Page 67 of Claiming What's Mine

“You have me blindfolded, you drove me to some secret location, and you still haven't told me what we're doing. So yeah, my patience might be a little thin right now.”

Pulling my door open, he took my hand, braiding our fingers together. “I'm sorry, I never meant to cause you so much stress. I forgot how much you hate surprises, which is not the reason why I decided to take you out on a date this way. . .” His words were thick with sarcasm, and I could hear him laughing under his breath.

“If you were anyone else, I wouldn't have even agreed to this, consider yourself lucky.” Swinging my legs out of the car, I felt the ground with my feet to see if I could get a better idea of where we were.

My heels sunk in deep to the soft and grainy floor beneath me. I felt each spike as it pierced the layers of grass and dirt one at a time, knowing we were at least in a field.

This has to be his house.

It smelled like his property. There was a distinct scent of a ripe cornfield. Lush, rich, with the sweetness of honey and floral notes. And when you took a big breath, there was no denying the taste of corn in the back of your throat.

Pulling me to my feet, Jayden pressed his lips against the shell of my ear. The touch of his lips sent a shiver down my spine as his hand moved across the small of my back. His mouth kept moving, tracing my ear and slipping down my neck.

Running his fingertips back up, I felt him untie the knot in the blindfold. His mouth was on my throat, spilling hot air against my skin. “It's a really good thing I'm not someone else then.”

Dropping the blindfold to the ground, I felt the cloth as it floated past my bare legs, landing over the top of my right foot.

I can't see a thing.

“Open your eyes,” he said.

I was standing with my eyes shut, and didn't even realize it. Jayden was making me nervous, so nervous that it was hard to think. His chest was pressed against my side, his strong arm was wrapped around my waist, his kissable mouth was perched level with mine.

Blinking a few times, I expected any light to be over powering. Shielding my eyes, I looked at the ground, trying to catch my bearings.

It was a strange feelings. I knew every road we had traveled, I knew it from memory as Jayden took each turn. But standing there felt confusing, like I was lost in another world.

Standing slightly behind me, Jayden reached his arm across my chest and pinched my chin. “Look.” Whispering the word into my ear, he lifted my face.

Letting out a gasp of air, I stood in awe.

There was a table set up in a small opening, with a single lit candle in the center. A string of lights were hung across the tall cornstalks beside the table, creating tall shadows all around us.

“Oh wow, Jayden.”

“You like it?” he asked, setting his chin in the crook of my neck.

“This is incredible.” Cupping my mouth with my hands, I was blown away.

“Have you figured out where we are yet?”

“Yes,” I said, knowing the second the blindfold came off. “Where at my old house in the backyard.”

Kissing my cheek, he rubbed my lower back gently. “This is where we met.”

Giggling, images of that day played in my mind. “Yeah, you came rolling out of the corn like a tumbleweed.”

Walking me forward, he kept his arm around my back. “And you tended to my wound.” Pulling out my chair, Jayden pushed me in. “You can still see where the hole was too.” Holding up his finger, he pointed at the scar from the thorn.

Looking over the table, I was surprised by how much he put into this date. There were two silver domes, one in front of each of us, our silverware perfectly arranged at the side. I had a short, fat glass filled with water and an empty wine glass behind it.

“This is beautiful, Jayden, seriously.” The lights on the cornstalks created just enough of a glow that I could see inside our small bubble. Behind Jayden was nothing but a black abyss, a void that looked endless and empty, like outer space without the stars.

“You deserve beautiful.” Reaching down by his side, he came back up with a bottle of red wine. “Cabernet?”

Nodding, I waited until he filled my glass halfway and lifted it to my lips. Taking a small sip, I just watched him. I couldn't deny that I was curious about this entire date and what he expected to get from it.

I hadn't heard from him since he left, not a damn word. He showed up for his father's funeral and the next thing I know where getting it on in the bathroom.

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