Page 54 of Lost

“Huh?”

“I said don’t move! Stay by the door. Shut your eyes!”

“Shut my eyes?”

I heard the confused amusement in his voice, but I seriously didn’t want him to spoil my surprise. “If you don’t want to shut your eyes then turn around.”

“Okay! Okay! I’m shutting my eyes. Uh, Z. What are you doing?”

What was I doing? I was trying to make up for worrying the crap out of my Warriorandbe romantic. “Hang on. You’ll see in a sec!”

“I didn’t even think you’d be back here until after sunrise. Weren’t you at the depot with Damien and Kramisha?”

“Yeah!” I yelled through the bathroom door. “Well, for a while I was, but Aphrodite decided to get in on the redecorating, and I had to leave.”

“Too much bickering?”

“Totally,” I said. “Okay, I’m coming out. Keep your eyes shut until I tell you to open them, ’kay?”

“Whatever you say, my Queen.”

I could hear the smile in his voice, which made me grin in response, and I gave myself one last check in the mirror. I don’t wear much makeup. Actually, I have an issue with makeup. I hate that society says we have to wear it to “look our best.” Look our best? With crap slathered all over our faces, hiding everything about us that’s really us? Um, no. I’m with the fab Alicia Keys—I don’t want to cover up my face… my mind… my soul… nothing. So, I fluffed my hair and smiled at my freshly washed face.Ready!

I peeked my head out of the bathroom. No Stark. On bare feet I padded through our bedroom area, straightening the picnic blanket I’d spread out on the floor, and fluffing the cushions that I’d arranged perfectly for us to sit on.

“Z?”

“Keep your eyes closed!” I hurried through our bedroom to the sitting area, and smiled when I saw my Warrior, still standing in front of the door with his eyes closed. I went to him and took his hand.

“Can I open them now?”

“Nope, not till I say, but follow me.”

“I’m gonna run into something.”

“Don’t be a baby. I’ve got you.” I led him slowly around the coffee table and other obstacles, finally situating him beside the picnic blanket. “Okay, hang on just one more sec.” I left him standing there and hurried around to the other side of the blanket, clicking on the remote to the big TV that was mounted on the wall, checking to be sure it was muted. Then I nervously fluffed my hair again, before saying, “Okay, you can open your eyes now!”

He did, and his lips quirked up in that sexy half-smile I loved so much.

“Z! You’re practically naked!”

I could feel my cheeks flushing, but I grinned at him. “No, I have on one of your T-shirts.”

“Yeah, my old, holey T-shirt that’s totally see-through. Damn, Z! It never looked like that on me!”

“Heehees!” I giggled. “So, are you hungry?”

“For you! Hell yes!”

“No, silly. Well, yes, silly, but first how about we eat?” I pointed down at my picnic dinner.

His gaze reluctantly left my body to check out the blanket. “Z, is that nachos? Witheverythingon them?”

“Yep, it totally is. I even added jalapeños. Lots and lots of them, because even though I think they are the peppers from hell sent to burn mouths into submission, you like them.” I sat on one of the cushions and patted the one beside me, motioning for Stark to join me.

“Nachos are my favorite,” he said as he sat.

“I know.”