I liked his tone. It reminded me of relaxing on the beach on a hot day with nothing but the water sloshing gently and the gulls singing overhead. Peace.
“Now you can say that you have. I told you I’d show you wonders, didn’t I, baby boy?”
His smile was luminous.
CHAPTER NINE
JAKE
I couldn’t stop daydreaming about Gabriel. If I’d had it bad before, there would be no hope for me now. I’d caught myself standing in the middle of the aisle, staring off into space with a big grin on my face too many times. The infatuation was making it difficult to get any work done.
Saturday had been a blast. It was nice going out and seeing the city before the weather turned bad. And the kiss… Our first real kiss. It had been chaste but nonetheless amazing. I licked my lips, trying to remember how he’d felt there. I wanted more…So much more.But Monday had rolled around, and it was back to work for the both of us.
My phone’s chime caught my attention, and I pulled it out to read the text.
Gabriel: Stop staring at the cheese like it’s your one true luv. Cum help me pick an eggplant.
Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I frantically searched for him in the store. I found him standing by the produce, grinning like a mother fucker. It was the same look he’d given me after our kiss—pure satisfaction and the promise of more when I was ready to take it. Gathering myself the best I could, I made my way toward him.
He pretended not to notice me before asking, “Ah, excuse me, can you help me with something?”
“I would think you know your way around eggplants,” I said teasingly.
He chuckled. “My mother asked me to pick up a few things for her. But I like to think that yes, I’m remarkably familiar with the vegetable.”
He held the eggplant up in examination, fondling it carefully as if he were admiring its shape. I enjoyed his lascivious humor. It was nice I could joke about such things and not be coerced into putting out. A fun, low-pressure relationship was exactly what I needed right now, and he seemed like the man for the job.
“Eggplants are fruits,” I said, taking my own specimen in hand.
“Well, that makes sense, doesn’t it? Purple, phallic, and fruity.”
We shared a laugh. God, I looked forward to these times.
He slid the eggplant into his basket. “I’m working this Saturday, but how would you like to grab some dinner afterward? I should be done around two or three.”
“I’d love to, but I promised a friend I’d take her kids trick-or-treating. Apparently, Halloween isn't a free-for-all anymore. They have time slots now.”
“Oh. Hm. Mind if I tag along? It’s been so long since I dressed up.” His expression brightened and he stepped closer until I was against a barrel of walnuts. “Halloween was always my favorite. It gave me an excuse to dress in drag.”
“Aren’t you going with your niece or something?” I inquired, feeling caged.
He shrugged and fingered the eggplant in his basket. “Sorry. I don’t mean to come off as clingy.”
“You’re not,” I said, feeling bad for shooting him down. Of course, I’d love for him to come with the kids and I, but then he would know where I lived. Scratching my neck, I considered my options. “I should be done by seven. We can do something afterward?”
“Only if you want to.”
Frowning, I considered just dropping it. I mumbled, “Of course, I want to.”
“I’m being a baby about this. I have to accept that I can’t monopolize all your time.” He slumped his shoulders dramatically.
“I don’t think you’ve hit puberty yet,” I said lightly. I liked being able to be so jovial with him.
“No, I don’t think so.” He picked up the eggplant in his basket and scrutinized it as if he were trying to distract himself from the situation. “My maturity has always been something I could flip on and off. I’m serious when I need to be. Like now. I’m going to be a grown-up about this.”
“Let’s do something after. This time, I’ll choose. How about that?”
He pointed at me with the fruit. “Deal.”
