Hiding Sparrows

31. What you're told

True to his word, Ty took me to get coffee, and then for a stroll through the botanic gardens. The sun was warm, but the light wind kept us a pleasant temperature, preventing us from getting too hot.

We wandered through flowers, and I pointed out my favourites. Dappled buds of all kinds of ilk, gently swaying in the breeze. Bees danced amongst them, and even the odd butterfly and skittering lizard along the path.

At one point, we passed a dog, and I stopped to pat it, gleeful. When I got up, Ty was watching me with a strange look on his face. As we walked away, I said, "Hey, I told you I didn't want any longing glances."

"Oh, like this?" He said, then stared straight at my chest before smirking at me. I laughed and swatted his arm.

"There are people around," I said, but I wasn't embarrassed. I was in too good of a mood to pay them any mind.

"Let them see me staring," he said, smirking. "That shirt..."

I glanced down, and gave him a weird look. I was wearing the same oversized black tee I'd put on this morning, that I'd changed back into at his place. It was hardly a showstopper.

He shrugged, "Well, maybe it's less so the shirt and more that I can remember what's under it."

"Pervert," I joked.

"Guilty as charged," he said.

Then I saw another pretty flower and pointed it out, and the conversation moved on.

We walked down to the pond in the centre of the gardens, and sat at a bench for a little while watching the ducks. It was so peaceful. I hadn't felt peace like that in so long.

On the way back to the ferry, despite my rules, Ty took my hand in his. I didn't fight it. It felt good to have his skin touching mine. And when he walked closer to me, I could smell his cologne, and the scent was comforting and familiar.

"This was nice," I said to him, once we were back on the ferry.

"Mhm." He murmured in response. He lifted our held hands, and gently kissed my wrist. "It was."

Though the gesture was innocent, it stirred something within me. I shivered, and Ty gave a knowing smile.

"I can kiss other places, too, if you'd like," he said, his voice a low, husky murmur.

I glanced around. The ferry was quite full.

"Here?"

He chuckled. "No, little bird. Not here." Then in a quiet voice, "Although I'm starting to suspect you might enjoy the thrill of doing it in public, what with the couch earlier..."

I scowled. "That was private. It was different."

"Mhm, but we still had someone almost walk in on us, didn't we? I wonder if our guest noticed how flushed your cheeks were when he walked in? Or, the wetness on my hand when he shook it..."

"You didn't-" I stuttered, but couldn't finish the sentence because I was flooding with embarrassment. He smirked, and raised his right hand.

"I didn't. I shook his hand with the other. But, I do enjoy seeing squirm..."

"Sadist," I muttered under my breath.

"Yep," he replied, with a grin.

I shook my head, not giving him a response and staring out at the water instead. The light was getting softer now, fading into sunset in a slow daze. The sky was dappled with fluffy yellow clouds. It wasn't quite sunset yet, just late afternoon. But it looked pretty.