Excerpt #3...

Excerpt #3 Darrin and Kristina go on a "date"

It was a warm, breezy mid-June day. The air was hot, and Kristina wore Capri pants to stay comfortable. Darrin wore a pair of casual khaki shorts that came down to his knees. Each wore short-sleeved shirts to stay relaxed and cool.

The island had very lush green vegetation due to a recent rain. The scent of fresh flowers was in the air, and Kristina detected a fading scent of lilac. Darrin held Kristina’s hand as they walked up to the fort.

They didn’t say much as they walked into the fort. The fort itself was huge. It had two large wooden doors that operated by pulley. It was currently open so visitors could walk through. There was also a smaller door, which allowed visitors to walk in. Inside, there were two levels. To reach the second level, there were stairways near the front and rear entrances. The fort had four towers on the corners, all of them accessible by small, winding staircases from the second level. There was a common area, a meeting place for people in the middle of the fort, where several guests were enjoying a picnic lunch.

Employees of the fort dressed up in clothes from the time period, as they walked around depicting what a typical day in the life of the fort was like. Kristina admired the attention to deal and thought the attraction was very historically accurate.

Darrin could tell she was impressed. They held hands as they walked by the mini shops on the first level. Kristina asked the role players many questions, which they pleasantly answered. Darrin was delighted that Kristina was enjoying herself. It meant a lot to him, sharing this with her.

Finally, he took her to one of the towers that overlooked the island and the mainland in the distance. They had a perfect, sunny view. Since they were the only ones to venture up the narrow steps, they were alone when they got to the top.

“Darrin! This is gorgeous!” gushed Kristina, brushing her thick bangs off her forehead. She stood up next to the railing, watching the soft ocean waves as they lapped the island’s beach.

Boldly, Darrin walked up behind her and pressed his chest against her back, wrapping his arms around her waist. She trembled in his intimate embrace. Lightly, he brushed his lips against her ear. She was a flower on the verge of blooming.

“You feel so good right now, Kristina,” he said, teasing her. He had showed Kristina a side of himself that he rarely displayed to others. He was freer, more open, and more comfortable around her.

She nervously swallowed, enjoying Darrin’s hug far too much.

“So do you,” she admitted, as she felt a longing deep in her body to return his hug. She wanted to let him know just how much she was loving all of this.

He kissed her temple. “I don’t want to spook you, Kristina. I don’t,” he prefaced, “but I’m crazy about you.” He didn’t want to go further than that without a signal from her. “And I really appreciate your offer to find my mother. If you don’t mind doing it, I’m up for it.”

“Oh, Darrin,” she purred, closing her eyes, savoring every ounce of this moment—his scent, his hug, his hard chest pressing up against her. “I’m crazy about you too,” she finally admitted out loud.

He let a happy breath out of his lungs! The words he’d longed to hear!

She turned toward him, wrapping her arms around him, and found his desire-filled red lips. She boldly parted them and opened Darrin’s hot, breathy mouth with hers. She softly closed her mouth and opened it again for him, running her tongue over his lips, slowly teasing him, pressing her body into his, sending a clear signal she was ready for a little more.

Darrin delighted in the kiss, holding her tight against him, and teased her back by running his tongue over hers.

She didn’t want to stop kissing him. Their kisses deepened into bold, open-mouthed desire-filled caresses, and Darrin dropped his hands to her waist, lightly squeezing her, as he felt her arms wrapped around his own waist. This was their best kiss yet.

“Ah hum.”

Quickly, Kristina tore herself away from Darrin’s arms. Both of them looked flustered and embarrassed to discover that another couple had climbed the stairs to the tower.

“Sorry,” said Kristina breathlessly, turning red, as she avoided looking at the couple.

Darrin ran his hand though his wind-blown hair. “We were just recently married,” he said proudly. That kiss was wicked! Oh yes, her petals were ripe and on the verge of opening up to him.