Page 29 of The Heart of a Capricorn
We held each other’s gaze as I opened my mouth and stuck my tongue out as I wrapped my mouth around the small piece. Chauncey’s eyes lowered as he watched me intently while I slowly chewed, savoring the flavor. The sauce gave the duck a little sweet and tangy taste.
“That’s really good.” I put my hand over my mouth so he wouldn’t see the food inside.
“It is. Try this one, though.” He repeated the same thing with the other sauce.
The second sauce was just as good as the first one, and I told Chauncey that. He smiled as he dipped another piece in the last sauce.
“Hmm.” I moaned and closed my eyes as the flavors danced on my tongue.
“This is a plum sauce and my favorite out of the three.”
The sauce was sweet and fruity, and it made the duck taste ten times better.
“I think that is my favorite as well,” I informed him.
He dipped another piece and fed it to me before he picked up his fork to eat his food.
For a minute, we ate in silence, both admiring the view, but we would steal glances at each other every few seconds.
Chauncey poured us each a glass of Pinot Noir he’d gotten from a brewery in North Valley. The wine paired well with the meal.
As I looked over the horizon, I thought about how I could get used to things like this. I knew it wouldn’t happen all the time, but I wanted to be able to escape from the world at times. Up here on this mountain, nothing else mattered but the moment.
I was the first one to break the silence. “Do you think you’ll ever settle down and start a family?”
“I will. I’ve been on my job long enough, so I wouldn’t mind taking some time off. I could always work at headquarters, so I would be able to attend doctors’ appointments, late-night cravings, and everything in between. Whatever my partner and my kids need, I want to provide that. I would do everything in my power to never miss an important moment. What about you?”
“Yeah. I want to have kids one day, but time is ticking. I only have a few more years left before the chances of a successful pregnancy lowers. I wouldn’t mind at least one child.”
Chauncey stretched his arm across the table and grabbed my hand. For a moment, he stared into my eyes as he rubbed his finger on the inside of my palm.
“I think you will make an excellent mom. Knowing you, you’ll probably work until you go into labor.”
I snatched my hand away from his and giggled. “Shut up. You might be right, though.”
Chauncey’s deep rumble of laughter made me smile.
“Nah, on some real shit. You remind me of my mother. Work hard but also took care of her family. You know y’all are the same sign,” he informed.
“No, I didn’t know.” I picked up my wineglass and took a swig. “My kind of lady.” I winked.
Chauncey reached for my hand again, and we fell into an easy conversation about a multitude of things. We discussed more about having children. We talked about our dream house, whether we were living together or not. The importance of making time for your partner when children were involved.
It was a lot, and I really enjoyed it. We didn’t stay too much longer after dinner because the sun had officially gone down, and we weren’t trying to be out there in complete darkness.
I had such a good time, and Chauncey ‘Tank’ Baldwin had really steamrolled his way into my heart.
From the momentI arrived at Lyric’s room door, I’d been dreaming about getting her back to it. I thought she would have worn one of the dresses from the boutique, but the dress she had on, I had never seen before.
She looked fucking gorgeous in it, and I didn’t hesitate to tell her when she opened the door. The dress was tied around her neck but had sleeves that started right below her shoulder. Thestomach area had some parts cut out, so a bit of her stomach was on full display. It was colorful, long, and flowy, and had a dangerous opening in the front. My mouth watered every time I got a peek at her exposed thigh.
I hated to make her take her shoes off, but I didn’t want her to fall going up the mountain in heels. The driver I hired for the night had an all-terrain truck, so he drove us up the mountain as far as he could, then we had to walk the rest of the way.
I had to think outside of the box with this date, and I was glad I was able to pull it off. The look on Lyric’s face made everything worth it. I needed every date with her to be perfect.
All day, I felt like I could hardly breathe when she didn’t respond to my messages, or I couldn’t see her face or hear her voice. My body came alive the minute she was in my presence, and I breathed in her intoxicating scent.
We were in the back of the truck with soft music playing. The driver didn’t pay us any attention, at least I hoped he didn’t.
