Gabe gave in to the desire and let his fingers trail down the length of her hair. Her eyes blinked closed a second and she suppressed a shiver, but from the way she leaned in just a touch closer, he was confident what it meant. “If you want the truth, I’m hoping there are enough ‘next times’ that we lose count.”

“I’d like that.” Her gaze dropped to his mouth, and he could just make out her clearing her throat.

Suddenly, the server couldn’t return quickly enough for Gabe. The light but steady evening breeze that had caused Olivia to slip into a cardigan hadn’t relented, but he would swear the temperature had swelled twenty degrees.

“I, uh, know it’s dark, but I thought it might be fun to walk by the lake.” He pointed toward the trees lining the western edge. “There’s a trail running along it over there.”

She craned in her seat to see where he was pointing. “Sure. I’d love to.” She excused herself to the restroom and wove around the now-half-empty tables, headed to the main door of the restaurant. By the time she came back out, the server had returned with her credit card slip.

“How about I get the tip?”

Olivia looked up from signing to give him a wink of her own, causing an internal reaction that snaked all the way down into his groin. “Next time.”

He wasn’t about to argue with that. She flipped the receipt book shut and added, “Ready if you are.”

You’ve no idea how ready I am. Gabe locked his hand against the small of her back as they headed out, the soft, flowery scent of her perfume blending with the smells wafting from the kitchen and off the lake. He’d been in hermit mode for so long, he wondered if there was a chance the time of year had anything to do with why he was suddenly so very ready. He knew from experience that even spayed and neutered domestic animals tended to be friskier in spring. That’s it; tell her you can hardly hold back because your internal clock’s ticking, even though you promised there’d be no pressure tonight.

She fell into stride beside him as they took off around the building, the top of her shoulder finding that spot against his lower deltoids again. There was hardly a cloud in the sky, and stars and a few planets shone brightly enough in this darker section of the park. The moon was three-quarters full and bright enough to light the ground when it wasn’t blocked by the towering oaks. Off to their left, moonlight danced across the water, and the soft lap of the waves was just visible. Ahead in the grass, a small group of people sat in the dark at a picnic table, filling the night with their laughter.