AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Try it.”
She pushed the fork gently against my lips. The warm bite left sticky residue in its wake. She poked it against me again. She wasn’t going to let this go.
I opened my mouth and accepted the food.
It was decadent—buttery and sweet, and an absolute delight on my tongue.
“You love it,” she said.
“It tastes good.”
“I knew it.”
“Overindulgence is a dangerous game,” I said.
“Maybe that’s part of what makes it so enjoyable.”
Was it the danger of being thrown into complete and utter chaos that made Layana so alluring? In part perhaps. But it was more than that. I cherished the bits in between even more, where she let her guard down and didn’t constantly prod at every guideline and guardrail. Last night, when we could just be ourselves, when we made love on the sofa and again in the bed, I could swear I had never been happier.
“How many dates have you brought to this spot?” she asked, casually returning her attention to her food. “It’s fabulous.”
It was a not-so-subtle way of asking about my romantic history. Then again, nothing about Layana was subtle.
“Zero,” I answered.
“You don’t take all the women for fancy brunches?”
“I don’t date.”
She furrowed her brows at me. “Why not?”
“I invest my time in working toward my goals. That doesn’t leave space for additional commitments.”
“Except you’re here with me right now, after the gala that was supposed to be our last commitment. I’m not taking pictures. It’s for no one’s sake but yours and mine.”
Her expression turned combative, like she was waiting for me to argue.
“You’re different,” I said.
“How so?”
I considered my words carefully. How should I tell her that every frustrating and wonderful moment together had felt like a gift? Finally, I said, “It’s my chosen indulgence.”
“I’myour french toast?”
I shrugged like it was nothing, like the feeling in my chest wasn’t so strong I thought I might explode.
“Hmm,” she said. “Interesting.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing.”
“Layana—”
She shoved a piece of toast into her mouth, moaned in pleasure, and then grinned at me.
That was it, right there, the heart of what it was that was different about her. She made me feel like no one else had. She made me feel alive. It was terrifying, exciting, and wonderful. And I was scared that now that we’d past our allotted time, at any moment, all of it could end.
