that romantic energy in there, it was a little bit warm. Besides, I wouldn’t want to take a chance on breaking one of those glasses that you worked so hard to steal for us.”
“I didn’t steal them. The bartender graciously gifted them to us. He thought we looked like such a lovely couple.”
“Oh, really?”
“That’s what he said.” Brodie winked and took a great deal of pleasure watching the color spike in her ivory cheeks.
“So you’re an honest guy?” she said. “Does that mean I can trust you to lead me out into the darkness? You’re not some deranged serial killer, are you?”
Brodie stopped, unsure for a moment if she was serious. “Well...no. Of course not.”
But really, could he blame her? They didn’t know each other.
She assessed him for what felt like an eternity.
“Where are we going?” she asked. “What is it that you wanted to show me?”
“There’s a meteor shower tonight. Out here, away from the city lights, the waning crescent moon coupled with the clear sky provides excellent viewing conditions.”
Her brows knit together, and she cocked her head to the side as if she didn’t understand.
“A meteor shower,” he repeated. “You know, shooting stars? I thought it would be...romantic.” He rocked back on his heels.
“I know what a meteor shower is.” She smiled. “What I didn’t realize was that you’re an astronomy nerd.”
The light from the tiki torches that lined the path caught the teasing sparkle in her green eyes, turning them an alluring shade of jade, and it took everything Brodie had to keep from leaning in and kissing her again.
“I’ve been accused of being a lot of things in my life, but I must say tonight is the first time anyone has called me a nerd...or a serial killer. However, if you like nerds, that’s exactly what I’ll be tonight. Just for you.”
“Just for me? What about serial killer?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Sorry, that’s not in my repertoire.”
“Good to know,” she said. “Call me crazy, but for some reason, I believe you.”
Suddenly, she looked away and pointed toward the sky. “I think I just saw one. Was that a meteor?”
“Indeed.”
“What are we waiting for?” she said. “Let’s go where we can see better.”
She grabbed his hand, and he led her toward the open field by the pond.
When they stopped, they turned their attention up to the sky.
“This is a rather slow shower,” he said. “There may only be four or five meteors per hour.”
“What should we do to entertain ourselves in the meantime?” Her voice was low and raspy. There was something in her tone that made him want to suggest all kinds of inappropriate things. She seemed to read his thoughts because she reached out and ran her thumb over his bottom lip. He was still holding the champagne bottle and the glasses when she leaned in and brushed a kiss over his lips.
“If you want to do something like this,” she said, “I wouldn’t object.”
Before he could stop himself, he caught her bottom lip between his teeth and teased it with his tongue.
“How about something like that?” he asked, his mouth a breath away from hers.
“That? Oh, yes, definitely that. And more, I hope. But first I’ll need a glass of champagne.”
He spread his jacket on the ground, and they sat down on it. He popped the cork and poured them each a glass of bubbly. They clinked glasses and settled into the silence of the first sip. He reached out and brushed a strand of long, dark hair off her shoulder.
She inhaled a quick breath and seemed suddenly shy. Even though he was dying to kiss her again...and again and again, he knew he’d be smart to slow things down until he was sure she was comfortable.
He gazed up at the sky for a moment, searching, until he found what he was looking for.
“See those three stars in a row that are close together?”
He leaned in so that she could follow where he was pointing.
She didn’t pull away.
“That’s Orion’s belt. Do you know the legend of Orion and Merope?”
She shook her head.
“Orion, the great hunter, fell in love with Merope. He made a business deal with her father. In exchange for clearing the land of all the savage beasts, Orion would have Merope’s hand in marriage, but Merope’s dad reneged and wouldn’t let Orion marry his daughter.”
“Poor Orion,” she said.
“Yes, the poor guy was stricken with such sadness. He couldn’t get the girl off his mind. He wasn’t watching where he was going and stepped on a scorpion and died.”
She slanted him a dubious glance. “It that really how the story goes? I thought there was more to it.”
“I thought you didn’t know the story,” he said.
“I wanted to hear your version,” she said, leaning into him. “I was hoping you’d make it a love story.”
“Oh, it is.” He clamped his mouth shut before he could add something stupid like this is a real-life love story, sweetheart. Love hurts.
Instead, he continued. “The gods took pity, and they immortalized him and his dogs up in the sky as constellations.”
He outlined the stars with his finger.
“They put all of the animals he hunted up there near him—like the rabbit and the bull. But they put the scorpion all the way on the opposite side of the sky so Orion would never be hurt again.”
“What about Merope? What happened to her?”
“She’s still there. She’s a star that rides the shoulders of the bull. So he can always see her.”
“You have a romantic heart,” she said.
“Funny, others have claimed I don’t have a heart.”
“Well, they were mistaken, my romantic astronomy nerd.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. Her hair smelled so good he breathed in trying to identify the fragrance...it was something floral...and sweet. The combination was intoxicating. He thought he could live happily here. Just the two of them sitting close, sipping champagne under the inky starlit sky.
He slid his arm around her shoulder, ran his hand down
