Free Midnight Secrets by Ella Grace

of privacy, and the food was great. Savannah had probably had much better, but one of the many things he liked about her was her adaptability. Because of his budget, their dates had consisted of mostly hot dogs and hamburgers at the fast-food places on the outskirts of town or Captain Jimmy’s Seafood Emporium out on the bypass. Not once had Savannah ever acted disappointed. Another thing he liked about her was her appetite. She made no bones about the fact that she liked to eat. Most of the girls Zach had dated acted as if a french fry would ruin their life.
    Tonight was a special occasion, so the meal had been pricier than usual. He’d been saving up for weeks—not only for the meal, but also for what was inside the jewelry box burning a hole in his pocket. He didn’t know how he was going to approach the subject. Pretty words weren’t exactly his forte. Savannah deserved them and a hell of a lot more.
    Relieved to see that their favorite spot, a grassy clearing beneath several giant willows, was unoccupied, Zach pulled to a stop and shifted into park. It was already after nine o’clock and Savannah’s curfew was midnight. Time with her was rapidly clicking away.
    As had become their routine, he pulled a blanket from the backseat and got out. Savannah usually waited for him to open the door for her, but tonight, as if she was just as eager to be in his arms as he was to hold her, she jumped out of the car before he could get around to her.
    They spread the blanket onto the soft grass, took off their shoes, and sat down. The full moon cast a shimmering golden path of light on the lake. The wide-open expanse of the velvet black sky was lit with what seemed a billion brilliant stars. Water gently lapping at the bank and frogs and crickets competing in a nighttime chorus were the only sounds. The night felt surreal and intense, as if they were the only two people on the planet.
    Savannah snuggled against him and Zach wrapped his arm around her, holding her close. His face buried in the sexy mass of gorgeous hair, he inhaled deeply, taking in her fresh, unique fragrance, committing her scent to memory.
    Her soft voice broke into the stillness. “Sometimes I think this is the most beautiful place on the planet, and then I think that it’s only that way because you’re here.”
    Chest tight with emotions and feelings he could barely comprehend much less communicate, he whispered into her hair, “I feel the same way. You make everything more beautiful.”
    “What am I going to do without you?”
    Zach lifted his head and shifted around so he could look down at her. “It’s only going to be a few months before we see each other. We’ll call, text, or email daily. It’ll be like we’re still together … except for this.” His mouth lowered to hers, covering it gently, thoroughly, devouring the sweetness he dreamed about nightly. She groaned and opened to him, allowing him entrance into the most luscious mouth that had ever existed.
    Before he knew it, they were lying on the blanket and the gentleness disappeared, replaced by a heated, all-consuming passion. Savannah wrapped a long silken leg around his hip. Zach was more than aware that all he had to do was move a couple of scraps of clothing and he could be inside her. His hands glided up her leg, glorying in the satin softness of her inner thigh. He froze and shut his eyes tight. Denying himself what he wanted more than anything at this moment was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.
    Breath shuddering, he rose up on his elbow and gently pushed her leg off him.
    “What’s wrong?”
    Unwilling to admit how tempted he’d been or how close he’d come to forgetting about his promise to protect her, he shook his head. “Nothing. Just want to look at you.”
    Beneath the moonlight, her luminescent skin glowed ever brighter. “My hair’s probably a mess.”
    Weaving his fingers in the wild tresses, he growled, “Your hair is sexy as hell.”
    A brilliant