AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was everything.
That rogue with a mouth that could make some salty, old sailor blush as everything revolved around what was in his pants, was actually funny to her. He was charming in the weirdest way, almost like his joy was taken from knocking the footstool out from under you, while holding your hands so you didn’t fall. He would frustrate her, make her mad, annoy her to no end – and she couldn’t imagine walking in the moonlight with anyone else.
He turned to look at her, his eyes soft as she stood there staring at him like she was seeing him for the first time.
“You coming? This unnatural disaster was your idea. I think I’ve seen wallpaper glue that looked more appetizing than this.”
… And there it was.
The tiny uplift at the corner of her lips that gave him away. He was teasing her, taunting her, mocking her because it made him happy to be there with her. He who took pride in her, reveled in her accomplishments no matter how small, and enjoyed the easy moments simply because they were close together, was here – right now – for her.
“Then you should love it as much as I do because we both know you ate glue as a child,” she taunted softly, celebrating the feeling of confidence unfurling within her as she realized that this guy cared…for her.
That simple glimmer of a smile broadened widely as he let out a slight laugh, shaking his head in amusement, and moved to pull out her chair. He almost looked happy that she was giving the sass back to him.
Maybe this was his love language - and she was finally understanding and speaking it? Gingerly sitting down, she looked up at him and met his eyes as she set down the coffee cups – only to have him lean down and kiss her forehead.
“Watch out,” he whispered intimately. “Those pretty lips are getting closer by the second.”
“So they are,” she replied, not looking away from his beautiful eyes. “Too bad I’m about to taint them with dessert.”
Without a word, he plucked the spoon off the napkin and immediately scooped up a bite of the cheesecake, holding it out to her. When she didn’t move, he simply raised an eyebrow as if to taunt her.
“Scared?” he asked in a hushed whisper.
“Ladies first,” she countered playfully, giving him the same look.
“Oh, I can prove I’m no lady, lumberjack…”
“Is that why you keep calling me that nickname?”
“The only tree around here absolutely quivers the moment you walk into a room or look at me… I can promise you that.”
Her face flushed in mortification at the awareness in his eyes at his crass words. The confounded man was not talking about her snoring, trees, or anything else anymore, and they both knew it.
“I thought you were teasing me about my snoring when you called me lumberjack.”
“That’s what we’ll tell everyone else… and our children someday.”
The words uttered silently in the stillness might have well been shouted into a megaphone. It was like someone shooting a flare right across the deck of a ship, drawing attention in a way neither imagined. The words were out there, the meaning behind it, the unspoken invitation, along with a promise she never imagined.
And he was waiting – expecting rejection and bracing himself.
Instead, she leaned forward and held his gaze as she took the bite he offered her and chewed pensively before speaking.
“I suppose you are right,” she agreed, the words hanging in the air between them. She saw him swallow as he stared at her in awareness. “Someday,” she added on.
“I can handle ‘someday’.”
“Me too.”
“How is the cheesecake?”
“It’s honestly divine,” she whispered. “Want a taste?”
Jake slowly lifted out of his seat and leaned across the table toward her, his eyes holding hers as she felt her pulse flutter wildly. She felt his hand touch her skin as his fingers circled around the back of her neck, bringing her to him as he leaned in. Her heart was slamming in her chest, and she felt his breath against her skin, her lips, as he paused.
“Cheesecake, huh…” he breathed.
