He looked me up and down with a grin. “You look beautiful.”
I couldn’t help but smile at the compliment.
“So, where to?” he asked. “Pizza?”
I laughed. “Pizza for breakfast? Um, no.”
I decided to first take him to Sen’s Bakery. We walked into the small establishment, the smell of cinnamon and coffee filling the air.
We stopped at the end of the line formed, a handful of people ahead of us waiting to make their purchase. “They have wonderful cinnamon rolls here,” I said with an embarrassed smile. “I can’t always afford them, but with the Queen’s donation, we can get one each.”
“I will be treating you today.” He tapped the small pouch secured along his belt.
I frowned at him. “You know I don’t like that.”
“Yes, well, I am the one who wanted to do this today. It is only fair.”
My lips formed a tight line, but I didn’t argue. Quill looked at the other things available in the bakery box, but we ended up settling on three cinnamon rolls, Quill being kind enough to get one for my mother as well.
We walked towards Linora Park, and since it was still early, the only people outside were artists painting in the grass.
“I enjoy coming here. Most of the Outer Ring is…unkept. At least in comparison to the Inner Ring.” I beamed at him. “But not here. It’s like its own little island here.”
“It’s relaxing,” Quill grinned back as we sat in the grass, enjoying the blissful morning breeze. The sky was light blue, and the fluffy clouds mesmerized me as they slowly moved across the sky.
He brought his cinnamon roll to his lips and took a bite, and I started to feel nervous as I watched him chew. “I’ve never had food in the Inner Ring…so I’m not sure how it compares,” I said with a wince.
His eyes rolled back, and he smiled. “This is amazing,” he said, licking his lips after swallowing. That shouldn’t have turned me on as much as it did. “You know, I actually really like it down here.”
I gave him a skeptical look, which earned me a laugh. “Truly,” he continued. “I very much like the people here, the energy. People are not concerned with image or status or materialistic desires. They just live.” He leaned his head toward me, his eyes looking up to where the top of the castle was visible. “Everyone thinks they will reach happiness if they have those things. But it is a constant fight to keep it.” I watched him as he took another bite. After he swallowed, he continued, his voice lowering as he said, “Image is a constant act. Status is dependent on that act. And material relies on status.” He sighed. “It is all so dreary.” He turned to me with his lazy smile. “I suppose I sound like a privileged bastard.”
“You took the words right out of my mouth,” I teased, and he laughed, laying back in the grass after finishing the rest of the treat.
I lay next to him, and we stared at the sky. “It does make sense, though,” I responded. “I think most of humanity is unhappy in some way. Regardless of what they do or do not have.”
We lay there in peaceful silence and continued to gaze up at the sky as I ate the last of my cinnamon roll.
After a few moments, he turned his head to me, and a mischievous look crept over his face.
I turned on my side, my elbow propping me up and my hand resting on my cheek. I raised a brow, mirroring his expression. “What?”
He propped himself up, too, and his eyes went down to my lips. He leaned forward, and before I could react, he slid his tongue over my bottom lip and pulled away with a grin and half-lidded eyes. My eyes could not have been more expansive, and I knew my face had to be red.
That was thelastthing I was expecting him to do.
“You had icing on your lip,” he said in a smoky voice.
“O-oh,” I breathed. His eyes darkened as they trailed to my lips, down my body, and back to my eyes again.
Oh Gods, how am I supposed to react?
Part of me wanted to get up and run far, far away. And the other part, the more dominant part, wanted to jump on top of him and take him right here in this park.
My heart was pounding, and I was thankful that Quill sat up and stood, reaching his hand out so I could stand with him.
“Where to next?” he asked as if nothing happened.
I was tempted to stab the male for making me all high-strung like this. I lifted my shoulders and shook off the thoughts.
