Bragnae smiled at the sound of Drake's voice on the other end of the line. It had only been an hour since they left the Pink Elephant, and Drake was already making good on his intention to call her. This was highly unprecedented, at least for Bragnae and the guys she dated in the past. Usually there was a calculated strategy they concocted as to when to call her after first meeting, or the first date. It was incredibly infuriating to Bragnae to play these games. People without any real commitment or desire for a meaningful connection would waste time this way, and she had no patience for that. Bragnae's time was worth more to her than spending it on someone who didn't know what they wanted. But Drake was different. Bragnae not only felt an immediate connection with him at the bar, but it was apparent that he did too.

"Hi, Drake," she said trying to contain her excitement.

"I'm sorry to call so late, but I just didn't feel like we got enough time to really talk tonight," Drake began. "With all the interruptions by our friends, and the damn curfew, it felt a bit incomplete."

"Yeah, I agree," Bragnae replied.

"I'd really like to get to know you better," he said confidently.

"I feel the same way," she responded.

"If you're free tomorrow night, I'd like to take you out to dinner. I know a great sushi place in between our bases... if you like sushi, that is. It's called Sakura Sushi. Have you been there before?" Drake asked.

"Well, I actually arrived on the island two days ago, so I haven't really been anywhere off base except for the airport and the Pink Elephant," she explained.

"Oh... I didn't realize you just got here. Well, all the more reason to try this place out. I'd love to introduce you to the area a bit, if you'd like," Drake said with hope in his voice.

Bragnae's smile grew even wider. "I'd love to join you for dinner tomorrow night, Drake. And I love sushi, by the way."

Drake let out what sounded like a relieved chuckle on the other end before he spoke. "That's great. I was thinking we could meet there at 1800 hours if that works for you."

"Of course, I'm looking forward to it. Thank you for the invitation, Drake," she said, while twirling a piece of her hair.

"Thanks for accepting it. I'll see you tomorrow... Goodnight, Bragnae."

"Goodnight, Drake."

Bragnae ended the call, and held the phone to her chest as she laid back in her bed. She stared up at the ceiling still with a smile plastered on her face. A dinner date with Drake. Yes. Thoughts of him flooded her mind as she dreamt of what their first date would be like. Oh my God. What am I going to wear? Bragnae shot out of bed, too excited to sleep, and started rummaging through her closet.

"Definitely heels," she said pulling out a black pair with a strap around the ankle. "Should I go with a dress, or jeans?"

Bragnae spent the next thirty minutes trying on various outfits creating a small mess in her room as she stripped and flung each outfit on the floor and bed. Finally, she was certain she found the perfect garment for her first date with Drake. It was a solid red, wrap dress whose V-neck displayed only a little bit of her cleavage. The dress also had a bit a slit running up her thigh, but wasn't too revealing. She picked out a silver necklace to go with it, and laid it on her nightstand. Satisfied with her selections, she crawled back into bed, and closed her eyes hoping to fall asleep despite her eagerness for tomorrow to come. After forty-five minutes of no success, Bragnae opened a Sleep app on her phone, selected ocean waves and calming music, set a timer and nestled herself back into bed. Soon, she drifted off to sleep.

It was after eleven o'clock by the time Bragnae woke up. As she opened her eyes and stretched a bit, her brain promptly reminded her of the fun night she had ahead. Drake. She was grateful to feel rested even after getting to bed late, and loved that she slept through most of the morning. Less time I have to kill before my date tonight. Bragnae completed her morning routine, and ate a small breakfast before she decided to get a work out in for the day. She pulled on a t-shirt and shorts, and plugged her earphones in her phone on the way out the door.

After an hour of running and core exercises, she returned to her room and showered. Bragnae looked at the clock on her phone. 1:30 p.m. Okay. Only four and a half hours until I have to meet Drake. Ugh. What am I going to do? Bragnae threw on some comfy clothes, and blow dried her hair. She decided to unpack and organize the rest of the things she had in boxes. Bragnae put a movie on in the background as she worked taking her time as to fill as much space before she needed to get ready for her date. Every time she thought about her date, Bragnae's stomach filled with nervous butterflies. The anticipation was almost painful, but she pushed past it as she busied her mind with other things in front of her. Finally, it was time to get ready.

Bragnae finished straightening her hair, and teased it a bit around the crown of her head before securing it with hair spray. She applied her make-up carefully choosing to use neutral tones for her eyes accompanied by perfectly drawn eye-liner wings. Bragnae praised the heavens above for applying her make-up well for the night. Deciding to go bold, she applied a deep red lip stain to her lips and gloss to seal it.

Bragnae slipped into her dress and heels, and clipped on her necklace she picked out the night before. She applied some perfume and took one last look at herself in the mirror before heading downstairs. The cab Bragnae called for ahead of time was already waiting for her as she walked out the door. She climbed in, and asked the driver to take her to Sakura Sushi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Drake arrived at the restaurant thirty minutes early. He was waiting outside trying his best to look casual even though he was scanning every car that passed by waiting for Bragnae to join him. Before he joined the Marine Corps, punctuality wasn't his strong suit, but the military ingrained a new system into his mind. If you're not fifteen minutes early, you're late, Drake recalled his Drill Instructor telling his platoon in boot camp. In addition to the fifteen minute rule, he was also anxious. He knew Bragnae had similar instruction on arriving early, and he didn't want to risk showing up after her.

He stood with his hands in his jean pockets trying to calm his nerves with subtle deep breaths. He wondered if he put on too much cologne or if he styled what little hair he had wrong, but dismissed his paranoid thoughts as quickly as they came. You're just nervous. Chill out. Drake concentrated on people watching from behind his mirrored aviator sunglasses, a trick he picked up a long time ago. Wearing sunglasses that hid his eyes allowed Drake to move them in a different direction than his head was pointed in, thus keeping his gaze covert and unsuspecting. It was ingrained in him through years as a sniper to always be on guard, especially after he returned from a deployment overseas where he was constantly watching his own back. Maybe it was a form of PTSD, or maybe it was just having a keen sense of awareness around him. Either way, it didn't matter. He would always constantly be aware of his surroundings, he would always sit facing the front door in a restaurant or bar, and he would never ever be completely out of control. That's why he cut himself off from drinking whiskey as soon as he felt the buzz of alcohol start to effect his head.

Drake saw a taxi approaching him, and watched it pull over to the curb several feet away from where he was waiting. She's here. Okay. Be cool. Don't be an idiot. As he leaned against the bricks of the building, he kept his head facing straight as his eyes glanced to the side watching as Bragnae gracefully stepped out of the cab straightening her dress. Drake felt his breathing increase slightly as he scanned her body. The dress she was wearing now accentuated her curves even more so than the one she had on last night. His head instinctively turned to face her for a more direct view as he noticed the tops of her breasts peeking out of the neckline of her dress. He watched as her flowing black hair fell forward as she leaned in to pay the cab driver. Drake's breath hitched as he observed the slit in the skirt of her dress taunt him with her toned upper thigh. He felt his jeans start to tighten. Shit. Drake casually adjusted himself, and took a deep breath to calm his thoughts. As Bragnae started to stand up, Drake decided to make his way over to greet her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bragnae zipped her clutch back up and turned to face the building to find a handsome man wearing aviator sunglasses walking towards her. She gasped inaudibly as she fawned over Drake's appearance. He was wearing a royal blue button-up, long-sleeved shirt, and dark jeans that hugged him perfectly. Somehow, he looked even better than he did last night. Perhaps it was because he dressed up a little, or maybe it was because he dressed up for her. Whatever the reason, a tingly sensation ran down her spine as she admired him. She felt a smile involuntarily spread across her face as he got closer to her. Her feet were planted in the pavement as if roots grew out of them and buried themselves deep into the earth. Am I paralyzed? Come on, Bragnae. Move. Don't embarrass yourself.

"Hi, Bragnae," he said with a wide, bright smile.

Oh my God. His smile is amazing. Bragnae felt like fainting. There was something about a man when he smiled. Maybe it was the genuineness of it, or the fact that men usually had a scowl or straight face to look tough, or maybe it was just this man – this sharp dressed man that she found suddenly irresistible.

"Hey, Drake. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," she managed to say despite herself.

"Not at all. You're right on time," he reassured her.

When Drake was a few steps from her, Bragnae's brain decided to propel her forward and pull Drake into a delicate hug. He stiffened at first, but then wrapped his arms around her gently. Bragnae breathed in his intoxicating cologne, and thought for sure she would faint as the delicious spices and warm, woodsy undertones of his scent filled her nose. She felt the warmth and firmness of his chest pressed up against her, which sent another shot of tingles down her spine. Becoming aware of her possibly intrusive and forced greeting, she blushed and pulled away from Drake. You idiot. I said don't do anything to embarrass yourself. Ugh.

"Sorry. I guess I'm a hugger," she said trying not to let her embarrassment give her away. Real smooth. Idiot.

Drake chuckled. "That's okay. You can hug me anytime."

Yes, please.

"Ready to go in?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm excited to try this place," she said still feeling the nervous butterflies in her stomach.

Drake walked alongside Bragnae as they approached the restaurant. Moments before they reached the entrance Drake stepped ahead of her and held open the door.

"After you," he said politely.

"Such a gentleman. Thank you." Bragnae walked inside and smiled to herself at Drake's kind gesture.

Drake walked in after her removing his sunglasses and hung them on his shirt. "We can just pick our booth, and someone will come over to take our order." Drake led them over to a row of lightly colored wooden booths, and ushered Bragnae to her seat. The menus were already on the table, so Bragnae immediately grabbed for one. The writing was mostly in Japanese, with some English highlighting key items.

"So, what do you normally get when you come here?" She asked him, hoping for some guidance.

Drake took a second to peruse the menu before answering. "I usually get this," he said pointing at a picture on Bragnae's menu of a variety platter of both sushi and rolls.

Bragnae nodded as she continued to glance over the menu. She gasped suddenly as she spotted a particular item, which caused Drake to look up at her.

"They have blowfish on the menu! I've always wanted to try that. Did you ever order this?" She asked showing him the picture.

"Uh... no. Isn't that the thing where if they prepare it incorrectly you could be poisoned and die?" He asked with a skeptical look on his face.

"Yeah!" She said with excitement. "I heard it tastes amazing! Do you want to try it with me?"

Drake clenched his teeth and grimaced at her. "Really? You sure you wanna take that risk?"

Bragnae leaned forward with a mischievous grin. "I'm game if you are, Marine." She raised an eyebrow at him for good measure.

Drake narrowed his eyes at her and smirked. "Alright. You're on. And if we die, we die together. Honorably, of course."

"Yes! This is gonna be great! Are you down with sharing that variety platter with me too?"

"Sure. How do you feel about Sake?" He asked immediately.

"Love it."

Drake sat his menu down, and leaned back in his seat. "Sounds like we got a plan."

Almost on cue, a waiter came over to their table and greeted them in English, but with a thick Japanese accent. Drake opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Bragnae.

"Konbanwa. Sushi no moriawase to fugu o onegaishimasu. O sake mo dozo," Bragnae stated with impeccable Japanese pronunciation.

The waiter bowed. "Domo arigatogozaimashita."

"Doitashimashite," Bragnae said back to him with a bow of her own.

Drake sat across from her with his mouth gaping open, both impressed and shocked at what he just witnessed. Bragnae looked over at him and giggled.

"You didn't just order us turtle or a durian fruit, did you? I mean, I recognized 'sushi' and 'sake', but none of the rest," he said finally. "I didn't know you spoke Japanese."

Bragnae shrugged her shoulders. "I dabble in it."

"Bullshit. You spoke it like it was your native tongue," Drake retorted.

Bragnae smiled at him. "I took a few classes of the language in college. I actually really love the Japanese culture, so the language came easily to me."

Drake beamed at her. "That's really cool. I'm kind of taken aback by your skills. I guess it worked out that you got orders to come to Okinawa, huh?"

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd ever have the chance to come here... with orders, I mean. I was pretty excited to be able to actually put my language skills to the test," she told him.

Drake looked at her for a moment. "You look really nice, by the way."

Bragnae blushed as she looked down at the table. "Thank you. So do you."

Drake shook his head slightly. "Nah. I'm nothing special."

Um, excuse me? "Drake, you are entirely too modest."

"I don't like to brag."

"...except for being the best sniper in the U.S. military," Bragnae pointed out as she winked at him.

"That I earned." He stated confidently leaning forward.

"I have no doubt."

Drake took a deep breath. "I believe your actions speak greater volumes than anything you could ever say."

"I agree with you one hundred percent," she told him.

Drake leaned back again. "So, you just got here. Where were you stationed before?"

Bragnae swallowed and shifted uncomfortably in her seat before she spoke. "I was in South Carolina."

"Did you like it there?" He asked.

"... Yeah. The people were really friendly, and I loved the food. The southern accent is a favorite of mine too. It's homely, and sounds so carefree." Bragnae stared at the table for a second before looking back at him.

Drake studied her face for a moment as if he could see right through her. South Carolina had many good memories, but also was the root of all of her problems. She didn't want to unpack that in the middle of her first date with Drake. She had to think of a way to change the topic.

"I like your accent too," she said, grateful she could think of a way to divert the conversation.

"My accent? Didn't really think I had one," he said genuinely.

"Everyone always thinks they're not the ones with the accent," she began. "You probably think I have an accent, right?"

Drake nodded. "Yeah. Some of your words are more drawn out than others. You definitely sound like you grew up on the east coast."

"Care to venture a guess on where I'm from?" She taunted.

Drake narrowed his eyes at her in contemplation. "I'd say... you're from New York."

"Bingo. You're good."

Drake smiled. "Okay, smarty-pants. Why don't you take a guess on where I'm from?"

"Well, I know you're not a southerner from the east coast. That accent is very different than yours. But... I have an ace up my sleeve, and you don't even know it," Bragnae said proudly.

"Do tell." He prompted her.

"You're from Texas. And I know that because I spent eight months training there, and got to know the local accent very well."

Drake's smirk returned. "You sure about that?"

Bragnae called his bluff leaning closer to him. "Oh yes. And Drake? The Texan accent is my absolute favorite."

"... You're right. Good job. So, what did you think of my home state, besides the way we talk?"

"I loved it. Everything's bigger in Texas!" She raised her voice slightly.

Drake laughed. "What makes you say that?"

"Well look at you!" She said pointed in his direction. "You're really tall... and buff."

"And you're really short," he shot back.

Bragnae pulled back with haste. "Hey! I'm not short! Five-five is average! How tall are you?"

"Six-two."

Oh God. Bragnae took a quick breath. She loved taller men, especially when they surpassed the six foot mark. "Well, everyone is short compared to you," she said, playfully rolling her eyes at him.

Just then the waiter came over and dropped off their food. Drake and Bragnae scoured the plate with apprehensive eyes.

"That must be the blowfish," Drake pointed out. "I've never seen it before when I ordered this plate."

Bragnae smiled up at him. "Want to try that one first?"

Drake took a deep breath staring at the chunk of blowfish on the plate. "... Yeah. Let's do it."

They both picked up a piece of the blowfish, and tossed it into their mouths at the same time. Locking eyes, they chewed it carefully, occasionally making skeptical faces until they both raised their eyebrows in contentment.

"Wow, that's pretty good," Drake said in between chews. "It doesn't taste poison-y at all."

Bragnae covered her mouth to laugh. "Nope. It's oishi... or delicious."

As they began to dig into the rest of their entrée, their conversation continued.

"So, what made you decide to join the Marines?" She asked him.

Drake finished swallowing before he answered. "My dad was a Marine. He was in before I was even born, and it was all I knew growing up. I was born in Texas, which is where my mom is from. When she was pregnant with me, my dad requested to be stationed there as a recruiter for a few years, so my grandparents could spend time with their first grandchild. When his tour was over, we moved around with him to various bases," Drake continued. "But my parents always kept their ranch to come back to someday."

"That's awesome. It's in your blood. Is he still in, or is he retired now?" She asked.

Drake looked away for a moment. "My dad was killed in action at the start of the Iraq War."

When Drake eye's finally met Bragnae's, she saw a lot of pain and sadness. She reached across the table to lay her hand on his. "I'm so sorry, Drake."

As if he was trying to bypass that moment, Drake continued his story. "After he was killed, we moved back to the ranch, and I spent the rest of my childhood and teenage years there. After I graduated high school, I joined up," Drake paused. "I wanted to honor him and his legacy."

Drake looked down at the table moving his chopsticks back and forth absentmindedly. Bragnae squeezed his hand gently.

"I know I don't know you that well yet, but I think you're making dad really proud with all you've accomplished." Bragnae so badly wanted to hug Drake.

Finally, he looked back up at her, and held her gaze for a long moment before speaking. "Thanks, Bragnae. I appreciate you saying that."

"You mentioned last night that you grew up with Liam. How did that work out with his father also being in the Marine Corps?"

"Liam's dad, Constantine, and my dad were old buddies. My dad worked under him when they first met, and my dad saved his life one time when they were deployed together. After that, Constantine made it a point to ensure they'd be stationed together. Our families grew close over the years, and after my dad died, Constantine insisted Liam's mom move back to Texas to help support our family, while he continued moving up the ranks. It brought Liam and I back together for a while, but I think it bothered Liam that his dad sort of abandoned them," Drake continued. "I mean, he still loved Liam's mom, but I think he loved the Corps more."

"Wow. That must have been hard on Liam," Bragnae acknowledged, suddenly understanding a little more of why Liam acts like he constantly has to impress people.

"Yeah. Enough about that. Why did you join the military?" Drake asked, throwing back a shot of Sake.

"When I was on a vacation with my parents in Pensacola, Florida, we went to the Naval Aviation Museum. While I was there, I saw four women walking together in their Dress White uniforms – skirts and all – and I just remember being in awe of them. They looked sharp. And I thought to myself that I really wanted to be them. I wanted to wear a crisp uniform like that and proudly serve my country," Bragnae said, smiling as she recalled the memory.

"But... you didn't join the Navy," Drake pointed out.

She laughed. "Well, I got to thinking about it, and I get motion sickness, especially on a boat, so I decided that was probably not my best option. After thoroughly researching the other branches, the Air Force stood out the most in terms of what I wanted to do, and what I thought would be best for me. And I don't regret my decision." Bragnae grinned at him.

"That's a good story. I'm glad you joined the Air Force. I wouldn't have met you otherwise," he said.

Bragnae beamed at his kind words as the waiter dropped off the check. Drake immediately reached for it and dug out his wallet from his back pocket.

"Thank you so much for dinner, Drake. This was really fun."

"You're welcome," Drake began. "... I'm not exactly ready to call it a night. There's a place I'd like to show you if you're up for a walk to the beach."

"Absolutely."

Drake stood from the table and offered a hand to Bragnae, which she accepted. They walked out of the restaurant, and made their way closer to the salty air and sound of the ocean.

"Do you have any siblings?" She asked.

"I have a younger sister, Savannah. How about you?" He replied.

"I was the perfect child, so my parents didn't feel the need to have any more kids."

Drake cocked his head and furrowed his brow at her. "Wow. You certainly think highly of yourself."

Bragnae burst into laughter shoving his shoulder playfully as they continued to walk. Drake started to laugh as well.

"You know, I'm kind of surprised that you didn't ask me to go shooting for our first date," she remarked, glancing at him from the side.

Drake turned his head to face her. "Well, maybe I wanted to have an excuse to ask you on a second date."

Bragnae smiled. "Very clever of you."

"And how am I looking for that second date?" He asked, avoiding her eyes.

"At this point, I'd say... you're looking pretty good."

Drake nodded and looked over at her. "Then I hope I don't screw anything up for the rest of the night."

"I hope you don't either." Bragnae's words were truer than Drake realized. She needed a good man like him in her life, whether she was ready for him or not. The universe was pulling her towards him like two magnets. She hadn't intended to like someone or date anyone so soon, but there was just something about Drake. She hoped with all of her might that he was the real deal. So far, her heart told her he was.

They reached a long wooden bridge carrying them from the sidewalk to the sand and water. As soon as they crossed it, Bragnae stepped onto the sand and immediately sunk down as her heel penetrated the beach. Throwing herself off balance, she let out a startled scream and grabbed for Drake. His reflexes were on point as he wrapped his arms around her pulling Bragnae flush with his body. Their faces were inches apart. She could feel his heart beat against her as she held onto his muscular arm. They stayed that way for a few long seconds staring into each other's eyes – both of their breathing had increased.

"You should probably take those off," Drake recommended, looking down at her shoes.

Bragnae agreed and stepped away from Drake slowly as she regained her balance. She removed her shoes and held them together by the straps in one hand as they continued to walk toward the ocean. Bragnae felt electricity move through her body when Drake held her, and suddenly she became a junkie for it. She slipped her hand inside his squeezing it gently. He looked down at their joined hands and then back at her.

"Just in case I have another klutzy moment," she joked, trying to justify her action.

Drake smiled. "Yeah. We don't want you to fall and break something."

Drake and Bragnae walked hand in hand together until they came to a secluded part of the beach. There were tall rocks that rose out of the water creating natural walls around the sand as waves crashed against them.

"This is my favorite spot on the whole island. Somehow, every time I come here, no one is around. It's like it's reserved just for me," Drake explained.

"It's incredible. What a nice place to relax. I bet you, Liam and Maxwell come here and jump off those rocks all the time," Bragnae said pointing at the rocks with her chin.

"Actually... I've never told any of my friends about this place. It's kind of my secret hideout when I need some peace and quiet."

Bragnae let go of Drake's hand and moved to stand in front of him. "So, why did you take me here?"

"You work in Intelligence – I figured you could keep a secret," Drake smirked.

Bragnae chuckled. "C'mon. What's the real reason?"

Drake took a deep breath before gently grabbing her arms to reel in her attention. "This place is special to me, Bragnae; it's helped me through a lot. And I wanted you to know of a location you could come to when you needed to get away for whatever reason," he explained. "And... if one of those times you happen to be here when I decide to come back, then I'll have a beautiful woman to share this little oasis with."

Bragnae felt a lump start to form in her throat with the impending threat of tears. Desperately wanting to shield her eyes from him, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his back laying her head against his chest. She felt his strong arms secure her back and hold her close.

"Thank you, Drake," she said with a shaky voice. "That's incredibly thoughtful of you." Bragnae took a deep breath as she continued to hug him. She prayed for the lump in her throat to go away quickly. I don't want to do this on our first date!

Drake rubbed his hand gently over her back. "Hey, we should probably build a fire before it gets dark. You wanna help me?"

Bragnae raised her head off his chest and looked up at him quizzically. "You want to build a fire? Here?"

"Yeah, why not? It's going to get chilly soon with the sun setting, and the breeze coming in from the water."

Bragnae breathed in Drake's delightful scent again, and felt unusually comfortable settled in Drake's arms as if they were always meant to be around her. She reluctantly pulled away from him. "I don't know the first thing about building a fire."

"Really? They didn't teach you that in boot camp?" Drake asked, a little surprised.

"Uh, no. We had one week of field training, and building fires was not on our agenda," she explained.

"Well, come on then. I'm going to teach you." Drake combed the beach for rogue sticks and logs and collected them in one spot just out of reach of the tide. Bragnae watched him pick up some dried seaweed on the beach, and bring it over to the pile of wood. "Come here, Bragnae." Drake ushered her closer as he ripped a thicker stick in half with his hands exposing raw wood in the middle.

Bragnae's eyes widened at Drake's impressive and unexpected display of strength. Oh my God. Did he really just do that? She was in such shock that she didn't realize her mouth had dropped open in response.

Drake laughed. "You alright, Bragnae?"

Bragnae shook her head slightly to pull her out of her stunned haze. "Yeah... I just... wow, Drake. You're really strong."

Drake scoffed. "That's nothing. Okay, so you're going to take this stick and create friction against the inside of this one in this little groove. The seaweed is going to act as kindling to catch your flame when you spark it. It takes a little patience, but it will work."

Bragnae looked at him skeptically before kneeling down to join him near the pile of wood. "Okay, if you think I can do it."

Drake laid the half-split stick against a log and handed Bragnae the smaller one. He placed the seaweed at the bottom of the stick. "Make sure you don't get any sand on the stick while you're trying to create the friction. It could accidentally douse a flame you're trying to spark."

Bragnae nodded and moved closer to cradle the stick and logs in front of her as she took position. She was regretting wearing a tight dress at the moment, however, the slit in her skirt allowed her legs more space to move. "Is this the right way to hold it?"

She looked up at him to see Drake biting his lip looking in the direction of her legs. He quickly averted his gaze and cleared his throat. "No, it's like this." Drake stood up and moved behind Bragnae putting his arms around her as he placed his hands on hers. "You have to hold it like this at an angle to promote the friction."

Bragnae couldn't breathe. Her heart was racing, and thoughts of Drake's touch clouded her mind. All she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him and press her lips against his... just for a moment.

Drake released his hands and sat back. "Okay, give it a try."

If I must. Bragnae sighed and began to rub the stick into the groove of the other. She pressed into it and increased her strokes. Drake must be loving this, she joked in her head.

"You're getting it. Just keep going," he encouraged her.

Just when she thought her hand was about to break, smoke started to appear between the two sticks. "Ah! Drake! It's smoking!"

Drake moved around her, and pushed the seaweed closer. "You've almost got it, Bragnae. Don't stop."

With a few more digs, Bragnae finally produced a flame. Drake moved the seaweed into the flame, and bent over to gently blow on it. Suddenly, the flame got bigger. Bragnae squealed in delight as Drake moved the growing flame to the other logs laid in a teepee shape. Soon, the fire was roaring sending little sparks of embers toward the sky.

"Oh my god! I can't believe we made a fire!" Bragnae marveled at their creation, and smiled at Drake.

"No, you made the fire. I just gave you the tools... Is now a bad time to mention that I had matches in my pocket this whole time?" Drake grinned.

"What? That would have saved us a lot of time, Drake." But I did like how you taught me how to hold the stick.

"No way! I just taught you a valuable survival lesson. Now you know how to build a fire, which can help keep you warm, cook your food and keep animals away. You're welcome." Drake folded his arms across his chest, and smirked confidently at her.

"You're right. Thank you. I'll never forget this very valuable and important lesson." Bragnae was grateful, but still allowed sarcasm to filter through her voice.

Drake looked at his watch and stood up. "Now, it's time for the main event." Drake held out his hand to help Bragnae off the ground.

"What are you talking about?" She asked as he led her beyond a rock wall completely hiding the glow of the fire.

Drake plopped onto the sand, and tugged on Bragnae's hand. "Come join me."

Bragnae sat down next to him shooting him a questioning look. "What are we doing, Drake?"

He looked at her and smiled before laying back. "Lay back, and find out."

"Okay..." Bragnae slowly lowered herself against the soft white sand. Before she could question Drake's next move, she looked up into the sapphire sky and saw three shooting stars all at once. Bragnae gasped. "Drake! This is so cool! I didn't know this was happening tonight."

"I thought you might like this. Now would be a good time to make a wish," he told her.

"Alright." I wish for Drake to kiss me. Soon. Like really soon. "Did you make a wish too?"

"Yep. What did you wish for?" He asked.

"I'm not telling you. If I do, it won't come true!" She explained. "What did you wish for?"

"Nope. I'm not telling you either."

They continued to watch the night sky as the meteors zoomed across. Bragnae, in her awe and excitement, moved her hand brushing it against Drake's. In the next moment, she felt his hand encase hers and hold it against his side. Bragnae swallowed hard keeping her attention on the stars above, but squirming inside. Her heart began to pound so hard that she wondered if Drake heard it. As soon as the show appeared to be over, Bragnae saw Drake turn his head towards her out of the corner of her eye.

"Bragnae."

She turned her head slowly to face him. The stars and crescent moon cast just enough light for her to see his facial features. "Drake," she replied softly.

After an intense moment of looking into each other's eyes, Drake rose up propping himself on his elbow, and gently stroked the side of her face with his hand brushing away a strand of her hair. Drake's gaze moved from her eyes to her full lips. Her breathing increased in anticipation of what she craved. Just kiss me. Please. Before I die.

Drake ended the tortuous delay as he leaned in to press his soft lips against hers. Bragnae closed her eyes and felt like she was floating through space like the falling meteors above them. For all of the sensations she felt before when he touched her, it was this moment with his mouth moving purposefully against hers that filled her body completely with electricity. It was the kiss she had hoped for all night. It was the kiss she always needed. It was a kiss to build a dream on... with Drake. Bragnae brought her hand up to cup his face, while his hand slid down her side and pulled her closer to him. Before long, their bodies were curled around each other letting yet another kiss linger. Drake pulled away slowly keeping his gaze on her.

Bragnae took a moment to return to reality before she gently spoke. "My wish came true."

"You wished for me to kiss you?" He asked almost in a whisper.

"Yes... and it was... the best kiss I've ever had," she said breathlessly.

Drake leaned in and pressed another sweet kiss to her lips. "It was mine too."

As the tide rolled in, so did a chilling breeze that sent shivers down Bragnae's spine. "Wow, it got cold all of a sudden." She quickly tucked herself under Drake as much as she could.

"Come on. Let's go sit by the fire," Drake said helping her up.

Drake procured a large log, and rolled it over in front of the fire for them to sit on. They sat down leaning their bodies against each other. Bragnae shook the sand of her hair as Drake carefully brush off her back.

"Thanks," she said leaning into him. Drake wrapped his arm around her waist keeping her close. "Not that you weren't keeping me warm back there, but this is very cozy. I like it."

"So, Bragnae, are you doing anything tomorrow afternoon?" He asked.

"Something with you I assume," she smiled.

"I'd like to take you shooting... if you want," he stated.

Bragnae shifted her body to face him. "A chance to get pointers from an expert sniper? How could I pass up that chance? I'd love to go with you, Drake."

Drake cupped the back of her neck and pulled her in for another searing kiss. He moved his lips close to her ear as he whispered, "Now, my wish just came true. You said 'yes' to another date with me."

Bragnae let out a breathy giggle. "I guess we are just two lucky people, then."

After a few more minutes by the fire, Drake and Bragnae put it out before walking back to the street near the restaurant. Drake hailed a cab, and the two slipped in and headed back to Bragnae's base. Bragnae sat in the middle seat next to Drake holding his hand. She rested her head on his shoulder until the cab pulled up in front of her barracks. Drake held open the car door for her and helped her out. He leaned in to say something to the driver as Bragnae slowly walked to the front entrance of her building. She turned around just as Drake joined her.

"I had a really great time tonight, Drake. Thank you so much for everything."

Drake leaned his forearm against the building and gently pushed Bragnae against it. "So did I." Drake tenderly touched her chin tilting her head back before he kissed her. "Not that I'm complaining about your attire, because you look...," Drake paused as his eyes scanned her body. "... Amazing, but tomorrow, you should probably wear jeans or something while we shoot."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll come combat ready," she reassured him gripping the sides of his shirt and pulling him closer.

Drake laughed. "Well, you don't have to show up in your uniform."

"I've gone shooting before, Drake. I'll dress appropriately."

"Okay, then. Goodnight." Drake captured her lips once again, but this time with more passion.

Bragnae put a hand behind his head deepening the kiss. He pressed his body against hers as she braced herself on the wall behind her. With each passing moment, their kisses grew more fervent. Bragnae let out a light moan as his hips dug into hers. Much to Bragnae's dismay, Drake pulled himself away, and rested his forehead against hers keeping his eyes closed.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Drake slowly opened his eyes to look at her.

Bragnae bit her lip. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Goodnight, Bragnae." Drake picked up her hand and placed a soft kiss on the back of it.

Bragnae rooted herself against the wall watching Drake climb back into the cab wishing desperately that he didn't have to leave so soon. As the cab pulled away, she let out a deep breath, clutching her purse to her chest.

Tomorrow.