Based on and containing the song “Something’s Gotta Give” by LeAnn Rimes  

She quickly stepped through the door, slamming it behind her and leaning against it as if that would keep him out.

Listening carefully, she sighed and grinned when she heard his muted curse and then, moments later, his car door slam.

She kicked off her heels and took the clips out of her carefully curled blonde hair, allowing it to fall around her shoulders.

“Well, Miss Richards, I think I’ll have to have a kiss.”  She mocked him nasally and plopped down on the couch, rolling her eyes as she grabbed up the phone and punched in a number.  “Yeah, right.  Over my dead body, slimeball.”

The ringing in her ear stopped as the line was answered.  “How’d it go, Mel?”

“Crappy.  No, make that terrible.  Absolutely terrible.”  She groaned, letting her head fall against the back of the couch.  “It was horrible, Cindy.  Where’d you find him and why on Earth would you ever think I’d want to meet him?”

“Jack’s a good guy, Mel . . .”

“He’s a good guy?”  Her head shot up straight, her eyes widening.  “Are you kidding me?  He was checking out the waitress like he wanted to jump her right there.”

“Well, maybe he was nervous . . .”

“He wanted to know why I’d never had my . . . you know . . . rack enlarged.”

“No way . . .”

“Yes way.”  She sighed, running her fingers through her hair.  “And he likes to make fruit analogies.  I’m an orange.  He likes pineapples.”

“Well, at least you stayed in the citrus category.”  Cindy’s voice rang with amusement before she burst into laughter over the phone.  “Oh, my Lord . . . I’m so sorry, Mel.”

“Never again, Cindy.”

The groan rang over the line.  “Don’t give up so easily, Mel . . .”

“Nope.”  She shook her head, even though she knew her friend couldn’t see her.  “Three strikes and you’re out.  This is number three . . . in a major way.”  She paused for a minute.  “After the toupee guy and the guy with the wandering hands, you’ve struck out swinging, girl.  The only way I’d even consider it would be if you’re willing to divorce Ben and hand him over.”

“Ha ha.  Like that’s ever gonna happen.”

“Right.”  She sighed.  “I want . . . I want Prince Charming, Cindy.  I want the butterflies.  I want the dreams.”

“He’s out there, Mel.  You just haven’t found him yet.”

The sound of tapping keys carried over the line.

“Turn your computer on and listen to the song I’m sending you.  You’ve got to hear this.”

She wearily pulled herself up from the comfortable cushions and went to grab her laptop.  “You can’t make up for him with a song, Cin.  It’s just not that easy.”

As the computer came alive, she settled herself back down on the couch, smiling when Tabs hopped up next to her, purring as her fingers ran through his fur.

“No, seriously.  This song is you to a T, Mel.  Check your e-mail and play it.”

A few clicks later, the song was loading, then playing, sending catchy music around the room.

Jenny’s got a job, a cat named Jake
Thirty-one candles on her birthday cake next year
Thought by now she’d have a man
Two car seats in a minivan
But it still ain’t here

She’s been looking for Mr. Right so long
But all she’s found is Mr. Wrong
And that’s the pits
She’s drawn a line that she won’t cross
Her and time are facing off
She says, something’s gotta give 

“Whoa . . .”  Her brows bunched and she bit her lip as the song played on.

“Freaky, isn’t it?  They even got the age right.  Change the names and it could’ve been written about you.”

“Wait a second.  I get most of that – I’m a dating disaster and, if he’s out there, I thought I would’ve found him by now – but what’s the line that I won’t cross?”

“Mel, honey . . . you aren’t exactly one to take chances.”

“I let you pick dates for me.”  Her eyes narrowed as she stared at the wall.  “I’d call that pretty adventurous.”

“That’s a cop out and you know it.  Take some chances on your own, girl.  Go out and meet people.  Hit the clubs.”

“I’ve never been much of a clubber . . .”

“Okay, then.  Why don’t you try the online dating thing?  There’s dozens of Internet dating sites that you can try and it looks really easy.  Read the profile.  If you like it, give him a try.  If you don’t, pass him up and read another.”

“Internet dating?”

“Right.  It’s perfect for you.  You can decide who you want to see and who you don’t.”

“Hmm.”  She hummed thoughtfully, her eyes moving up to the ceiling.  “You know, that doesn’t sound half bad.”

“Then give it a try.”  Cindy’s smile was bright enough to be heard across the line.

“Maybe I will.”  Melanie sat up, disrupting the cat as she reached for the computer.  “Maybe I will.  I’m not getting any younger, that’s for sure.”

“That’s my girl!”

                                                                 ----------------------------------------

He relaxed in the bench seat of the booth, his eyes trained on the woman in the middle of the room.

She was gorgeous – looking to be in her late twenties, longish blonde hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail, her straight posture exuding confidence.

She wore an elegant, sleeveless black dress that came down to her ankles, the length of the skirt and the height of her heels allowing her to give off the illusion of being taller, and the filmy purple over shirt was transparent enough to show off her arms and the fit of the dress, but had enough color to make her eyes scream for attention.

Not that she was getting any from the guy sitting across from her.

He grinned when she started tapping her fingers against the table, her irritation at her dinner companion obvious in her frustrated movements.

The simple studs in her ears flashed as she turned, her gaze moving out over the dance floor in the corner, her foot tapping to the beat of the music, then traveling around the rest of the restaurant.

Her eyes met his and he smiled, giving her a small wave.

She sent a smile his way and then her eyes moved on, completing the circle of the room and coming back down to her plate.

He leaned into the cushion on the back of the booth, taken aback.

Wow. 

She had great eyes.

Expressive, bright blue eyes that just called out for a guy to lose himself in them.

And that smile.

Wow again.

He was so engrossed with watching her that he didn’t even notice his friend returning to the booth.

“Such a waste.”  He spoke aloud, shaking his head.

“What’s a waste?”

His head whipped around to intercept the strange look JC was giving him.

“That.”  He motioned to the beautiful woman and her phone-friendly date.  “Your classic case of an Internet dating disaster.”

JC moved his head to look over at them, then turned back, his eyes wide.  “Are you kidding me?  Chris . . . that woman is a dream just waiting to come true.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”  He shook his head.  “Check out her date.”

“He’s talking on the phone.  So what?”

“It’s been connected to his ear since they came in.  I think he took a breath to place his order, but that’s about it.”

“She doesn’t look too happy.”  JC let out a low whistle.  “But good Lord, she’s gorgeous.”

“That’s the problem with online dating – there are good people out there, they just never seem to connect with each other.”

“Sounds like you know something about it.”

“Remember Kathy?  And Stephanie?”

“Yeah.”

A dark eyebrow arched and JC’s eyes widened once again.

“Seriously?  Chris . . . you went online to find dates?”

“It’s not a crime, Jace.”  He laughed.  “Yeah, I tried out the online thing.  Why not?  We can’t all be as pretty as you and J and Lance.”

JC turned to look back at her table.  “She looks absolutely miserable.”  He brought devilish blue eyes to his older friend.  “Go ask her to dance.”

Chris’ eyes widened.  “Man . . . I seriously doubt she wants to start the night with one guy and end it with another.”

“I never said you should finish out the date with her or anything like that.  Just dance with her.  One or two dances to get her away from the motormouth.”

Chris turned his gaze back over to see her leaning forward, her chin in her hand, a dead-bored expression on her face.

“Come on, Chris.  Just show her that not everyone here is totally ignoring her.  She looks like she needs rescuing.”  JC grinned.  “Who knows . . . maybe you’ll finally get a winner.”

Chris settled back in his seat, pondering his friend’s advice, his eyes traveling over Blue Eyes once again.

Then he finally made up his mind.

                                                                            *************************

Could she possibly feel any more invisible?

She really didn’t think so.

A sigh escaped and she shook her head, concentrating diligently on the food on her plate.

She worked on a bite of her catfish, looking up to study the man across from her.

He chatted away, barely taking breaths between words and the bites of food he put in his mouth.

He’d been nearly forty-five minutes late picking her up, an irritation all in itself, but she didn’t think he’d said more than three words to her since she’d opened the door.

That cell phone had rung and he’d been glued to it since.

He was treating her as a third wheel . . . to a piece of plastic and hardware.

And that was infuriating.

She swallowed and looked back down at her plate, her eyes widening when lines from that song ran through her head.

Friday night she had a date
Cell phone junkie, a half hour late
That's the biz, baby
She’s running out the twists of fate
She's had all that she can take
She says, something’s gotta give

Granted, it wasn’t Friday night – it was Tuesday – but the rest was right on. “Good Lord . . . it is me.” Her head jerked up and around when she realized she’d spoken aloud, checking to make sure she hadn’t been heard. 

She took a sip from her water glass, finally just tuning out the monotonous voice, her fingers tapping incessantly on the table top.

Closing her eyes, she tuned in to the beat coming from the band and she could feel her toes tapping to the rhythm.

She was just starting to relax when Jeff – yeah, Jeff.  That was his name – laughed at something, making her jump and narrow her eyes at her oblivious date.

She sighed again, allowing her eyes to drift over the dance floor, then on around the restaurant.

It really was a nice place and, from the looks of the other patrons, she would have guessed that it was pricey.

She smirked, thankful that they’d put the meals on one ticket.

If he was going to torture her, then he was definitely going to be the one emptying his wallet for the food.

Her neck began to tingle, as though someone were staring at her, and her gaze moved on around until she met a pair of chocolate brown eyes.

They were kind, gentle, soft eyes.

And they were smiling directly at her.

She saw a slight movement and realized that the guy belonging to the eyes had given her a brief wave.

A blink later, she found herself smiling at him, returning the fantastic grin that was being sent her way.

She heard a loud laugh from across her table and she tore her eyes away from him, moving on around the room until she could stare back down at her empty plate, the image of those brown eyes dancing in her mind.

From the brief glance she’d gotten, she could only tell a few things about him and most of that would be a guess.

He had an open, friendly, easy grin, smile lines around his mouth and at the corners of his eyes.

She’d bet money that he loved to laugh – probably a joyful, carefree sound.

Good fashion sense – his dark pants and red dress shirt were fitted perfectly and accented his features nicely.

If she’d had to guess, she would have said that he was about her age and stood probably a few inches taller than she when she wore heels.

And those eyes.

What was that old saying about eyes?  They were windows to the soul, or something like that.

If that was true, this guy’s soul was cuddly as a teddy bear and warm like hot chocolate.

She pushed her plate away and rested her elbow on the table, propping her chin in her hand and pretending to study the endlessly yacking Jeff.

Fighting back a grin, she wondered if it was okay for her to want to hug someone just from looking at him.

From across the room.

In a restaurant that she’d never been to and probably couldn’t afford to frequent anyway.

Brown Eyes over there probably gave good hugs.

Make that awesome hugs.

Jeff made eye contact with her, then held up a finger, the universal gesture for ‘just another minute or two and I’ll be right with you’.

He looked away quickly and she rolled her eyes.

Save me, Brown Eyes.  Be my hero.

She sent out the telepathic message, hoping beyond hope that he’d pick up on it and materialize next to the table.

After a few more minutes, she sighed again, checking her watch.

She wondered how much longer it would be before his battery died.

Then she wondered if he’d need surgery to remove the phone from his throat when she made him eat it.

Shaking her head, she tried to banish the violent thoughts.

She needed a rescuer.

Fast.

Her eyes widened when she heard a peculiar beeping sound from across the table.

“Oh, hang on a sec, I’ve got a call on line two.”

He had two lines on a cell phone?

She groaned loudly, earning a grin from the couple at the table next to them.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and . . .

“Excuse me, but it’s a shame to see such a beautiful lady sitting all by herself.”

Her eyes flew open and her head turned quickly to the side.

There he was, crouched down next to her chair, that smile aimed directly at her.

She could feel herself beginning to grin as she came face-to-face with those amazing eyes.

“Please tell me that you’re here to rescue me.”

“Just call me Hero.”  He laughed softly, straightening up to stand by her, offering his hand.  “Care to dance, Blue Eyes?”

A loud bark of laughter from across the table had them both staring at her should-be dinner date.

Her wide eyes turned back to him as she put her hand in his.

“Yes.  Please.  Get me away from him before I do something that’ll get me arrested.”

He helped her out of her seat and led her to the corner where others were already dancing.

Turning to face her, he grinned and spun her in a circle before pulling her to him for the dance.

“Let me guess . . . Matchmaker.com, right?”

“Right.”  Her eyes widened and she shook her head as she looked back to the table.  “And nowhere in his profile did it say that he had an obsessive fascination with the inner workings of Verizon Wireless.”

He laughed.  “Well, it sounds like you have a handle on it.  That’s good.”

“Yeah, well . . .”  She shrugged.  “Believe it or not, I’ve sat through worse.”

“With a smile like yours?  No way.”

She laughed at his innocently flirting expression, allowing him to spin her around again.

“Oh, you’re good.”

“Thank you.  I try.”  He tilted his head and studied her.  “Why put yourself through the torture?”

“My best friend just had her first baby and she and her husband are convinced that the right guy for me is out there somewhere, and they’re going to find him.  So far . . .”  She trailed off, shaking her head with a sigh.  “It’s been interesting, I guess.  At least he wasn’t trying to grope me under the table.  Or comparing me to citrus fruit.”

“Citrus fruit?”  He laughed again.  “I’m going to steer clear of that one.”

“Good.  I really don’t think you want to know.”

The music changed, a slow ballad filling the air.

She rested her hands on his shoulders, not getting too close, but definitely not staying too far away as his arms moved down, his hands resting on her hips.

“So, Hero . . . are you really telepathic or did I just look that miserable?”

“Neither.”  He grinned innocently when she arched an eyebrow at him.  “You appeared to be rapidly approaching distressed.  I’m always on the lookout for damsels in distress.”

“Is that so?”  She smiled.  “Guess I was in the right place at the right time, then, huh?”

“Oh, absolutely.  Lucky me.”

A soft buzzing sound came from her side and her eyes narrowed as she stopped dancing, reaching into the small black bag concealed under her shirt.

She pulled out her pager, squinting at the read-out before growling.

Her eyes came up to meet his, darkening in apology.  “As much as I hate it . . .”

“Hey, when duty calls . . .”  His eyes softened.  “It’s been a pleasure, Blue Eyes.  Can I get you a ride?”

She smiled and dropped her pager back in the bag before pulling out a card.

“No, that’s okay.  I’ve got it covered.” 

She reached up and slid the card in his shirt pocket, then stepped closer to him and stretched up to kiss his cheek.

“Thanks a lot, Hero.”

One more grin and she turned to walk back through the tables.

Her eyes narrowed when she saw Jeff still talking away, a large brownie dessert in front of him.

She reached out, her hand grasping the back of his head and pushing his face down into the ice cream and hot fudge as she passed.

A few people started clapping and she smiled as she reached the door, turning to find her hero still standing by the dance floor, rocking on his heels and grinning at her.

She winked, waved and made it out the door before she started laughing.

----------------------------------------

“Hey, Mel.  These just came for you.”

She looked up from her computer as Lisa, the front desk secretary, walked through the door carrying a small vase of flowers.

“For me?  Are you sure?”

“That’s what the card says.  Melanie Richards.”  Lisa turned the vase slowly.  “They’re gorgeous.  I’ve never seen tulips in this shade of blue.”

Mel reached out and took the vase, her brow furrowing in confusion.  “Who would be sending me flowers?”

“Maybe you have a secret admirer.”  Lisa grinned. 

“Yeah, right.”  Her eyes moved over the vase.  “That’s odd.  Don’t they usually come in dozens?”

“I think so.  Why?”

“There’s only ten here.”

Lisa quickly counted the tulips, then looked back up at her.  “Okay, so there are . . . whoa.”

“What?”

The secretary’s gaze jumped back and forth between the flowers and Melanie.  “They match the color of your eyes.”

Mel’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.  “Really?”

“Exactly.”  Lisa groaned when the phone started ringing in the outer room.  “That’ll be Mr. Crawford again.  Thank heaven it’s Friday.”  She turned, practically running back to her desk.  “Read the card, Mel.”

She watched as the other woman raced back to her desk and picked up the offensive telephone, then reached out, plucking the small envelope from the bouquet.

Turning it over in her fingers, she bit her lip before lifting the flap and sliding the card out.

Hey there, Blue Eyes. 

Let’s make a deal.  I’ll bring you the other two flowers if I can pick you up tonight

Sevenish, maybe?

-- Hero 

She grinned, her eyes landing on the phone number printed at the bottom of the card.

Leaning forward in her chair, she picked up the phone and dialed, her foot tapping as she waited for an answer.

Two rings, three . . .

“This is Chris.”

“Ah.  So my hero does have a name.”

“Blue Eyes!” 

She smiled at his enthusiastic response.

“You know, I was beginning to worry that you’d forgotten all about me.”

“Not a chance.”  His grin was evident in his voice.  “Should I call you Melanie?  Or Ms. Richards?”

She spun the chair, her eyes glued to the card in her fingers as she listened to his voice.

“Melanie or Mel will work perfectly . . . Chris.”

“Okay, Mel it is.”  It sounded as though he was moving, the voices in the background changing.  “So, Mel . . . about these flowers. . .”

“Well, Chris . . .”  She put her foot down to twist the chair back and forth, a silly grin lighting up her face as she said his name again.  “Seven would be perfect.”

*************************

He flipped the phone closed and stared down at it, a grin lighting up his eyes.

“Yes!”  His arm shot up in a victory punch.

“Yes, yes, yes!”  He cheered quietly, dancing in a circle.

He danced on down the hallway until he heard a muffled snort of laughter behind him.

Whipping around, he found Justin and JC staring at him, trying their best to keep from laughing out loud.

“Chris . . . man, what are you doing?”

He walked toward them, unable to wipe the grin from his face and not really caring that he’d gotten caught.

“I’m celebrating.”

Justin smiled.  “Celebrating what?  Tying your shoelaces for the first time?”

“I’ve got a date tonight.”

JC’s eyebrow arched.  “With who?  Pamela Anderson?”

“Nope.  With Mel.”

“Mel?”  Justin shook his head.  “Who’s Mel?”

“Melanie Richards.”  He grinned over at JC.  “Blue Eyes.”

“Seriously?”  JC’s eyes widened.  “The woman from the restaurant?”

“Yep.”

“Wait.”  Justin was looking back and forth between them.  “What woman?  What restaurant?”

But Chris was already gone, bopping on down the hallway and through the lobby.

By the time he hit the parking lot, he was whistling.

----------------------------------------

He was right on time to pick her up, that perfectly impish smile in place and two blue tulips in hand when she opened the door.

His eyes trailed over her from head to toe, his smile widening as his eyes came up to meet hers.

“Hello, Melanie.”

He offered the flowers and she took them, sniffing the petals with a grin before sliding them into the vase with the others.

“Hello, Chris.  Thank you for the flowers.  They’re gorgeous.”

“You’re most welcome.”  He turned, offering his arm.  “Ready to go?”

She nodded, stepping through the doorway and linking her arm with his as he led her to his car.

Her eyebrow arched in surprise when he opened the door for her and helped her into the passenger seat.

“Wow.  A hero and a gentleman.”

“We’re a dying breed, but there are still a few of us out there.”

She laughed at his wink and watched as he moved around to slide behind the wheel and turn on the ignition.

“Do I get a hint as to where we’re going?”

“Nope.  It’s a surprise.  But I think you’re going to love it.”

He made the turn onto the Interstate, then moved his gaze over to her.

“So . . . tell me about yourself, Melanie Richards.”

The getting-to-know-you conversation quickly turned into a long string of topics that was sprinkled with relaxed laughter and humorous sarcasm, lasting all the way through their meal.

She told him about her friends, her cat and the office she worked in.

He told her about his family, his career and shared some stories about the group.

They shared childhood memories and laughed over remembered embarrassments.

A comfortable lull settled between them as they sat and watched the sun sink behind the water, sending orange and red rays across the sky.

She sighed and propped her chin in her hand as her eyes moved over the sunset.

“I know I said it before, but this place is fantastic, Chris.  It’s beautiful.”

“Isn’t it?  It’s so peaceful.  I love coming here.”  He tilted his head and studied her.  “I think you’re the first person to actually appreciate it as much as I do.”

She met his eyes across the table and smiled, trying her best not to shiver under his gaze, then took a deep breath, letting the aroma of the flowers around the patio invade her senses.

“I think I could just sit here all night.”

“We could do that.”  He sat back in his chair with a grin.  “Or there’s a park a little ways down the beach.  Feel like taking a walk?”

She looked over her shoulder, taking in the inviting white sand, soft against the water.

Turning back to him, she nodded.

“Sounds perfect.”

He motioned for the waiter, paid the bill, then stood and moved to her side, his hand resting on the small of her back as he led her to the edge of the patio.

She stopped to slip off her shoes, then let him lead her onto the sand, sighing as the soft powder shifted beneath her feet.

They walked in companionable silence, slowly making their way down the beach as the sky turned from a deep red to the rich purple of twilight, the rhythm of the tide serving as the perfect soundtrack.

Somewhere along the way, his hand moved around to her hip and she allowed him to pull her to his side, her arm sliding around his waist in return.

She breathed in the mixture of his cologne and the salty ocean breeze, listening to the soft sound of his breathing.

He veered off to the right, heading away from the water and toward a dimly lit path of sand that cut through the trees.

They turned around a bend and her eyes widened at the flowerbeds lining the sides of the trail.

What seemed like flowers of every color and every type grew on each side, decorating the short distance to the park entrance.

“Oh, wow.”

He smiled at her whisper, stopping when she pulled away from him to kneel in front of the massive flowerbed, not caring if the sand clung to her skirt as her eyes moved over the delicate petals.

She inhaled the sweet smells as she rose to her feet, grinning at him.  “This is beautiful.”

“Mmhmm.”  He hummed, reaching out to pick a violet-colored blossom from a bush.

He turned back to her and raised his hand, sliding the flower behind her ear, letting his finger trace her cheek as his arm moved back down.

“Beautiful.”

She forced her eyes away from his, leaning down to put her shoes back on, all too aware of his gaze moving over her.

His arm went back around her waist as they started walking again and she leaned against him, choosing to ignore the tiny cynical voice in the back of her mind that was screaming how this was too good to be true, focusing on the tingly excitement, the crazy butterflies instead.

Something’s gotta give me butterflies
Something’s gotta make me feel alive
And something’s gotta give me dreams tonight
Something’s gotta make me feel alright
I don’t know where it is
Yeah, but something’s gotta give 

The park was large and they walked all around, talking and laughing, checking out the vendors, listening to the different entertainers . . . just enjoying themselves and the company.

They found a bench next to the fountain and sat for a few minutes, watching as the streams of water cascaded down, the lamps creating sparkles on the ripples moving across the pool.

The scent of freshly brewed coffee made his head turn, his eyes landing on the cart before moving back to her.

“Coffee?”

She fought not to smile at the way he could take one word and make it a question, her own eyes moving over to the elderly gentleman behind the coffee machine.

“I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but do you think he has hot chocolate?”

“It never hurts to ask.  Sit tight for a minute.”

She watched as he walked over to the cart and spoke animatedly with the attendant before taking two Styrofoam cups of liquid and she stood when he reached her.

“Hot chocolate for the lady.”  He smiled as he handed the cup over and they began walking back toward the park’s entrance.

By the time they reached the beach again, the cups had been drained and thrown away, her shoes were back in her hand, the moon was reflecting off the waves and his arm was around her once again, his thumb brushing against her side.

They had passed a string quartet on their way through and their beautiful melodies carried out over the sand.

He hummed for a moment then stopped, turning to her with a grin.

“You know, we never did get to finish our dance.”

She smiled, dropping her shoes to the ground and circling her arms around his neck.

“Well, there’s no time like the present.”

He pulled her close, his chin resting against the side of her head, and she relaxed, smiling into his shoulder as they swayed across the sand, keeping perfect time to the music drifting on the night breeze.

And the thought entered her mind that never before had just being with someone made her feel so alive.

*************************

Hours later – had it really been hours?  It felt like only minutes had passed – they were standing at her front door.

She smiled up at him.  “I had a really great time, Chris.”

“I did, too.”  His hands slid into his pockets and he leaned against the house as she unlocked her front door.  “What do you think?  Can we try this again?”

“Definitely.  And soon.”  Her eyebrow arched at him.  “Don’t disappear on me now, Hero.”

He laughed lightly.  “I’m not going anywhere, Blue Eyes.”

“That’s good.”

She grinned and stepped forward, her arms coming up to loop around his neck once again, pulling him close for a hug.

His arms moved until they were around her, holding her gently to him.

“I was right.”

Her voice was so soft, he almost missed it.

“Right about what?”

She tilted her head up and he could see her smile.

“You give awesome hugs.”

“I’m glad you think so.”  He grinned and leaned down to kiss her cheek before pulling away from her.   “Goodnight, Blue Eyes.”

She watched as he began walking away, a feeling coming over her that she shouldn’t let him go yet.

I swear, there’s got to be a ‘meant to be’
For me out there somewhere
Someday I’m gonna find someone
Somehow, someway 

Those lyrics were floating around in her mind and she couldn’t help but wonder if maybe today was that someday she’d been waiting on, if maybe he was that someone she’d been looking for.

Was he the Prince Charming she’d dreamed of as a little girl?

Her breathing picked up when she realized that there was only one way to find out.

She walked quickly after him, the butterflies from earlier returning, kicking in full force.

“Chris.”

He turned to face her, shocked to find her so close behind him.

And then her arms were around his neck again, her fingers moving into his hair as she pulled him down to her, meeting his lips with her own.

She heard his brief sound of surprise and felt him tense before he suddenly relaxed into her, his hands moving around to her back, pulling her against him as he tilted his head further and parted his lips to return the kiss.

Behind her closed eyelids, she could practically see the sparks flying.

He felt her sigh, then felt her shiver when his hands moved up, his fingertips tracing lightly along her spine as he pulled her even tighter against him.

She lost herself in the touch, then sighed again before pulling away, resting her forehead against his shoulder as she fought to catch her breath.

“Wow.”

“Wow is right.”  He laughed breathlessly, his hands moving aimlessly over her back.  “What was that for?”

She met his eyes, a grin lighting up her face.

“Every hero deserves a kiss . . .”

He felt her pulling him down again, so that her lips were moving against his smile as she spoke.

“. . . or two.”

His left arm tightened around her, the fingers of his right hand moving up and into her hair as her lips closed over his again.

Those butterflies went crazy and she couldn’t help but tighten her arms around his neck.

He sighed, leaning into her to deepen the contact . . .

And she knew that this kiss, this man, would invade her dreams tonight.