She turned to face me, giving me her full attention. “Oh?”
“I’ve been working on this idea for a while,” I began, trying to keep my voice even, despite the nervousness. What if she thought my idea was awful? “I’ve been planning on a horseback riding program for kids. For local kids who might not otherwise get the chance. Richard’s already picked out some of the horses that would be good for it, but I could really use some help getting the word out. You know, with the schools, the local programs. I know schools are out for summer, but they still have the summer programs, right…?” My voice trailed off, suddenly unsure of myself.
I must have looked as unsure as I felt, because Ember reached over the console between us, her fingers warm as they squeezed my thigh.The unexpected touch sent a jolt of electricity through me, and I felt my cock immediately respond behind my zipper, stirring to life.
“I’d be happy to help, Colton,” she said, cutting through my sudden internal scramble.
All my blood was rushing south, leaving my brain momentarily fuzzy. It had been so long since I was with a woman that all it took was a simple touch from Ember to have my cock rock hard. I tried to string together a coherent thank you, but all that came out was garbled words. “Tha… that’s… I… you’re…”
Ember laughed, very well aware of what her touch did to me. “You’re welcome, Colton.”
A few minutes later, we pulled into the familiar gravel driveway of my family home. Ember’s eyebrows rose slightly, a silent question in her eyes.
“Don’t worry,” I said, chuckling, reading her perfectly. “I’m not taking you on a date to my own house. I have more style than that.”
I continued past my house, driving down the dirt road that wound down and around the embankment towards the creek. As we emerged from the treeline, a small, secluded clearing opened up, bathed in the soft glow of string lights I’d hung earlier. In the center, a large air mattress was set up, piled high with an absurd number of pillows and blankets. Beside the air mattress sat a cooler and at the end a few feet away a portable movie screen stood ready.
Ember gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Before I even killed the engine and could get out and go around to open her door, she was out and walking over to the setup. I sat in the cab for a moment and watched as her eyes went wide with disbelief and delight.
Getting out, I walked over to where she was peering inside thecooler. I made sure to stock it with not just drinks, but a beautifully arranged charcuterie board that my mom helped me prepare. It had meats, cheeses, grapes, cherries and strawberries, along with a bag of her favorite BBQ chips. She was speechless, her eyes glistening with what looked like tears.
Panic flickered in me. “Did I… did I screw up? It’s not too much, is it? I just… wanted it to be special.”
She turned to me, her eyes brimming. “Colton,” she whispered, and for a terrifying second, I thought she was going to cry for the wrong reasons. But then she gave me a radiant smile that wiped away every ounce of my doubt. “It’s perfect. This is the perfect date.”
I exhaled slowly, a massive weight lifting from my chest. I led her to the mattress, helping her settle amongst the pillows before heading over to set up the movie. As soon as the opening scene started playing she gasped and smiled hugely. “Colton! This is my favorite movie!” She exclaimed asSweet Home Alabama, her favorite movie, started playing.
“I know, Ember.” I didn’t say anything else as we settled back, sharing the charcuterie and chips, the glow of the screen illuminating her face. Ember was smiling, a genuine, easy smile I hadn’t seen directed at me in years. And watching her, feeling the quiet comfort of her presence beside me, a lightness filled my chest. For the first time in a very, very long time, I felt truly happy.
As the final credits for the movie started rolling, the air between us was suddenly heavy.
Ember turns on her side to face me. “Colton,” she began, her voice soft. “Thank you. For all of this. It was… truly wonderful.”
I reached out, my fingers tracing the outline of her jaw. “You’re worth it, Ember. Every bit of it. I’ve never done anything like this foranyone else.”
She laughed, sitting up, it was a small, disbelieving sound. “Oh, please. I find it hard to believe you haven’t wooed anyone in the last ten years. I remember what it was like in high school. Girls were always throwing themselves at you and Cade. And I didn’t see you turning many down, so surely you’ve been… with other women in ten years.” Her gaze flickered away, a nervous bite to her lip.
I knew what was playing in her mind, what she wanted to know. But she couldn’t have been more wrong. Yeah, Cade and I may have been popular with the girls in high school. But it wasn’t like how she’s implying, not on my part at least. What she doesn’t know is that once she caught my attention, in a way other than just my best friend’s sister, my eyes saw no one else. My heart wanted my Firefly and I was determined to wait for her.
“Ember, stop,” I interrupted gently, placing my finger to her lips. “I read your letters, all those years ago. I may not have responded, but I read every single one. They got me through dark times. And I remember the one where you were worried I’d found someone else and just didn’t want me to tell you. But Ember, there was no one else. Not since that day on your front porch when I told you you were mine. I meant it then, and I’ve meant it every single day since. I’ve never been with anyone else. Ever.”
She looked at me like I’d grown two heads, her eyes wide with shock. “Colton, that was ten years ago. You haven’t been with anyone? Not even… not even one-night stands?”
I just shook my head, my gaze unwavering. “Not a one.”
The realization dawned on her face, and when she went to look away, guilt was on her face, I had a feeling my Firefly had been with others.
“I have been,” she confessed, her voice barely a whisper. She turned back to look at me. “They didn’t mean anything, though. My first time wasn’t until my senior year of college, after you stopped replying to my letters, it just happened at a college frat party. I regretted it immediately.” She took a shaky breath. “After I stopped hearing from you altogether, I tried dating. But it never felt right. They never lasted. They weren’t you.”
I hated that her first time was like that. Ember deserved her first time to be special. Knowing that’s how she lost her virginity will forever make me feel guilty. I reach out, gently taking her chin and forcing her to look at me. “Shh. It’s okay, Ember. I’m not mad.” The words were true, even if the thought of her with anyone else twisted a knot of possessiveness in my gut. “I told you to live, to enjoy college. And given how I’d left you, I have no right to be angry.” Releasing her chin, I tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, my eyes locking with hers. “Not gonna lie. The thought of you with anyone else makes me jealous, but I get it.” I lean closer, both our breaths hitching.
“I probably shouldn’t do what I’m about to,” I murmured, my voice rough.
“What-” she starts to ask. But before she could finish, my lips met hers, soft and warm. She stiffened for a bare second, then, slowly, tentatively, I felt her walls begin to crumble. She leaned into the kiss, a soft sigh escaping her lips. One hand came up to cup the back of my neck, pulling me closer, while the other gripped the front of my shirt, her fingers tangling in the fabric.
Pulling back slightly, I stared into her eyes, searching for any sign of uncertainty. There was none. Only an intensity, a longing that matched my own. I pull her onto my lap, her body molding perfectlyagainst mine. My lips found hers again, frantic, more urgent. As I kiss her, she instinctively moves her hips, grinding herself against me that immediately has my cock coming to life. I know if she kept this up, I’d be coming in my jeans like a thirteen-year-old, embarrassing myself beyond belief.
I pulled back again, bracing my hands on her waist to pause her movement. “Ember,” I rasped, my voice thick with desire, “we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. I didn’t plan all this with the expectation of anything happening.” I run my left hand up her leg, resting on her thigh, my other wrapping around her neck. “Tell me to stop.”
