AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Good evening, Mr. Johnson and Ms. White. Thank you for choosing Star Riverboats. My name is Michael, and I’ll be your captain for this evening. If you’ll both follow me this way, I can escort you to your seat.”
“Thank you,” I tell him as I let Emma walk in front of me up the loading plank. She’s wearing trendy jeans that show off her ass beautifully, boots that cut off at the ankle, and a dark green shirt. While the green looks lovely on her, I did tease her about it not being purple. I kind of miss the purple.
“I should have brought a hair tie,” she says over her shoulder at me, and then she goes about braiding her hair while we’re walking.
The boat looks like what you would expect from a tourist boat company, but when we make our way to the upper deck, I am pleased with how they prepared for us. All the chairs have been removed, and in the middle is a thick carpet, a couch, footrests, and two end tables. There’s also a guy in black pants with a white shirt who is holding a tray.
Emma spins around to face me, and then she wraps her arms around my waist and hugs me. She’s lit up with excitement, and her eyes are large and happy. “I don’t know what this is, but it’s fun already, and we haven’t even left the dock.”
I hug her back, chuckle at her excitement, and then keep my arm wrapped around her as we make our way to the couch.
“Good evening,” the waiter says. “As requested, I have for you both champagne and pecan pie.” He hands us each a glass then sets a plate of pecan pie on each end table. “Should you need anything, I’ll be behind you. Just wave and I’ll come over.”
“Thank you,” we reply in unison.
“Pecan pie?” Emma whispers as she leans into me, the sweet smell of her body lotion drifting my way.
“State dessert of Texas.” I wrap my arm around her and rest it on the back of the couch.
She giggles then clinks her glass against mine as she props her feet up on the footrest and crosses them at the ankle.
Beneath us, the rumble of the boat’s engine comes on, and before we know it, we are out on the river. The weather is mild, the sky is cloudless, and I couldn’t have asked for a better night to do this. Captain Michael’s voice comes over the speakers of the boat, and he tells us all about Austin and the landmarks we pass. Both of us listen to the interesting facts while eating the pie and feeding it to each other, and we laugh when he tells us Austin has the only nude beach in Texas and they celebrate Eeyore’s birthday.
Eventually we circle around Lady Bird lake, approaching our destination, and the boat slows. I toss my sunglasses onto the end table.
“There are a lot of people on that bridge,” Emma says. It’s then I see her look around the river and notice all the kayakers and other boats.
“Exactly, that’s why I figured down here by ourselves is probably better than up there.”
We’ve already been recognized several times today. Both of us posed for pictures and signed autographs. Just the thought of standing in that crowd where we could be mobbed—no thank you.
“Why are they there?” she asks as she turns to look at me, her hand sliding across my thigh, sending a jolt directly to my groin.
“That is the Congress Avenue Bridge, and you’ll see.” One side of my mouth tips up as I keep my lips closed and pull her a little closer to me.
“Not fair,” she whispers, her gaze bouncing from my eyes to my lips, where they hold.
“Keep staring at me like that and I’m going to kiss you.” My heart rate picks up with each passing second. What is it about just being near this girl? It’s always like this with her too.
“Okay,” she says.
Other than New Year’s Eve, I haven’t kissed her out in public, not that I’ve had many opportunities to. While people speculate about us, there’s no hard evidence of us being a couple. Then again, I did hold her hand last night and tonight while we were on the street, and that’s proof enough for gossip articles.
I lean down, and my hand finds the back of her head as I settle my lips on hers and both of us breathe in at the same time. My heart skips a beat. Like always, her lips are soft, warm, and eager for mine, but instead of taking it deeper, I slide mine to the corner of her mouth where I kiss her and then to her temple where I kiss her again.
“You sure know how to make me lightheaded,” she tells me, running the hand that was on my thigh over my heart and down to my stomach. If there weren’t thousands of people out here, I’d drag her across my lap so she can feel what she does to me while thoroughly consuming her mouth.
Slowly, our boat makes its way closer to the bridge. We stop just before we pass under it, and I watch the crowd and see a few point at us. Whatever, let them point. I’m so happy to be here with her; tell the world—I’m here for it.
“This city really is pretty,” Emma says, and I hum in agreement as the sky has hit the peak golden hour hue. Everything looks dreamy—hell, I probably look dreamy as I stare at her, but ask me if I care.
“It’s too bad it’s in Texas, which somehow sits right next to the sun.”
“Right.” She twists and looks at me. “I mean they must really love it here to endure the heat.”
At that moment, the show begins. First with one, then a few more, and then out they fly by the thousands, taking to the sky while all around us people cheer.
“What. Are. Those?” She points upward.
