Page 83 of The Spare

She laughs. “Not everything.”

“Well…” I kiss her temple. “If it turns out less than stellar, I’ll spread you on a biscuit.” I chuckle. “I could eat you up.”

I find myself looking for every excuse to touch Lexi. When we’re in the kitchen making dinner, I wrap my arms around her waist from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder while she stirs garlic and olive oil in the pan. I steal soft, lingering kisses against her temple and the side of her neck, chuckling as she presses her back against my chest, feigning annoyance. Though her breathless laugh gives her away every time.

Nights on the couch after a long day are my favorite. She curls sideways into my lap, resting her head over my heart while I trace lazy patterns over her bare shoulder. Simple TV dates inevitably turn heated with the remote tossed onto the coffee table as quiet teasing conversations melt into desperate make-out sessions.

By Friday afternoon, the sun is warm and high over the vineyard. Knowing it won’t be long before Lexi heads back to work at the clinic, I decide to make a romantic night of it. I reach for the Pinot Grigio my wife loves and throw together a basket of fresh bread, fruit, and artisan cheeses, grab a wool blanket, and head down toward the gravel driveway.

When her car pulls up from visiting her grandfather, I’m already waiting. Her face lights up the second she steps out. “What’s up, Mr. Lee?”

“It’s not often I get to take my busy wife on a date night.” I kiss her temple. I eye her form fitting skirt and heeled sandals. “Why don’t you go in and change into something more comfortable for a night under the stars?” I wink. “I’ll be waiting when you’re ready.”

She gives me a quizzical look. “Okay. What have you been up to?”

“You’ll see.”

Alexis wastes no time freshening up, emerging a few minutes later looking relaxed in a pair of skinny jeans and a loose fitting sweater. Once she hops in my car, she takes in the blanket and picnic basket.

“What is all this?” she asks, a gorgeous grin spreading across her lips.

“I figured you deserved a proper date night.”

“Who knew you were so romantic?”

I reach out to grab her hand. “Only with you, Lex. Honestly.”

We drive the short distance to our favorite spot in the vineyard. The place beside the vines near where the wildflowers grow. “Hey, you know those ornamental bushes the Faulkners have all over their yard? The ones that look like a Dr. Seuss tree?”

She giggles. “Yeah. What about them?”

“You think they have to schedule regular trims for them. Like a barber visit?” I lift her hand to my lips, brushing my mouth over her knuckles. Who knew life could be this perfect? Just me and my dream girl heading out for a picnic. If I’d had any clue, there’s no way I would’ve wasted a single night in a club or partying along the French Riviera.

“Probably.” She laughs. “Maybe we should watch Edward Scissorhands next.”

“Is that a romantic comedy?” Thankfully, the last few I’ve sat through with her weren’t so bad. But then again, it was an excuse to cuddle up with her. And hope she was more likely to let me in if she was primed with feel-good hormones.

“It’s not your typical romance. It’s kind of sad. But it’s a story of acceptance and longing.”

I consider this for a moment. Not feeling it. I have enough in my life to bring me down. Don’t need to watch sad. Arriving to our favorite spot, I put the car in park and lead Lexi over. We sit down together on the blanket, surrounded by the sweet, earthy scent of ripe grapes and sun-warmed earth.

As we eat, a nostalgic wave washes over us, and we start reminiscing about doing this exact same thing when we were young. How we’d sneak off between the vines during harvest season, hiding away from the world before life got complicated.

“We used to sit right near this exact spot,” Lexi says softly, picking at a grape with a gentle smile. “Back when everything was simple.” That frown returns.

“It’s simple now, Lex.” I reach out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

She looks at me, and for a brief second, I see a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. I can tell there’s a part of her tempted to ask about the lost years, to probe into the secrets and shadows of what pulled us apart. But the shift passes as quickly as it came. I’m sure she’s choosing not to risk bursting this blissful bubble, holding back the heavy questions for another day. And as much as I know we need to talk about all of it, I’m just not there yet. We have too long to get through this marriage to risk blowing it up. Ultimately, we need to stay married. So I need to make the best of this situation a little longer. Then hopefully she can see how much she means to me, and forgive me for the past.

Instead, she leans into my touch, sliding her hand over my knee. “You’re right. It is.”

I pull her down onto the blanket, hovering over her as her arms loop tightly around my neck. Kissing her slowly, I taste the sweetness of the fruit on her tongue as she pulls me closer. Her body molds effortlessly against mine under the late afternoon light.

We both know the time is approaching when we’ll have to sit down and face the past and lay out our future. But right now, tangled up together in the vines, I just want to continue enjoying this dream we’ve both waited a lifetime for.

I tuck a tendril of hair that’s dancing in the wind behind her ear and lean in for a kiss. Brushing my lips back and forth over hers, I dart my tongue out to tease until she parts for me. The taste of her is as intoxicating as any wine I’ve ever consumed. She’s so sweet.

We nibble and lick and kiss, our bodies rocking against one another. I drop my hand to her ass, giving it a gentle squeeze as I continue to devour her mouth, my erection so hard I’m surprised my zipper hasn’t ripped from the pressure.