It was then Mahari forced himself to stop and pull away.
With a red face, Aspen scooted back a bit and tugged at her bottom lip. Mahari found the strength to stay away and not pull Aspen back into him. The tension between them was so thick, it was almost suffocating.
Breaking the silence, Aspen asked, “Where do we go from here, Mahari?”
“With the flow like we always have. I’m not saying what we choose will be right, but why deprive ourselves of happiness because of who we’re tied to? If anything happens along the way, better believe I won’t hesitate to handle it how I see fit. Like I’ve told you before, I got you, Bunny.”
The enticingaroma of something cooking greeted Aspen when she woke up from her nap. She didn’t remember falling asleep. The last thing she remembered was talking about the baby shower with Mahari while he massaged her feet. She’d been out with her mother all day, getting things for the baby shower and setting up her registry, so she was exhausted. When Mahari asked to come see her, Aspen didn’t hesitate to say yes.
It had been one week since they professed their true feelings for one another, and things had been going extremely well. To Aspen, it was if nothing had changed except for how often she saw and spoke to Mahari. He was still the sweet, loving, and attentive man he’d always been while showing more affection here and there.
Aspen didn’t believe she’d ever get enough of kissing him. The night of his birthday, when she was falling asleep, she kept pressing her lips together because they were tingling. If she wasn’t exhausted, Aspen would’ve spent the entire night lip locking with Mahari.
The pain shooting through Aspen’s legs had her confined to the couch. She tried sitting up, but help was needed. After all the walking she’d done earlier, Aspen knew she would be no good for the rest of the day. Everything was becoming a chore to her, even the small things. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to work before going on maternity leave, but she didn’t think she had much longer left.
As if he could read her mind, Mahari appeared with his phone glued to his ear. Aspen held her hands up and pointed to the bathroom. She was happy he’d come right on time, or she would’ve started crying from feeling confined.
After she relieved her bladder and washed her hands, Aspen opened the door to find Mahari had waited on her.
Pecking her lips, Mahari questioned, “How did you sleep?”
“So good. I don’t even remember falling asleep.”
“Yeah. We were mid conversation when you started snoring. Mouth open and all.”
Aspen giggled. “I’m sorry. Being out all day has me tired. I could honestly go back to sleep, but the smell of food woke me up. What are you cooking?”
“I called a friend in to come prepare something for us. I figured since you were tired, and I needed to get some work done, it would be easier for a chef to whip us up something. He’s almost done.”
“That’s so thoughtful, Mahari. Thank you. What did he prepare?”
“Cajun chicken Alfredo and homemade garlic bread. Something simple but filling.”
“I think the girls will like that.”
The chef poked his head around the corner and informed them dinner was ready. Mahari told Aspen to wait for him while he went to wash his hands. Aspen jumped when the lights in her apartment turned off except for the one in her dining room. The smirk gracing Mahari’s lips when he exited the bathroom was a dead giveaway that he was up to something.
Hand in hand, they walked to the front where a beautiful candle lit dinner was set up for them. Aspen blushed as Mahari kissed her cheek and led her over to the table set for two. Rose petals were sprinkled over the table along with small pieces of paper that were folded up. Two small gift bags set next to the sparkling juice that was chilling on some ice. Aspen thanked Mahari and the chef as he pulled her chair out for her.
“This is a lovely surprise, Mahari. Thank you.”
“No thanks needed, Bunny.”
The chef brought over their plates and poured them both some of the juice. He offered to stay and serve dessert, but Mahari declined and thanked him. Once the chef was gone, Aspen gave Mahari her undivided attention. Being in such an intimate space with him felt different. It felt good, and she couldn’t stop smiling.
“This is nice,” Aspen admitted. “And not just this setup but being here with you like this. It makes me feel better than I have in a long time.”
“You and me both. I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting to share this type of space with you. It’s crossed my mind on more than one occasion.”
“Mine too.” Stabbing her fork into the pasta, Aspen made sure she got everything on it from the chicken to the peppers before stuffing it in her mouth. She moaned from the delicious, spicy flavors and didn’t come up for air until her plate wasclean. Her eyes met Mahari’s, and she frowned. “Why are you laughing?”
“You must’ve really been hungry, because you just fucked that pasta up.”
“Shut up!” Aspen picked up her spoon and threw it at Mahari. He dodged it, laughing harder at her. “If I wasn’t so full, I’d get up.”
“And I’d poke you until you pissed yourself.”
“Oh, that’s cruel.”
