Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Hannah
“Good girls get ice cream after church,” Armando says as he leads me down the street hand in hand.
We just said our goodbyes to Marco. It took Armando practically threatening the man to leave us alone for a few hours. Armando promised that we’d head back to my apartment and stay put, so I’m confused as to why we aren’t heading home.
“Growing up, my mother used to always reward me with ice cream if I was good during church service,” he adds. He looks down at me and winks. “You were good.”
My body lights up, feeling warm and fuzzy. We’re holding hands like a couple, walking under the sunlight to go get ice cream. It’s like we’re on an official date. We’re spending a leisurely Sunday together. Everything feels so normal and so right.
The ice cream shop is only a block away, and the minute I see it, I’m in love with the charm.
The little shop is painted a pastel pink and white, with a giant ice cream cone sign hanging over the entrance.
The air inside is cool and sweet, and I can hear the gentle chime of the bell above the door as we walk in.
The quaint space has a vintage feel to it, and the aroma of freshly made waffle cones hits us the moment we enter.
The place is bustling with people, but we manage to find a free table in the corner.
The sound of a guitar being played fills the air, and I notice a young man sitting in the corner, strumming away on his instrument.
“What’s your favorite flavor?” he asks.
“Whatever you have,” I answer. When it comes to ice cream, there is no such thing as a bad flavor.
Armando goes to order, leaving me to enjoy the music. As he waits in line, he turns around and waves at me, a grin spreading across his face. My heart flutters as I wave back, feeling a warm sensation in my chest. When he returns to the table, he has two cones in his hand.
“Two scoops. One is caramel chocolate, and the other is cookie dough.” I see pride on his face that he’s picked the best two flavors there are.
“Perfect.”
We sit there, enjoying our ice cream and listening to the music. It’s simple. Relaxed.
“You grow up in Chicago?” Armando asks, studying me over the top of his ice cream cone.
“Yep. Born and raised.”
“Do your parents live here?”
I nod. “Yes. My mom’s a nurse, and my dad works in construction.”
It’s crazy to have this casual conversation with Armando. Nothing about Armando and me up to this point has been simply casual. It’s like we’re the only two people in the world right now, and nothing else matters.
“You?”
He nods. “Born and bred. It was just my ma and me, but we’re Italian, so I have a huge extended family.
Twenty-some cousins. I’m closest with Marco and his brother Leo.
They’re like brothers to me, really. Oh, how we used to hell around.
” A warmth comes into his normally dead gaze.
The light in his eyes makes me feel more alive than I’ve felt in a long time.
He’s actually sharing. He’s opening up when I wasn’t sure that was a possibility with this man.
“Thanks for this,” I say when we finish our treat. “I haven’t had a real day off in a long time,” I admit. “And even when I tried, my mind was always so full of worry. So this is a rare day for me.”
“We’re going to have to fix that.”
“ We ?”
He smirks. “You’re stuck with me, Flowers.” His face grows serious, his eyes darken. “You work too hard. You take on too much on those perfect shoulders of yours. It’s time you have someone help with the heavy lifting.”
I’ve always been an independent woman. Someone who wants to stand on my own two feet, but damn if it doesn’t feel good to have a man sitting across from me… protecting and looking out for my well-being.
I finish my cone and wipe my mouth with a napkin. “Thank you,” I say, not wanting the moment to end.
“Of course,” he replies, taking my hand in his again. “We should do this more often.”
I nod, feeling a smile spread across my face. “I’d like that.”
As we leave the shop, I realize that this is the happiest I’ve been in a long time.
I don’t know what the future holds, but I know that I want him by my side.
I want to hold his hand and walk under the sunlight every day.
I want to listen to him talk and figure out how to make him laugh, but I also don’t mind his darkness and the shadows that haunt his eyes.
I want to taste more ice cream with him and explore more charming little shops, but I also want to be there for him when the scars of his past come back or his demons conquer the day. I want to fall in love with him, and I want him to fall in love with me.
We stroll down the street, enjoying the warm breeze and each other’s company. It doesn’t seem like we have a destination in mind, but that doesn’t matter. We’re content just being together.
Suddenly, he stops in front of a small boutique. It’s filled with vintage clothes and accessories. He turns to me, his eyes shining with excitement. “Let’s go in.”
I follow him inside, feeling like a kid in a candy store. The boutique is even more charming than the ice cream shop. The walls are covered in bright wallpaper, and the clothes on the racks are like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s like stepping back in time, but also so trendy.
He starts picking out clothes for me to try on, and I can’t help but laugh.
He has a great sense of style, and everything he chooses would look amazing on me.
As we browse through the racks, I feel a sense of closeness with him that I’ve never felt before.
It’s like we’re in our own little world, and nothing can bring us down.
After trying on a few outfits due to his urging, I settle on a vintage floral dress.
He pays for it without hesitation, insisting that I look beautiful in it.
I’m noticing that he likes to take care of me, and I need to allow him to do it.
I need to resist the urge to fight him on money and to constantly worry over every little cent.
As we leave the shop, he says, “I suppose we should head home. If Marco or one of his men get there to stand guard before we arrive, my cousin is going to kill me.”
“We wouldn’t want that,” I say with a smile.
“You haven’t seen Marco mad,” he says with the hint of a smile.
Happiness on Armando is a good look. He’s so fucking hot right now.
I lean forward, so close I can feel his warm breath on his face and smell the sugary sweetness from the ice cream.
“Kiss me,” I say. “Kiss me like a boyfriend kisses a girlfriend.”
He looks at me with a mix of surprise and hesitation, as if trying to read my mind.
I sense his heart racing, and I know that I am pushing him way beyond his comfort zone.
I said boyfriend and girlfriend . But I don’t care.
I want him to kiss me, to claim me as his own, to make me forget about everything else in the world.
He leans in slowly, his lips hovering just inches from mine. His hand drops to my waist, pulling me closer to him. I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart. And then, finally, his lips meet mine in a tender, almost hesitant kiss.
At first, it’s gentle and tentative, as if he’s afraid of hurting me.
But then, as I respond eagerly, he deepens the kiss, his tongue probing my lips.
I moan softly, my hands clutching his shoulders, urging him on.
He presses me against the wall of the boutique, his body hard against mine, and I feel a surge of desire like nothing I have ever felt before.
I wrap my arms around his neck, my fingers tangling in the short hair at the nape of his neck. I feel the strength in his arms as he holds me close. With a groan, he breaks the kiss, pulling back to look at me. “What are we doing?” His voice is husky.
“We’re kissing,” I say, a smile playing at the corners of my lips.
“Like boyfriend and girlfriend?”
“Exactly,” I say simply, before pulling him in for another kiss. This time, he responds with even more passion, his hands roaming over my body as he kisses me deeply.
As our mouths move in perfect harmony, I realize that this is what I’ve been missing. Passion, desire, and the thrill of the unknown. I don’t know where this will lead, but for now, all that matters is the heat between us, the hunger in our kiss and the promise of more to come.