‘Cause I’m in love. Big love. Real love. The best love.

I’m overwhelmed with this fireball of passion. And Brooke holds on while I take her for our wild ride. It feels like we are soaring on Disneyland’s Space Mountain as I push into her, wide eyes as the stars blur past us in the thrilling darkness.

My hands grasp her curvy hips, pulling her closer as I fill her again and again. Her expression is sublime, a hungry gaze, pink cheeks and parted cherry lips. She is my wingless angel, my Red Hot love.

“Oh, Nathan,” she moans, as her legs wrap tighter around me. There is a current flowing through our heated kisses, each deeper and more passionate. I am fighting the urge to completely consume her as I lick and nip my way across her breasts and up her neck.

“Is this what you want, Brooke?” I ask, because I want to get the making love part of this right. My heart’s so full that I’m pretty sure this is exactly what it should be. I know for sure, it’s what I always needed.

“Yes.” She moans. “Yes…this is love,” she whispers. Her hands suddenly reach upwards, grasping up into the air. I feel her opening, every part of her body deliciously soft and spread. But then the trembling starts and I realize this is a different kind of climax. I hold her in my arms tightly as I push deeper and tell her that I love her over and over.

Something in the way she finally cries out, a soulful sound as her body arcs up, sends me over the edge too. And this time it’s Brooke, drawing me out with her words of love as I soar. I call out her name before I fall into the warm embrace of her open arms.

Wow

…just wow.

She’s a part of me now, and I finally understand how true love feels.

• • •

The next morning, we both oversleep from the exhaustion of the roller coaster of the day before. Getting up is a rushed affair. She has an important phone conference at nine-thirty, and has to go home to shower and change so I heat up a Pop Tart for her while she pulls on her clothes. She accepts it with an arched brow, but I know she’s silently pleased. I mean, who doesn’t secretly love Pop Tarts?

When it’s time for her to leave I walk her to her car, kiss her goodbye, then hurry back in to jump into the shower and get ready for the day.

Luckily, I’m only a few minutes late. But Joel could yell at me anyway, and it wouldn’t matter ‘cause I’m on cloud nine. It takes all of my composure not to stand in the middle of the production room and yell out “Brooke loves me!” for all the world to hear.

That afternoon when I bring Brooke her coffee she’s on her computer making reservations for Comic Con. Evidently Mojo doesn’t like to go, so I’m determined to go with Brooke. She teases me that animators aren’t supposed to go on the company dime…as if that could hold me back.

Now that we’re in love, it will be the best Comic Con ever. Never in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine I would walk through those hallowed convention halls with a beauty like Brooke on my arm.

“By the way, if you’re planning on dressing up for Comic Con, may I suggest Cat Woman?” I tease.

“You know I addressed up like Wonder Woman at Comic Con once when I was younger.”

“You did?” She obviously doesn’t understand what that news would do to me, for she looks at me funny when she realizes that my face is flushed and my chest is rising and falling like I just leapt between two tall buildings.

God, I love this woman.

“Can you wear that for me sometime?” I ask, trying to not sound as desperate as I feel.

She looks at me with a twinkle in her eyes. “Sure,” she says. “But you have to dress up for me too.”

I’m instantly filled with dread at the idea of tights and spandex body suits. “Dress up as who?”

She grins. “I’ve always had a thing about Indiana Jones.”

I breathe a sigh of relief knowing I’m safe from spandex. “Sure,” I agree. “How about tomorrow?”

“You’re on!”

It occurs to me that I don’t have much time to figure out Indiana’s costume. Back in my office, I call Billie for a consultation.

“Billie, I need your help. I have to dress up like Indiana Jones for Brooke.”

There is a long pause. “Dress up like Indy? Oh, he’s the man. Wait, wasn’t he getting tied up a lot?”

“I think so,” I reply, starting to get nervous.

“That’s hot. I like it,” she confirms. “So shall I guess that things are on the upswing with Brooke if you’ve advanced to kinky role playing?”

I suddenly realize that no one in my life knows how things have changed radically over the course of less than twenty-four hours.

“Oh, yes, everything’s changed.”

“For the good I take it?” she teases.

“So good…Billie, you wouldn’t believe how good.”

“Glad to hear it…maybe Curtis will finally stop worrying about you.”

“He’s been worried?” I ask, a lump in my throat.

“I’ll say. For a big boy, that guy can get pretty damn emo,” she replies laughing. “But enough about Curtis. So what do you need for Indiana?”

“I need one of those safari hats and maybe a whip, and a sheathed knife to hang on my belt…or something to look rugged.”

“He doesn’t wear a safari hat!” she huffs. “It’s a busted Fedora. I have something that will work for that. And of course I have a whip you can borrow, but I need it back by Friday.”

I grin into the phone. “And where can I get one of those knives…a sporting goods store?”

“Oh, I’ve got one of those too.”

“You do?” my voice brimming with disbelief.

“Don’t ask,” she warns me.

“Believe me, I don’t want to know,” I assure her. Leave it to Billie to be the go-to-gal for all my kinky needs.

Since I’m on a roll, I decide to call Mom and give her an update. “Guess what, Mom?”

“Oh, I like the sound of your voice,” she says happily. “Do you have good news for us?”

I pause remembering our last conversation and how she encouraged me. I can’t hold back the good news. “Brooke loves me,” I state with a full heart.

“Oh my God, wait, wait…let me put your Dad on the phone too!”

I smile as I hear her yelling for Dad to get on the phone.

“Yes?” I hear him say with a concerned tone, as he picks up the line.

“She loves him, Arthur!” Mom says.

“Nathan?” he asks, still not sure what’s going on.

“She’s not going to marry him, Dad. She loves me. She told me so.”

“Oh, that’s excellent news. What did I tell you, Son? Logic and statistics don’t mean a damn thing when it comes to love. I’m so glad, Nathan. So, how did this Arnauld react?”

“He’s on a business trip this week, but before he left she told him she wouldn’t marry him. She’s going to finalize everything Monday, and then we’ll figure things out from there.”

“So does she know about Dani and the comic book yet?” Mom asks cautiously.

“Not exactly, we agreed to a week of just being together, and we’re going to deal with all the hard stuff next week.”

“I see,” replies Mom, sounding unsure.

“We’re having a week of woo,” I explain.

“You followed my advice,” Dad says proudly. “Well, as we discussed, historically wooing has always been a favorable way to secure your mate. So what do you have planned for tonight?”

Damn. I’ve been so swept up with the day that I hadn’t thought that far in advance.

“I haven’t planned anything yet,” I admit nervously. “Everything’s been happening so fast. But don’t worry; I’ll think of something.”

There’s a pause. “Arthur?” Mom says, “Can we?”

“Yes, Diana. It’s perfect…woo-ing with a capital W.”

Their shorthand talk always baffles me. “What’re you guys talking about?”

“We have tickets for the Hollywood Bowl tonight. I just finished packing our picnic dinner, complete with an excellent bottle of wine. You should take Brooke, Nathan, it’s the perfect night for it.”

I’d forgotten they always have season tickets with great box seats. The Hollywood Bowl’s an experience like none other. “But you guys already had your evening planned,” I try to persuade, half-heartedly.