He takes my arms and leads me through the cattle gate and into a large barn. Farm smells penetrate my nostrils; hay, animals, and the outdoors. The cutest little calf wobbles toward the feeding trough where we’re standing.
“Wow. He’s adorable.”
“That’s Barry. I’m hoping he’ll win me some brownie points with you.” The calf thinks better of coming closer to us and goes back to his mother.
“If I had space for him, I’d totally take him home to keep.” I lean against a bale of hay, taking a closer look at the calf.
“Well, now I’m jealous.” He turns to the calf. “You did a bad job, Barry. You were supposed to make me more swoonworthy. Instead, you found yourself an adopted family.”
I playfully swat his shoulder, and he pulls me in for a tender kiss. “I’m sorry for butting into your business at gymnastics. It wasn’t my place to interfere. You had it handled without my help.”
“You’ve already said sorry with a bazillion flowers. Your apology is more than accepted. What is this trip to McNabb Farm about?” I ask.
“Lately, I’ve decided I want something real, and the only way I’m going to get that is by showing the real me.” We walk around the barn, looking at the cows. Christopher introduces me to each one like they’re his extended family. I stroke a few of them on the head. As interesting dates go, this one is great. When we’ve met everyone, he leads me up a ladder to a small area above the animals. He’s laid out a blanket with strawberries and champagne.
