AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No need to punish yourself and risk gettin’ an infection just ‘cause you messed up, Damien.”
He never flinched, not even a little. Just watched her, seemin’ so relaxed with her care.
“I’m just not used to havin’ anyone tend to me like this,” he said in his deep voice. “Y’know… so caring. And tender,” he explained. And of course, she remembered, his ma died long ago too. And though Mr. Drake was a good man, he weren’t a real tender type. He was a hard, farmin’ man.
But still, it was silly to think he should just go ‘round with those types of cuts on him. She covered the last one that needed it with a Band-Aid and noticed that gleam in his eyes. The one she knew about but had never seen, not really, and it made her stomach flutter with dozens of butterflies.
“Well... there, you’re all patched up. Don’t hurt too bad, I hope?”
“Nah,” he said, smiling unevenly at her ever so slightly. “Feels better now than ever,” he added, as if her little bout of attention to his battered fist had so moved him, he was free of all pains and worries. “Not often a fella has both a date with such a beautiful gal, but her tender care to boot.”
Her thumb grazed against his hand before pulling away. She didn’t know how to date someone she’d grown up with side by side. It was more than a little scary, but at the same time, it felt almost right. Especially with how he’d changed, at least ‘round her.
“We should head over soon.”
“Sure thing,” he said at last, and finished a couple more buttons on his shirt before extending his arm to her in offering. “If the lady will be so kind as to accompany me,” he offered up that thick, bulging bicep to take, looking pleased as punch to be takin’ her to the dance.
She let her worries and fears slide away. For one night, she simply wanted to enjoy herself and not overthink everythin’. She deserved that much, just a nice night out.
Her first real date, no less.
She’d brushed her golden hair, curled the ends so that they teased the open halter top. Every so often she glanced down and couldn’t believe it was her in that sexy, feminine dress. Her heels were hard to get used to, but at the same time it put her at a better height next to him, and that made her stand even taller.
Though when she was offered the helmet, she hesitated for a second, already mournin’ the loss of her finely styled hair.
Safety first, she told herself before buckling the helmet on her head, slidin’ onto the back of his bike and wrappin’ her arms around him. It was becoming more familiar, more comfortable, every time she did it, and when his hand caressed hers briefly before he revved the engine, her entire world was blissful.
It was a lovely night, and the ride was short before they got to the dance. The farm was done up, with a big patch of the land converted into a party ground, with the barn and a great central tent all set aside for the dance. The band played in the barn itself, and all the guests went to dance beneath the canopy in front of it.
Damien pulled the bike to a halt and climbed off, helping her to her feet with a smile.
“Hope that you remember how to dance, Britney,” he said with a teasing smile, refusing to let go of her hand, rubbing his rough thumb over her smooth knuckles.
She couldn’t help but gaze about, wonder striking her mute for a few moments as she drank it all in. There was such life, such excitement in the air as lights twinkled and the beat of the music thrummed through them.
It was such a change from the usual calm and quiet of the farm, and she was gettin’ more and more excited as her heart beat excitedly.
“This is gorgeous!”
“Yeah, they really went all out,” he said, offering her his arm again, letting her hand snake around his bicep as she led her on down the trail with the other new arrivals towards the dance. Lights were strung up all around. “I’m surprised they got such a fancy lookin’ thing set up out here in farm country. Must’ve cost a pretty penny,” he said, soaking it all in… but mostly her, his eyes ever quick to return to the woman at his side.
She couldn’t help but keep lookin’ up at him neither. Lit as he was by the soft, twinkling lights, he looked even more ruggedly handsome, but with a sweet edge to it. Made him look a little less threatening and a lot more romantic.
Not that she should be thinkin’ about him like that. But she didn’t know how to turn her feelings off. They were just there, loud and impossible to forget.
“Should we... I mean, I’ve never been to somethin’ like this, so I don’t know what to do.”
He looked aside at her, raising a brow and grinning a little bit.
“Unless you were askin’ if we should blow all these other folks away with our dancin’, I got no idea,” he said, bee-lining right for the grassy dance-’floor’, holding her hand.
He took her there, turning and guiding her to the spot as he smiled down at her.
“If’n you don’t know how to dance, now’s the time to
warn me… ‘cause I’ll handle it all,” he said with a playful wink.
Wait, he knew how to dance?!
