Luna

I stood in front of my closet, feeling a mix of excitement and butterflies in my stomach. Tonight was the night. Can't wait for my first real romantic dinner date with Colton. We've been out together many times, but it was always platonic. This time, things were totally not the same.

I found this gorgeous, dark beige dress and thought about how Colton always said beige was his favorite color on me, which made me smile. As I put on the dress, my mind was going crazy thinking about what was coming. He insisted on keeping our destination a surprise, making the evening even more exciting.

I got all dolled up, put on some makeup, and threw on my favorite necklace. I checked myself out in the mirror and took a deep breath to calm down my racing heart. I was super excited but also super nervous. This was a fresh start for us, and I wanted everything to be flawless.

A knock on my door pulled me out of my thoughts. I heard Remedios opening the door, accompanied by Bonnie's enthusiastic barking, showing her excitement.

I grabbed my purse and quickly headed to the living room, feeling really excited.

Colton, dressed in a dark suit, looked as handsome as ever while holding a bouquet.

"Hi, Luna," he greeted, his eyes lit up as he looked at me. "You look stunning."

My face felt so hot, I knew was blushing. I took the flowers from him. "Thank you. You look amazing, too."

He kissed my cheek, like he did yesterday, when he left my office. He was being awesome, keeping his promise to take it slow.

He offered his arm, and I gladly took it, feeling so excited as we walked out together.

"So, are you going to give me any hints about where we're headed?" I looked up at him and asked.

He smiled and shook his head. "Nope. It's a secret. But trust me, you'll love it."

We walked outside into the cool evening air, and he took me to his fancy white Maserati parked at the curb. As we drove through the city, I couldn't help but be amazed. It was like a whole new world between us, like anything could happen.

When we finally got there, Colton helped me out of the car and walked me down a path with twinkling lights.

We were in this stunning garden, with a small, cozy table set up under twinkling fairy lights.

The garden looked so pretty in the moonlight, making everything look magical. The air was heavy with the scent of jasmine and the cool night breeze.

"Colton, this is so beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," he replied, his voice all low and husky. He came closer, his hand touching mine. His touch felt a surge of electricity and a burning desire inside me, making my body shivered all over.

We were standing so close, our faces almost touching. I could feel his hot body against mine, making my heart race.

He smiled, grabbed my hand, and took me to the table. "I wanted tonight to be special for us," he whispered.

We took a seat, and I couldn't help but grin. The setting was so wonderful, and it really meant a lot to me.

As the servers entered, they carried with them an array of delicious dishes. However, all of my attention was solely directed towards Colton, as I couldn't help but admire how truly amazing he was.

As we started eating, the conversation just flowed easily and all the earlier tension disappeared.

Halfway through our meal, Colton reached out and held my hand.

"I know we've had our difficulties, and we've both been too afraid to say how we really feel. But I need you to know that I'm totally all in on this."

Tears started welling up in my eyes, but they were tears of joy. "Same here. I can't deny my feelings anymore. I'm excited to find out where this takes us."

He held onto my hand, looking at me with so much warmth and affection. "Cheers to starting fresh," he said, lifting his glass.

I raised my glass and echoed, "Here's to new beginnings," clinking it against his. I felt calm and content. I knew there would be challenges, but I was ready to face them with Colton. Slowly but surely, we were getting closer to something amazing.

As the night went on, I was totally into Colton. The garden was like a dream, with its twinkling lights and soft music. We chatted about everything and nothing, just like before.

"Remember that time in college when we bumped into each in the cafeteria?" I asked, laughing at the memory.

Colton chuckled, shaking his head. "How could I forget? You spelled your chocolate shake on me."

"I still insist that it was your fault, though." I said, still smiling. "You were not looking where you were going."

He laughed, making my heart flutter. "Well, I actually saw you. I just wanted to piss you off. I didn't expect the chocolate shake though. It ruined my shirt."

We were reminiscing about the past, and it brought us closer. It was like peeling back layers, showing how deep our connection is. I realized how much I valued those moments and how they had affected our bond.

As the night was ending, Colton stood up and offered his hand. "Wanna go for a walk?" he asked.

I nodded and slipped my hand into his. We walked around the garden, smelling the flowers in the cool night air. It was so calm, totally different from the storm of emotions inside me.

"Colton," I started, glancing up at him. "I just want to say thanks for tonight. This is perfect."

"I'm glad you like it. I wanted to show you how much you mean to me."

His words made my heart burst with joy. "I feel the same way about you."

We walked on until we got to a small gazebo. Colton took me inside, and we sat on the bench, everything else disappearing.

"Luna," he said, facing me. "Just so you know, I'm totally committed to making this work."

"I want that too. I admit, the past months you were in LA, I feared you already found someone else and forgot about me."

He touched my face gently. "Never. You should know that I'm totally into you."

His words melted my heart, calming all the fears I've been holding onto. I leaned in and our lips met.

He kissed me so softly and gently at first.

My nerves were tingling like crazy from all the emotions I felt. His lips set me on fire, made me crave for more.

He cupped my chin as he kissed me with intensity. His tongue went into my mouth, exploring, making me tingle all over.

Our bodies pressed together, desire taking over. His hands ran down my back, setting every nerve on fire.

I was totally out of breath, my heart was racing like crazy. He moved his lips from mine, giving me fiery kisses on my neck, suckling and licking the sensitive spot behind my ear, and leaving electric sparks behind. I couldn't help but cling to him, feeling the intense pull between us.

It felt like time stopped, leaving only the two of us lost in our own desire.

The sound of a bird chirping interrupted us. We pulled back, and I put my head on his shoulder.

It felt amazing to feel happy and content after a while. But I just couldn't shake this nagging feeling in my head. I knew I wanted to be with Colton, but things got complicated.

"Colton," I started, raising my head from his shoulder to give him a look. "Can I ask you something?"

I could see the worry in his eyes as he looked at me. "What is?"

I paused to gather my thoughts. "Can we keep our dating a secret for now? Everything happened so fast, and I just broke up with Barry four months ago. I don't want people, especially our families, to get the wrong idea."

Colton's face got all gentle, and he reached out and grabbed my hand. "I get it," he breathed. "It's a lot to take in, and I don't want to add any pressure on you. We can keep this to ourselves for now."

His understanding made me feel so relieved.

"Thanks. I'm just trying to protect our thing. I don't want anyone's judgments to get in our way."

"Same here." He squeezed my hand gently, then said. "This is about us, and no one else, okay?"

I smiled, feeling an enormous weight off my shoulders. "I'm so glad you understand."

He leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Sure thing, Luna. We'll take it one step at a time, just like we said."

We hung out there a little longer, loving the calmness of the garden and being together.

"I could stay here forever, just enjoying this peaceful garden with you."

"I know, right? It's so peaceful."

He let out a sigh, then said. "But, unfortunately, all good things must end."

"Yeah, I guess it's time to head back."

He nodded and took my hand. "Shall we?"

"Definitely. Lead the way."

Colton walked me back to the car, his hand all warm and comforting in mine. He even opened the car door for me.

"Oh, how chivalrous of you." I teased him.

He grinned and did a little bow. "Anything for you, my beautiful lady."

The drive home was peaceful, neither of us speaking, just lost in our own thoughts. Colton looked at me with a serious expression as we pulled up to my apartment.

"I'm here for you, Luna, through thick and thin," he murmured. "We'll do this together."

I got so touched and leaned in for a kiss, a sweet promise of what's coming. "Thanks."