“You look beautiful,” he says, holding out his hand, and I can feel him taking me in. His words are so sincere. He makes me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.
“Are you ready?” I nod my head and follow him outside the apartment to his blue Audi. He opens the door for me and waits as I lower myself inside before shutting it behind me.
When he pulls out of the complex, he takes a right toward downtown. I assumed we would be doing the traditional dinner and dancing date night, and in a way, I'm disappointed. I wanted tonight to be special, extraordinary. I gaze out the window and watch the cars fly by, feeling dejected. He must sense a change in me, even though I don’t mean for him to, because he pulls off the interstate and turns around, heading in another direction.
Surprised, I turn and look at him. “I want you to know I had an amazing night planned for us.”
Had. He said had. Is he taking me back home? Has he changed his mind already? Why?
“I was going to take you to Bareli’s and then maybe take you dancing, but I'm sensing that you could use something else tonight, so I’m taking you to my favorite place in the world when I was a kid.”
I smile. I can’t help it. Going to his favorite place sounds like so much more fun than dinner at a snobby restaurant. I could do that alone if I wanted to, granted, probably not at Bareli’s, since the waiting list for that place is around two years long, but still.
Ten minutes later, we pull up outside Susie’s Miniature Golf. There’s a giant sign out front with a picture of a missing giraffe. I can tell from the picture that said giraffe used to sit right where the sign is now.
It reads, Missing Giraffe. If found, please return. Reward.
I instantly love this place. Kiptyn climbs out of the car and comes around to open my door. He places his hand at the small of my back and leads me to the front window. An older woman sits behind the counter, staring at a book in her lap.
“How many?” she asks, not lifting her eyes from the pages.
“Just two, if you can handle it, Suzy.” Her gaze lifts, and her eyes brighten when she takes in who is standing in front of her. Coming around to the front, she wraps her arms around his waist, not able to reach much higher, and when she’s done with him, she pulls me in for a tight embrace as well.
“What do I owe this wonderful surprise?” she asks, her gaze darting between me and Kiptyn.
“Well, now. We're just out looking for some fun. You still have that around here?” he asks, teasing her.
“Always for you, Kip. Y’all go on in and pick out your clubs. The new ones you ordered are in there on the right, beside those kiddie ones you picked up.” She ushers us through the gate and into the club room.
I wonder at her statement for a minute longer than I need to, and shame swallows me whole. This entire time, I've been judging this man before me based on other people's experience rather than taking the time to get to know him myself and then form an opinion. How many times have I, myself, faced that—someone looking at me and automatically deeming me inadequate because I'm a woman, or worse, when they judge me based on the color of my skin?
Kiptyn grabs two from the shelves and passes me one. I take a second to watch him and ponder what I've learned about him so far, not what someone else has told me. He is a sweet, kind man, and judging from Susie’s statement, he hasn’t let the fame go straight to his head. He gives back—some, at least. I make a decision in that moment to forget everything I've heard and just go with the flow and see where tonight takes me.
“You ready for this, Miss Parker?”
I laugh wholeheartedly, feeling the apprehension melt away. “Why yes, Mr. Price, I think I am. I've got one question before we go, though.” He looks at me, waiting. “Are you a sore loser?” I taunt him before running through the entrance to hole number one.
Chapter Eleven
Kiptyn
I haven’t had this much fun in . . . I can't remember ever having this much fun. I was worried at the beginning of the date that Skila wouldn’t have a good time, and it crushed me to do so, but turning around and not going to the restaurant was the best decision I could have made. She relaxed instantly when I told her of my change in plans.
“Yes. Beat that, sucka!” she yells into the night after making a hole-in-one on our eighth hole. She’s leading the game, and not because I’m trying to let her. She’s just really good or really lucky.
I glance over at her as she dances around in the fake grass. She ditched her heels after the first hole, claiming they were messing up her game. I chuckle, remembering the sigh that escaped her soft lips when her feet were flat on the ground. It made me wonder what kind of noise she would make if I took them in my hands and kneaded the balls of her feet. My already hard cock twitched. She didn’t notice. She was too caught up in the excitement of her most recent hole-in-one to pay me and my cock any attention. I should be worried.
I'm not.
I'm happy just watching her, my midnight Sky, beautiful and exquisite.
“I'll make you a deal. If you win, I get to kiss you.” She stops dancing around and smiles at me, holding out her hand. I shake it and then line up for my shot. I tap my ball and watch as it rolls straight over the hole.
Damn. My turn again.
This time the ball goes in.
It’s her turn again.
I watch her as she lines up the perfect shot, measuring the distance in her mind and testing the weight of her club. She closes one eye, aims and swings. It’s perfect, just like her. I don’t even bother to take my turn. It doesn’t matter. Even if I score perfectly on this hole, I still lose the game.
I step into her personal space and pull her to me. Her breath catches and then rushes out. Her eyes widen the tiniest bit as her gaze fixes on my lips. I've never in my life wanted to kiss a woman as much as I want to kiss her. But I can't. Not like this. I refuse to force her to kiss me just because she lost a bet.
“I cheated. I tricked you with my bet.” Her eyes dart to mine and then back down to my lips. She licks her lips, and I almost die on the spot.
“I know,” she says, and then she crushes her mouth to mine.
My cock leaps for joy and I moan, low and deep in the back of my throat. Her lips taste like cherries and vanilla. I bite down on her lower lip and she gasps, opening her mouth.
I devour her.
My tongue darts in, hungrily seeking her own. They meet in a passionate embrace and she whimpers, pushing against me. I know she can feel my hardness against her stomach. She squirms, and her dress rides up a little. I run my hands down her back and across her round ass, and I squeeze when I feel her bare skin there.
I try to slow down, really I do, but her soft, silky lips won't let me go. I’m their willing prisoner.
“Kiptyn?” she asks.
“Yeah, baby?”
“We need to stop this. It’s too much, too soon.” I pull back, trying to give her the space she’s asking for, but it doesn’t last. She wraps her arms back around my neck and pulls me to her, latching onto my mouth once again. Our tongues weave a seductive dance on the ninth hole of Suzie’s Mini Golf. I want more than anything to take her in my arms and make sweet love to her, but I don’t want to rush her. I know she needs time, and I’ll give it to her even if it kills me.
“Take me home . . . to your place. Please.” The please is not necessary. I've dreamed of nothing more since the moment I met her: taking her to my home, laying her against my satin sheets, and stripping her naked, piece by agonizing piece as she’s laid out before me, completely bare and mine for the taking.
Mine.
I have her. Finally.
The thought settles into me, comforting me. I answer her with a kiss. I put everything I have into it. Everything I can't say at the moment. Everything I feel but don’t have words for yet. I kiss her like there’s no tomorrow. I kiss her like my life depends on it, and in that moment, suspended in time, I wonder if it does. I've never felt more alive than I do right this second. Something about this woman awakens the deepest, darkest parts of my soul and makes me crave . . . more. I need her. I want her.
Scooping her into my arms, I carry her back to the car and then run back to grab her shoes. The drive back to my place isn’t that long, but selfishly, I wonder if she’ll change her mind before we get there. I’ve never had to worry about stuff like this before. If I took a chick home before, we both knew what that meant—I was going to fuck them into oblivion, and they were going to enjoy it and then leave.
Simple, perfect. Until now.
Now, nothing will ever be that easy. I can already sense the change in myself. I won’t be happy with easy, simple sex anymore. I want more. I want Sky.
I climb in the car and start the engine. Skila shifts in her seat. Placing her hand on my thigh, she leans her head against my shoulder. A sense of vulnerability overcomes me, crashing into me so unexpectedly that I swerve a little on the road before righting the car and wrapping my hand around her small, dainty one in my lap. She doesn't even notice. What the hell has the girl done to me?
Chapter Twelve
Skila
I’m beyond nervous. I’ve never been the type of woman to go home with a man on the first date, but Kiptyn has done something to normal, plain me. He’s invaded my body, my soul. I no longer know who or what I am.