The mango salad was superb, and after dinner they enjoyed listening to the live band.
When the band played their last song, she glanced over at David to discover him staring at her. The intensity in his gaze nearly scorched her and she took a sip of her wine. “Thanks for dinner, David.”
“Thank you for accepting my invitation. The place is about to close. Are you ready to go?” he asked her.
“Yes.” Because she knew he would suggest that he walk her home, she added, “If you still have a little bit of energy, I’d like to treat you to something.”
He lifted a brow. “What?”
“A laser show that officially kicks off the summer season. It’s a short walk from here.” Since it was in the opposite direction from where she lived, she would have no problem catching a cab back later—alone.
He smiled as he beckoned for the waiter to bring their check. “Then by all means, let’s go.”
Once the show began, it didn’t take Swan long to decide that David was wonderful company. She could tell he was enjoying the laser lights as much as she was.
She attended the event every year and it seemed the displays only got better and better. Each year, they honored a different state and tonight that state was New York. The New Yorkers in the crowd showed their happiness with whistles and shouting. And when a huge display of the Statue of Liberty flashed across the sky in a brilliant variety of colors, Swan caught her breath.
After that, the showrunners took the time to honor the servicemen in attendance with a flag salute. She couldn’t hold back her tears as she remembered how much her father had loved his country and how, in the end, he’d given his life for it and for her.
David must have detected her weepy state. He pulled her closer to his side.
“Sorry,” she said. “I get all emotional about our servicemen and servicewomen, especially those who sacrifice their lives.”
“You sound very patriotic.”
She pulled back and looked up at him. “Of course I’m patriotic. Aren’t you? You did say you used to be in the military, right?”
“Yes, I’m very patriotic,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. She wished she didn’t think the arms around her felt so strong and powerful.
“I thought you would be, but you said I sounded patriotic as if you thought that perhaps I wasn’t.”
“I apologize. I didn’t mean it that way. I’m glad you’re so patriotic.”
She nodded, accepting his apology. Scanning the area around them, she said, “They are serving complimentary wine coolers over there. Let’s go grab a couple.”
“Sure thing.” He placed his hand on the small of her back.
The contact sent a rush of desire through her that was so strong she had to force herself to breathe. Swan quickly glanced up at him and noticed he’d been affected by the feeling as well. However, he hadn’t removed his hand.
Instead, he pressed his hand more firmly into her back and she felt him urging her away from the crowd and toward a cluster of low-hanging palm trees. Once they stood in the shadows, he turned her in his arms, stared down at her for a long moment and then lowered his mouth to hers.
The moment their lips touched, he slid his tongue inside her mouth, and she recalled her thoughts from earlier that day. He was delicious—and dangerous—with a capital D. And it wasn’t just because he tasted of the beer he’d consumed at Summer Moon, but because he tasted like a hot-blooded man. All the sexiness she’d seen in him was reflected in his kiss.
When she began kissing him back, he wrapped his arms around her and deepened the exchange by crushing his mouth to hers.
She didn’t mind his eagerness. In fact, she welcomed the pleasure of his hunger, his taste, which was getting more provocative with every stroke of his tongue. It had been a while since she’d been kissed, and certain parts of her were reminding her of just how long it had been. Not only that, those certain parts were goading her to keep up with the forceful demands of his mouth. She hadn’t been kissed so thoroughly or possessively before in her life. Or so passionately.
Swan wasn’t sure how long they stood there kissing. It wasn’t until they heard the sound of fireworks that they disengaged their mouths. She glanced up as more fireworks exploded in the sky. Instead of looking up, David trailed his tongue along her neck and collarbone with wet licks.
“Say you’ll go out with me again, Swan.”
There was no way she wouldn’t say it. She looked at him and saw deep desire in the eyes looking back at her. “Yes, I’ll go out with you again.”
“Good.”
And then he lowered his head and kissed her again.
* * *
Flipper had tried everything possible to get to sleep. He’d counted sheep, counted backward, rolled his eyes for a full thirty minutes and had even tried hypnotizing himself. None of those things helped.
He couldn’t remember ever feeling this tight with need. So here he was, close to four in the morning, and still wide awake. Nothing he did could erase the taste of Swan from his mouth and the act of kissing her from his mind.
The kiss would complicate his mission, but it hadn’t been an act. It had been the most real thing he’d done in a long time. He had wanted that kiss. Needed it. It had been inevitable.
Sitting across from her at dinner and watching the movement of her mouth had caused a throbbing need to erupt in his gut, making him rock hard. There had been no way to ignore the delicious heat of carnal attraction spiking between them.
And the patriotism he’d seen in her eyes when she’d gotten teary-eyed in support of servicemen, and then when she’d told him about her work with the city to find lodging for homeless vets, hadn’t helped. Neither had the fact that she’d looked stunning and had smelled irresistibly hot tonight.
Kissing her had made his entire body feel alive. Had revved up his passion to a degree that his libido had him tied in knots and had his pulse tripping. He could feel himself riding the fine edge of intense desire heightened by more sexual energy than he’d felt in a long time.
While kissing her, he hadn’t cared that they could have been seen in spite of the low-hanging trees. He’d been beyond the point of caring. He’d been tempted to drag her to the ground right there.
Damn. How was he going to clear her of anything when the only thing he’d wanted to clear her of was her clothes?
He had access to women whenever he needed them. There were always women who went bonkers for men in uniform and he had no problem engaging in one-night stands. Those types of relationships had always been the way to go for him. He liked being single, coming and going as he pleased, with no one to worry about but himself.
It had been a long time since any woman had kept him up at night and that wasn’t cool.
Grabbing his phone he texted the message: If anyone is awake. Call me.
Within seconds, his phone rang. It was Bane. “What’s going on, Flipper?”
“Why are you up?” Flipper asked his friend.
“Feeding time. Crystal and I rotate.”
“Oh? You’re breastfeeding now?”
“No, smart-ass. The trio are on bottles now. What are you doing up?”
Flipper stretched out across the bed. “I couldn’t sleep. I tried everything. I even tried to hypnotize myself.”
Bane chuckled. “I guess it didn’t work.”
“No, it didn’t work.”
“So why can’t you sleep, Flip?”
He