Just For Your Love (The Second Book Of The Sacred Love Series)

Book Twenty-four

Irene's standpoint

   I tapped my fingers on the windowsill as I hummed, Cole was taking me out of town for the date, somewhere he said he discovered few days after he arrived. He calls it his secret place, his magical world, his new comfort zone. I highly doubt how such a unique place – as he calls it – could be secret but I didn't say anything. Now I felt stupid and overdressed for a picnic at some nature place.

   He parked the car somewhere I can't explain, smiling from ear to ear. 'Hold on, I'll open the door for you.'

   'Yeah, don't do that,' I chuckled, opening the door myself. 'That's too cheesy. If you are going to do that, try when I'm wearing an actual dress.'

   'Really?' He chuckled too. I rolled my eyes and step out of the car slowly, moaning as the fresh evening wind blew against my skin. I sighed and closed my eyes, inhaling the sweet scent of flowers and fruits. I could smell something else, like water.

   'Does this place have a waterfall?' I asked, sniffing the air with eyes closed.

   'No, but it has a flowing large lake.'

   'And a flowing river?' He nodded, taking my hand. 'This place…' I trailed off as he pulled me in. Fireflies lit the forest with glowworms sticking to trees and plants, small Chinese lantern hanging down from some trees. I guessed that Cole did the lantern part. 'Beautiful, very beautiful,' I smiled as some birds flew pass me. 'And colorful, very colorful.' I laughed, it really was. He smiled as he continued leading me to where he must have prepared.

   'Here we are,' he announced, pulling me over to a big lantern filled tree. 'I'll set the picnic, you just sit and enjoy the scenery.' And that I did. I sat down on the grass and listened to the songs of the birds, the flattering of wings and watched the pattern in which the fireflies danced.

   I thought of mom, a quick flashback to when I was nine, the very topic that confirmed my suspicion and made me investigate the whole thing. Mom had taken me camping, just us two. Three days through our camping, we had sat down under the stars and watched it while listening to the songs of birds in silent.

   'You know, Irene,' she had said softly. 'When I was younger, I would look up to the stars and imagine the love of my life taking me somewhere graced with the beauty of nature, to have a moment with him under the starlight. In my head, it was always beautiful, a real moment that helps connect two lovers. Just you, him and nature, whispering to you both, merging your hearts. I had gone crazy just daydreaming about it all. So, when I met your father, first realized that I had feelings for him, I spent many nights picturing us in a beautiful forest, under the stars. It's a shame that we never even got the chance to have a long and decent conversation, that I never got to know how it feels like to be loved and pampered by him.'

   Those two last statement made me think deep and now, I was letting the words sink in. 'It's ready,' Cole said softly, tapping me on my shoulder.

   'Cole,' I breathe, looking into his hazel eyes. 'Can you turn off the lantern, let's just watch the stars.'

   'What about food? I haven't gotten anything to eat,'

   'You can eat in the dark, Cole, I know that because I've lived with you,' I said with an eye roll. 'Please?'

   'Let's eat first,' he dragged me up and carried me to the laid out carpet. He dropped me on the carpet and brushed his thumb against my chin, pushing strands of my hair out of my face. He sat down and handed me a fork.