He grins down at my sneakers. “No, those are perfect.”
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I ask as he opens the door of the truck for me and helps me up into it.
“I’d rather it remain a surprise.”
I laugh. “How did I know that you would say that?”
“You’re very perceptive, that’s how.”
Jon pulls away, and I immediately note that being with him is comfortable. It could have been awkward, given what happened in the club, but it isn’t. Instead it feels natural.
The inside of his truck is clean, I note, but it also smells a little like dog. Given the number of dogs on his Instagram account, that isn’t exactly a surprise.
We pull onto the highway for a few exits heading to the outskirts of Nashville, and then off a more rural exit. It dumps us onto a dirt road, and I laugh because of my earlier thought about that being where this truck belonged.
“What?”
“Dirt roads, isolated country,” I tease. “Is the surprise that you’re taking me out here to murder me?”
His head snaps over and he looks shocked. “Shit. I didn’t—Sadie, if you’re uncomfortable we can go back to a restaurant. Absolutely.”
“Hey,” I reach out and touch him on the arm. “I’m sorry. I was teasing. When you pulled up at the house my first thought was that this truck might seem more at home on dirt roads, so the fact that we’re on one now made me laugh.”
“Are you sure you’re comfortable with this?”
“Yes.” I gently pull one of his hands off the wheel and wrap it in mine. “Absolutely. I want to see what you have planned.”
His thumb brushes along the back of my hand absently, and he smiles a little. I’m glad that that’s his response. The fact that he’s willing to abandon the surprise at a moment’s notice in order to make me feel comfortable actually makes me feel safer. Even though I never felt unsafe.
We pull up to a small trailhead next to a tree covered hill. The sun sets late in the summer, so we still have hours of light left. “Hiking?”
Jon helps me down from the truck and grabs a pack from the back which he slings over one shoulder. “It’s not that far. I wouldn’t take you on something too strenuous in a dress.”
I make a face. “I can handle it.”
He grins and takes my hand again. “I don’t doubt it. But this hike is more about the view than anything else.”
Together we walk up the trail, and he’s right, it’s not a bad hike. A gentle slope that doesn’t take a lot of effort. And soon we break out onto the top of a ridge that overlooks the valley and the river. The sunbeams slant across the sky, lighting everything up gold as the sun starts to sink. The Nashville skyline sits in the distance beyond an ocean of brilliant green.
“Holy shit.”
Jon tugs on my hand. “Almost there.”
A short way down the path there’s a pavilion made of glass where there is an even better view. Cushions line the wooden floor on top of a plush rug. There’s a small table in the corner with a couple of candles already lit. Low benches along the walls. It’s…beautiful.
“Did you set this all up just for tonight?”
He smiles as he pulls me inside and sets down the backpack. “I know that it would be more romantic if I said that I did, but no. The property belongs to a friend of mine, and given what you do and what I do…and the concerns that you had, I thought it might be better if we dine somewhere with privacy.”
“That is so much better than murder,” I say, laughing.
“I thought so.”
I look out over the view, still stunned by how gorgeous it is. Tennessee is beautiful, I knew that when I took the job. But I haven’t exactly had a lot of time to venture out and explore it.
From behind me, Jon brushes a hand down my arm. “I brought dinner for us,” he says. “But now that we’re here, I’m wondering if food can wait for a while.”
I turn to face him, aware that he’s so close, and this time there aren’t people waiting for us on the other side of the door. “What did you have in mind?”
A tiny smirk. “I thought maybe we could make out like teenagers for a while and then I’d woo you over my simple picnic.”
My body remembers the way he kisses, like honey and fire. I want that. Want to feel it. Hell, I’ve been dreaming about it long enough. “Yes.”
Jon has me against his body a second later, mouth slanting down on mine. It’s like no time has passed since we spent that night together in the club, not like it’s been a month and a world between us since then. I gasp into his mouth, making way for his tongue so that they can dance together.