Page 66 of Lost In London

“Are these…” she gasped. Head popping up with misty eyes she poked out her bottom lip. “Are these gimmel rings?”

“They are. Read what’s scripted on the inside of the bands.” I caressed her leg to calm her shudders.

Her slim fingers held the gold rings up close to her face. Wetness coated her lashes with each blink as she read what I had carved on the bands. “Quincey.” Hand over her mouth she began to cry. Right when I lifted to hug her she hopped off my lap and ran over to her purse on the counter. She came running back with her phone in her hand.

While she searched for whatever she needed, I held her close to me and calmed her sobs with kisses along her cheek. “These are the scriptures I affirm to myself every day.” She sniffled. “Luke 10:19, Psalms 27:1, Romans 8:18. But this one is new to me. Solomon 8:7 and 7:10. What do they say?”

She didn’t need to look up the scripture. I knew it by heart. “Many waters cannot quench love, Neither can the floods drown it. And I am my beloved's, And his desire is toward me.” Nipping her trembling bottom lip, I sat up and spoke my love.

“Nothing can quench my thirst and love for you. Not even the greatest flood can drown it out. I give all of my substances, all that I am for your garden of love to flourish. I am yours and you are mine. London, I love you as I love my soul.” I kissed each tear away.

“The way you adore and care for me.” She hiccuped placing the rings on her left ring finger.

“There are three rings for a reason. My promise, my vow, and my covenant to love you unconditionally. To honor you and never forsake you. To choose my love for you every day.”

Her head dropped to my chest. I knew all of this was new for London. Knowing I was the first and last man to love her out loud and in truth, I took much pride in the gift God had given me.

Her cries weren’t that of sadness but thankfulness. I caressed each sob out of her until those red eyes were smiling up at me. “You make falling in love so easy. You’re my answered prayer. I prayed my last love prayer months before I met you. Prayed that if God had indeed created a man just for me that falling in love wouldn’t hurt. That I’d feel safe and happy. You make me feel like I’m dancing on clouds. Thank you for waiting for me.”

My favorite Virgo’s birthday was coming up soon and I wanted to get him a custom jewelry piece. Not just a gift for Cassian but a gift for his girls and Cashton too. Probably even Quincey. I was in such a different headspace and wanted to spread my joy to anyone I encountered.

Were things moving fast?

I don’t think so.

I think Quincey and I were moving just at the right pace for what suited us. Now I will say falling in love with him came out of the blue and knocked me on my ass. It’s like the minute I decided to stop fighting fate. Stopped listening to my fears and doubts and started to believe that God truly loved me, so much changed in my life and that included the transplant God did on my heart.

At first, I thought it was wrong and kinda cliché to fall in love with God and grow in my faith because of a man. However, Aziza corrected me quick and made it clear that when the right man comes along and has the anointing to not only love me unconditionally but also lead me spiritually to a higher being than I was before, then there was nothing to be ashamed of.

“Welcome to Egyptian Gold. How can I help you?” A young ebony girl with braces and a platinum blonde fade greeted me.

“Hey, is Dove here?” I double-checked the business page for hours of operation to make sure I hadn’t missed her. I got the surprise of a lifetime when I bumped into her at my first launch.

Standing to reveal her paint-stained overalls and crop top, she pointed to the back of the boutique. “She is. Give me one second to grab her from the back.”

Dove Sommers was the owner of Egyptian Gold and my current social media crush. One, it was a Black female-owned business. Two, Dove handmade each piece of jewelry that she sold. All of her pieces were custom and one of a kind. Real gold and real diamonds. Three, she was young and gorgeous.

She was known and easy to spot around South Florida by her hair. A large fluffy bushy cloud of honey brown coils had me tempted to try the natural hair movement. Her twist-outs always looked so moisturized and soft. Not only was her hair her signature staple but Dove was such a beautiful Queen.

Expressive brown eyes that smiled before her lips did. Perfect sienna skin that glowed without a touch of sun. There wasn’t a picture I’d seen without her wearing her signature muve matte lip on her envious full lips.

Listen, I fangirled over Ms. Dove something serious. It wasn’t in the same context that I crushed over Olena. Not at all. Compared to all of these false stipulations society has put on standards of beauty, myself getting caught up in it, Dove was truly the exception and lived boldly in her own look. Her entire vibe was refreshing and inspiring.

“Can you make sure that they put an extra dressing on the side, please? Last time they forgot it altogether.” A melodic rich warm voice came from around the corner followed by those notorious bouncy honey curls. Even with her walking backward, eyes focused on the massive body following her, I knew it was Dove.

I blinked slowly taking in the tall beast of a man towering over her. Oddly he seemed familiar but I knew I never met him a day in my life. Quincey wasn’t a small dude by far. He was thicker than Cassian and taller than Amell. But this man here, he’d crush poor Dove. His arms stretched the cotton fabric of his tan shirt with the words Humble Religion stitched across his chest. The veins in his arms, my Lord. I loved a man with nice arms and this man had some beautiful muscular arms.

No tattoos. Hmm, just like Quincey. The same rich skin that looked like whipped chocolate ready to be poured into a baking pan to bake the most delicious chocolate cake ever made. Camouflage pants that did nothing to hide his thick legs. Gosh, I hated to make it seem like he was thick like a woman because he damn sure wasn’t. He was just that… a very, very thick hulk size man. An oversized teddy bear with a thick neck to match.

A neck that had those same sexy veins. Goodness… the strength in his neck. Dove was the perfect size for it… I’m just saying. A few gray strands decorated his well-groomed mustache and low-cut beard. But his lips, I hope this man was her man.

“What the…” I gasped finding his eyes piercing through me.

Eyes that looked like they snatched souls and slaughtered monsters. I wanted to blink and look away but I couldn’t. This man had me stuck. Rooted in place. His thick brows creased, head tilted. My heart started pounding and the middle of my chest felt warm. My goodness, what if he was a soul-snatching demon or something? He literally had me paralyzed to move or speak.

Something was happening. I can’t explain it but that warm feeling in my chest got super intense that my eyes watered. Was he looking into my soul? What was he seeing?

Sweet Jesus.

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