Page 28 of Jaeda
“Titan? I know him and Mia pillow talk when they’re on good terms.”
“Maceo.”
She gasped. “I’m gonna kill him.”
I chuckled. “In his defense, it was an accident. We were having a conversation, and he mistook something I said as me being a virgin too. I let him know that while I’m not, I’m also not out here freely indulging in every woman that bats her lashes at me either. I’m a man that loves and values commitment.”
She smiled softly. “That’s good to know.”
I reached out and grabbed her hand. “You don’t know it yet, but you, Jaeda Dillinger, . . . you are going to be my wife.”
She blushed. “You’re sure about that?”
“I’d bet my life on it.”
She grinned, and her smile was infectious. First date or not, this woman was perfect for me. My father always told me when a man knew, heknew. Maybe I made my mind up about her the first time I saw this pretty face, but now that I had her, I wasn’t letting up.
Dinner was great.
The more we talked, the more at ease I could see Jaeda becoming. There were moments I found myself just staring at her as she ate or swayed along to the soft music playing in the restaurant. I loved her smile. I loved the little shimmy she did when the food was good. I loved that she was just so damnbeautiful. Like, she didn’t need to do much. Baby could walk around bare faced in a bonnet and mumu, and she would still be flawless.
I glanced over at her as we drove through the city to the second part of the date. She held a smile on her face, completely engrossed in the scenery. We were heading to get dessert. The place I picked was right across the street from the park. I’d checked the weather this morning, and as stated, the skies were clear tonight. It was perfect for a stroll or a carriage ride.
I pulled into the street, parking in front of the ice cream parlor. Getting out, I rounded the passenger side to retrieve Jaeda. Hand in hand, we walked into the building. It was pretty busy. There was a plethora of couples and families waiting to be served. We were almost shoulder to shoulder in the small space.
Jaeda took a step back to let someone by, causing her to stumble a bit. Instinctively, my arm went around her waist, pulling her into me.
“You good?” I asked.
She peered up at me, smiling shyly. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
I went to remove my arm, but much to my surprise, she pulled the other one around her and rested her back against me. She relaxed her head against my chest.
“I’m good like this,” she said softly.
I smiled to myself as I kissed her temple. Holding her like this felt natural. She was a perfect fit in my arms. We stood comfortably as the line moved along. When it was finally our turn, we both ordered double scoops of cookies and cream and chocolate. After paying, we grabbed our ice cream and headed out of the shop.
“It’s kinda corny,” she said, giggling. “I’ve always loved the cutesy shit in movies where couples order different flavors and feed each other samples.”
“So you like the sappy shit, huh?”
She shrugged. “I’m a hopeless romantic that’s watched one too many Hallmark movies.”
I chuckled. “Ain’t nothing wrong with that.” I stopped walking and turned to her. “We might have the same flavor,” I said, scooping a helping of chocolate ice cream onto my spoon. “But I don’t mind feeding you.” I held the spoon to her lips. “Open.”
She hesitated for a moment before following instructions. I watched as she wrapped those pretty lips around my spoon and sucked the ice cream from it.
“Good?” I asked.
She nodded. “Somehow yours tastes better.”
She giggled as she started walking toward the car.
“How about a walk?” I suggested. She turned back to me, and I nodded toward the park.
“It’s giving serial killer vibes,” she said, following my gaze. “You know, great date. Late-night romantic stroll in the park, then bam! I come up missing.”
I laughed. “What? You’ve been watching those Lifetime movies my mama likes?”
