AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She grabs my hand on the steering wheel, and I stop the car. “To date. I’m not ready.”
My stomach almost hurts, like it’s empty and I’m a starving man, craving this woman as my last meal.
I try to stay calm, but tension settles into my neck and then down my spine. “I’m not looking for forever, Sonnet. Just a nice dinner.” That’s not totally true.
“Not dinner.” As soon as I said the suggestion, she dropped her hand from mine, leaving it cold. Dinner is too much, too soon, too far. She needs baby steps.
“Drink? Cocktail? Coffee?” I sound desperate, but I can’t stop myself. I’m positive that spending any time with this woman will quell the burn in my stomach.
She shakes her head.
I pull off the side of the street and put the car into neutral, engaging the parking brake. “You deserve to have a fun and relaxing time tonight.”
Her mouth drops open. “I’mnothaving sex with you!”
I can’t stop the smirk that lifts my mouth. “I understand. But on that subject, having to explain what a condom is to your son was more than a little uncomfortable. Thankfully I could re-direct him to the Legos.”
“Shit. He had his hearing aids turned up.”
“I wondered. Icould barely hear Harmony.”
“Rocks on Mars can hear Harmony,” she deadpans with raised brows.
I laugh heartily. “But to be clear, I wasn’t suggesting sex. How about your holiday shopping? There’s only three days until the big day. Is that done?”
She chews on her lower lip while deep in thought. “No, it’s not. But you heard Nyck, he doesn’t want anything.”
I put the car back into gear knowing that I have her attention and the wheels are turning on both the car and in her head.
“That’s not true. He wants you to be happy.”
Sonnet huffs. “When he’s happy, then I’m happy.”
I take that as a sign. “Then let’s go shopping.”
* * *
We’rehours into shopping and I’m carrying the bags and boxes like a champ. I only offered to pay once and she shot me down— hard. I’m fine with that. It gives me hope that I can trust her. Although, I’m not sure she really knows who I am.
And I’m not sure I want to tell her. It changes things. Some women turn into a different person. Some women start asking questions that I’m not prepared to answer, like do I demand a prenup agreement and what do you think about division of assets in divorce. Uncomfortable, but not as uncomfortable as the condom-incident with Nyck.
At this moment, I’m positive that Sonnet could take every penny I have, and I’d still be interested in learning more about her. She’s just that engaging and real. And she’s funny.
She was talking about Harmony and what she should get her— a gag? A permanent vacation in Bermuda? An astronaut’s helmet to wear around the house so she’s muffled?
I don’t think Harmony’s that bad. And like Sonnet, she’s amusing, and I honestly think she would cut off my dick if I hurt Sonnet, so I’m going to do everything to avoid that.
But she’s putting so much effort into finding just the right gift for everyone that I can see how much she cares.
She’s finally found new pajamas for everyone to wear Christmas Eve. A tradition that she credits her late husband with and for a moment that brings a melancholy look to her eyes, but she moves on.
She rounds the corner and finds a mug that says “Eat, Read, Repeat.” “This is her! She loves books. I admire her zeal for learning. She knows six languages thus far.”
“Wow, I know two and that was hard fought, I can’t imagine six that’s a huge feat.”
She smiles and I can see the pride she has in her sister. “Do you have any siblings?”
“Nope. Just me. Is Harmony your only?”
