Her breath stacked up in her throat. His lips were soft, and his hazel eyes teased and seduced her. If he kept staring at her like that, she was liable to hand him the dessert and anything else he asked for. “Brownies,” she said breathlessly.

“My favorite.” His smile turned wicked. “Next to you.”

Serenity almost slid off her chair. Trouble. I’m in so much trouble. She slowly extracted her hand, but she had a hard time concentrating on her food for the next few minutes. She managed to get through and enjoy her meal without any more distractions. However, her palm was still tingling from his kiss later when they walked back over to the venue. Fortunately, there were only a few couples ahead of them in line, and she and Gabriel ended up with good seats on the floor less than twenty feet from the stage.

He scanned the space. “This is the perfect grown folks’ venue.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” The intimate club’s floor level featured three rows of tables for four, while the upper levels had a choice of tables or booths. There wasn’t a bad seat in the house. Animated chatter filled the air, while efficient staff moved through throngs of people, serving food and drinks, as music poured through hidden speakers. At exactly seven thirty, the announcer came on, gave some house rules, and introduced Jill Scott. Serenity couldn’t remember the last time she’d had so much fun. She danced in her seat and sang along like she was one of Ms. Scott’s personal backup singers.

Gabriel nodded in time with the beat and smiled at Serenity. “This was a good choice. I’m really enjoying myself.”

“Me too. Can’t you tell?” she asked, laughing and still moving to the beat.

By the time the concert ended, Serenity had to fan herself to cool down. She excused herself to the restroom.

“I’ll wait near the exit.” He pointed, almost shouting to be heard over the many people streaming out the doors.

She nodded and joined the always long line for the women’s bathroom. After she finished, she met Gabriel.

“Do you still want to go back and sit by the water?”

“Yes, but can we go to the car so I can change into my flat shoes? And get your brownies.”

“Absolutely.” A smile lit his face and he all but dragged her to the car.

Serenity handed him the small Ziploc bag, then changed her shoes. He’d finished the first of the three by the time she stood. “I guess you wanted those.”

Minutes later, after they were seated, Gabriel turned her way. “I enjoyed the concert.”

“She was fabulous. Thank you for getting the tickets.”

“It was my pleasure.”