“I’m Rose, it’s nice to meet you.”
I extend my hand to her father next as he introduces himself. “You can call me Winter, and this is our other daughter Cookie.”
“I’ve heard much about you,” I say to her and bow my head.
“I’m sure it was all lies.” She elbows Pumpkin in the side, and Pumpkin hisses something back at her.
“We should go.” Pumpkin takes me by the arm, but I’m rooted to the spot.
“Do you not want me to give your family details on where we’re going?”
She bites her bottom lip as she looks at her waiting family and then back at me. “I’ll text them on the way. We don’t want to be late.”
This time when she pulls my arm, I go with her because I can see that this meeting has made her uncomfortable. Is she ashamed of me?
“It was nice to meet you,” I say to her family as I open the car door and help Pumpkin inside.
They all stand there and watch until I get into the car with her and close the door. I see Cookie waving at Pumpkin, and then Pumpkin ducks her head as the car pulls away from the curb.
“Do you not wish to be seen with me?” I ask, being direct.
“What?” She sits up and looks behind us and then looks back at me. “No, not at all.”
“Then why do you hide like you are embarrassed?” I can feel myself scowling as I wait for her excuse.
“You showed up early, and I hadn’t exactly prepared my family for you, and…” She waves her hand at me like it’s obvious. “Then some Russian god in a suit shows up, and to be honest, I wasn’t exactly ready to see you again. I thought maybe I’d dreamed you up in my mind, and I never got another text, so I just stood there waiting and then you showed up like a movie and—”
I lean forward and kiss her, cutting off her rambling doubts and insecurities. The feel of her soft lips against mine is smooth and supple like fresh cream. She’s still at first, but as I move my hands to her face and cup her cheeks, she tilts her head and kisses me back. Her mouth opens, and I am unable to control myself as I slide my tongue in to taste her. I moan as her warmth welcomes me and she tastes of cinnamon and something buttery.
“Have you already had dessert, or are you always this sweet?” I nibble on her bottom lip before I lick her there and then kiss her again.
She doesn’t have a chance to respond as I take my time learning her lips and how she likes to be kissed. She leads me with eager nibbles of her own and presses her body to mine.
When I feel her hand on my thigh moving higher, I place one hand on the base of her neck and then rest my forehead against hers. I take a breath before moving my lips to her ear. “We must slow down.”
“Um, yeah,” she answers breathlessly.
I take the hand that’s on my thigh and hold it in my own so that I’m not tempted to move it higher and over my cock. I want her to feel how badly I desire her, but if I’m to control myself I will need to stop.
“You look beautiful,” I tell her as I wipe away the lipstick that I smudged.
“Thank you.” She tucks her chin and then looks up at me through her lashes. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
“I dressed for you.” She reaches up and touches my tie, which is pumpkin colored.
“How was your day?” I can see that she’s trying for a normal conversation, but in her presence again I can’t control myself.
“It was agony without you.”
She looks at me in disbelief. “How can you possibly say that after only a few hours?”
“Would you tell a child that dreams of becoming an artist that it is impossible?” I counter.
“Well, no.”
“Then why tell me that my dream of loving you is so far beyond? Are we not children when we lead with our hearts?”
“I…um…I don’t know.” She looks away and then back at me. “I don’t have an answer for that.”
I see that perhaps I’ve given her too much too soon and start over. “How was your time with your family? Were you happy to see them?”
She relaxes a little as she smiles. “Yes, and my cousins came for dinner. It was so good to be around everyone. It felt as if no time had passed.”
I take her hand in mine and twine our fingers together. “I don’t know what I would do if I was separated from Frost. My twin is important to who I am.”
“I feel the same about my sister.”
“Are you hungry for dessert?” I try asking another normal question so she relaxes.