Chapter 38 Underneath the Stars
~Sage~
Our conversations became more hushed as Keith drove deeper, and the roads grew narrower and more winding, streetlamps becoming fewer until the only illumination came from the headlights of the car.
I had no idea where we were going, and I didn't care. The wine from dinner had settled into a pleasant warmth in my stomach, loosening the tension in my shoulders even as a different kind of tension continued to build between my thighs.
Every minute that passed in the enclosed space of the car made me more aware of Keith's presence beside me. The way his cologne filled the air, the way his hands gripped the steering wheel, the way his profile looked beautiful as he focused on driving.
He hadn't touched me since we left the restaurant, and the absence of his hands on my skin was its own kind of torture. My body remembered every teasing stroke from earlier, every brush of his fingers against my inner thigh, every almost that had left me desperate for more.
The need between my legs had not reduced. If anything, it had grown stronger, fed by the way he looked at me across the candlelit table and the press of his body against mine while we danced.
I shifted in my seat, pressing my thighs together in a futile attempt to ease the throbbing need that had taken up permanent residence in my core. The movement made my dress slide against my skin, and I bit back a whimper.
Keith noticed. Of course he noticed. He noticed everything.
"Uncomfortable?" he asked, his voice filled with known amusement.
"You know exactly how I feel," I said, not bothering to hide my frustration.
His hand left the steering wheel and found my thigh once more. The contact sent electricity shooting through my entire body, and I gasped before I could stop myself. His palm was warm against my skin, his fingers spreading wide to cover as much territory as possible.
"I do know," he murmured. "I can practically feel it radiating off of you. The need. The desperation." His hand slid higher, pushing the slit of my dress open wider. "It's intoxicating, Cinderella. Knowing that I did this to you. Knowing that you're sitting there aching for me."
My head fell back against the seat as his fingers traced lazy patterns on my inner thigh. He was so close to where I needed him, just inches away from the slick wetness that had been building all evening. But he didn't close that distance. He stayed at the edges, teasing, tormenting, driving me slowly out of my mind.
"Please," I whispered, the word escaping before I could catch it.
"Please what?"
"You know what."
His fingers stilled on my thigh. "I told you before, Cinderella. I need you to say it. I need to hear the words."
I turned my head to look at him. His eyes were fixed on the road, but I could see the tension in his jaw, the way his grip on the steering wheel had tightened. He was not as unaffected as he pretended to be. Beneath that controlled exterior, he was burning just as hot as I was.
The knowledge gave me courage.
"Touch me," I said, my voice stronger now. "I've been aching for you all night. Every time you put your hands on me and then pulled away, I wanted to scream. I need you to stop teasing and actually touch me, Keith. Please."
A low sound rumbled in his chest, something between a growl and a groan. His hand slid higher still, his fingertips finally brushing against the slick heat at the apex of my thighs.
I cried out at the contact, my hips lifting off the seat involuntarily.
But just as quickly as he touched me, he pulled away.
"Not here," he said roughly. "Not in the car. When I finally give you what you need, I want to be able to see every inch of you. I want to watch your face when you come apart. I want to hear every sound you make without worrying about keeping my eyes on the road."
I made a sound of pure frustration, something between a whine and a growl. "You're wicked"
"I'm thorough." He lifted his hand to his lips and licked his fingers clean, his eyes still fixed on the road ahead. "And you taste incredible, by the way. I can't wait to find out if the rest of you is just as sweet."
My entire body flushed with heat at his words. I had never been with anyone who talked to me like this, who made me feel so desired and desperate in equal measure. Keith had a way of stripping away all my defenses, leaving me bare and wanting in ways I had never experienced before.
We drove for another ten minutes before he finally turned off the main road onto a narrow path that was almost invisible in the darkness. Trees pressed close on either side, their branches reaching overhead to form a canopy that blocked out the stars. It felt like we were driving into another world, leaving behind everything familiar and entering a realm where only the two of us existed.
The path opened up suddenly into a clearing, and Keith brought the car to a stop.
For a moment, I just stared through the windshield, trying to process what I was seeing.
The meadow before us was breathtaking. Willow trees surrounded the space in a perfect circle, their long branches draped like curtains of silver and green in the moonlight. Fireflies danced among the tall grass, creating patterns of light that seemed almost magical. In the center of the clearing, someone had set up a blanket surrounded by what looked like hundreds of candles, their flames flickering gently in the night breeze.
"Keith," I breathed. "What is this place?"
He turned off the engine and sat back, looking out at the meadow with an expression I had never seen before.
"This was my mother's garden," he said quietly. "She planted these willows when she was pregnant with me. She used to bring me here when I was young, before she got sick. We would lie on the grass and watch the stars, and she would tell me stories about the constellations."
My heart moved at the tenderness in his voice. I had never heard him speak about his mother before, had never seen this side of him that carried old wounds and precious memories in equal measure.
"It's beautiful," I said softly.
"No one comes here anymore." He turned to look at me, and the vulnerability in his eyes made my breath catch. "I haven't brought anyone here since she died. But I wanted you to see it."
I reached over and took his hand, threading my fingers through his. There were no words adequate for what I was feeling in that moment, so I simply held on and hoped he understood.
He lifted our joined hands and pressed a kiss to my knuckles.
"Come on," he said. "Let me show you properly."
We got out of the car, and he came around to take my hand again. My heels sank slightly into the soft grass as we walked toward the blanket, and I found myself grateful for his steadying grip.
Up close, I could see that the blanket was covered with plush pillows and soft throws. A bottle of champagne sat in an ice bucket nearby, alongside two crystal glasses and a small basket of what looked like chocolate-covered strawberries. It was impossibly romantic, like something out of a dream.
"When did you have time to set all this up?" I asked, looking around in wonder.
"I have my ways." He smiled that secret smile that always made my stomach flip. "I wanted tonight to be perfect for you."
He helped me settle onto the blanket, arranging pillows behind my back until I was comfortable. Then he opened the champagne with a soft pop and poured two glasses, handing one to me before settling beside me.
"To stolen moments," he said, raising his glass.
I clinked my glass against his. "To stolen moments."
The champagne was cold, the bubbles dancing on my tongue. I took a long sip and then set the glass aside, suddenly aware of how close Keith was. His thigh pressed against mine, and the heat of his body radiated through my dress.
"It's so quiet here," I said, looking up at the stars visible through the gap in the willow branches. "Like the rest of the world doesn't exist."
"That's why I love it." He followed my gaze upward. "When I was young, I used to pretend that this place was a different dimension. Somewhere I could escape to when things got too hard. Somewhere my father couldn't reach me."
I turned to look at him, studying his features. There was so much pain hidden beneath his surface, so many scars that didn't show on his skin. I wanted to know all of them. I wanted to kiss each one until they didn't hurt anymore.
"Thank you for sharing this with me," I said softly. "And for trusting me with something so personal."
He met my eyes, and the intensity of his gaze made my breath catch.
"I trust you with everything, Cinderella. Don't you know that by now?"
He leaned in and kissed me, soft at first, almost reverent. His lips moved against mine with a tenderness that made my heart ache. But slowly, gradually, the kiss deepened. His tongue swept across my lower lip, seeking entrance, and I opened for him without hesitation.