Chapter 10 #2
I smirked. “Correct. How did you guess?”
“From the way you carry yourself, I know you’re not lonely. Seeing the way you worked the room when we first met, I know you have social skills. I don’t know if you’re highly sensitive to criticism because I haven’t had any complaints.” He glanced over at me. “So, there’s no criticism here.”
I bit my lip to keep from grinning. “Good to know.”
“So spoiled had to be the last one.”
I propped my elbow on the middle console and rested my chin on my fist. “Let’s talk about how and why you think I’m spoiled.”
“Am I wrong?”
Trying not to look as amused as I was, I narrowed my eyes. “That’s not the point. What’s your definition of spoiled?”
“There are a few different definitions, but with you… I can tell that you’re used to getting your way; you’re used to getting what you want.”
My jaw dropped and I reacted indignantly. “What? Whatchumean?”
“It’s not a bad thing. It’s clear you’ve been taken care of and there’s nothing wrong with that. You know what you want, and you go for it. There’s a confidence that comes with that, and it’s sexy as hell.” He slowed the car as we approached standstill traffic. “So, who spoiled you?”
“My parents. There’s nothing my dad wouldn’t give me. There’s nothing my mom wouldn’t do for me.” Thinking about my parents, I smiled. “They really are the best. I’m blessed.”
“You never really heard the word no, did you?”
I shook my head profusely. “I’ve heard no so many times in my life!
I wasn’t the ‘I can always get my way’ type of spoiled.
I was spoiled with love, attention, and generosity.
My parents always made sure I was good. They still do.
They poured into me so that I could grow up and pour into myself.
So, when dating, I know what I want, what I need, and I only allow men who pour into me into my life. ”
“I see the way you are with people. The way you pour, I can see why you want it reciprocated.”
A smile tugged at my lips as I reflected on his observation.
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about,” I replied. “Reciprocity. I don’t ask for anything I can’t give.”
“So, you always pour back?”
Smirking, I gave him a look. “Don’t you feel poured into?”
“Yeah, but I’m trying to figure out if everybody gets this treatment.”
They didn’t.
Russ was different than the others. While he was fun and the sex was amazing, the way he was present with me made him stand out from anyone I’d ever dated.
He stayed in the moment with me. His energy matched mine and we fed off one another.
All of the men poured, but it was the way Russ poured that made me prioritize time with him over the others.
But I wasn’t about to tell him that.
I wiggled my eyebrows. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Yes. That’s why I asked,” he deadpanned.
I cackled.
When our amusement died down, he glanced at me before he got into the other lane.
“Nah, but for real… all I’m saying is that if you’re pouring like this you need to always make sure whoever you’re pouring into is pouring back with the same energy.
” He put his hand on my thigh. “Make sure they earn this shit.”
I spread my legs wider and moved his hand into the crotch of my black yoga pants. “This most definitely needs to be earned.”
Pressing his fingers against me, he chuckled. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Anything you want.”
“Nina,” he groaned. Pulling his hand away from me, he grabbed the bulge in his gray joggers. “Don’t do this to me.”
I looked over at him and grinned. “What?”
He shook his head and didn’t answer me. Instead, he put both hands on the steering wheel. “I gotta stay focused,” he said more to himself than to me. “We have a long day and I have plans for you.”
“Plans for me? Do tell.”
“Let’s just say you’re going to sleep good tonight.”
My smile grew. “I like the sound of that.” I sat back in my seat and stared out the window. “When is your place going to be done?”
I wasn’t sure where the question came from, but it surprised me.
“If all goes well with my inspection tomorrow, I’ll be able to move in at the end of the month,” he said with a glance over at me. “I’ll be in your neck of the woods on a more permanent basis. What do you think about that?”
“I think that’ll be cool. What do you think about that?”
“I love Richland. I always knew I was going to build a house in Richland, so I love it. And I can’t lie… I love the idea of seeing more of you.”
A slow smile pulled at my lips. “Once a week isn’t enough for you anymore?” I teased. “You want more?”
He was quiet for a second. “You know exactly what I want.”
The sexiness in his tone caused me to squeeze my thighs together. “No…” Licking my lips, I stared at his profile. “Tell me.”
“I—”
His phone rang over his Bluetooth speaker. The number flashed on the display.
“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I need to take this.”
“Go ahead,” I whispered as his finger touched the screen to answer the phone.
“Hello?” he answered.
“Hi,” a perky female voice rang out. “Is this Mr. Russell Long?”
“Yes.”
“I just want to confirm your arrival today at four o’clock.”
He paused for a second. “Confirmed.”
“Okay, thank you. We look forward to seeing the two of you later today.”
He looked over at me. “We look forward to it, too. Thanks.”
I had no idea what was in store for the day, but excitement rippled through me as he disconnected the call.
We spent the next hour joking with one another until we had tears in our eyes.
I was so distracted by our conversation that I didn’t realize we’d made it to our destination until we turned into a massive parking lot.
He started looking around with a goofy grin on his face as he pulled into a parking spot.
My eyes widened as I took in the large sign on the horizon. “Are you serious?”
He nodded as he turned the car off. “Very serious.”
“I was just talking about this place with my parents a couple weeks ago. I used to come here every summer with my family—at least three times a summer.”
“I remember.”
My brows furrowed. “I told you that?”
His smile grew. “You did. And you told me you hadn’t been as an adult.”
I’d told him that weeks ago as an offhand comment. I didn’t even remember until that moment. My heart thumped against my chest, and I shook off the feeling that washed over me.
“That’s right.” I cleared my throat lightly. “That was when you told me you were scared of E.T. as a kid.”
His smile dropped as he opened the door to get out. “I was four, and that muthafucka was an alien!”
Giggling, I put my hands to my face as Russ walked around the car to open my door. Staring over at the large sign, I felt a sentimental tug on my heartstrings.
“Magic World Amusement Park,” I whispered to myself, just before he helped me out of the car.
His eyes danced as he studied my face. “I love when you get that look.”
I smiled up at him. “What look?”
He cupped my cheeks. “That one.”
“I never know what to expect from you,” I explained gleefully. “You’re always full of surprises.”
“I do it to see your eyes light up like this.” He leaned down so his mouth was hovering over mine. “And I feel the same way about you.”
I inhaled deeply.
Before I could say anything in response, he dropped a kiss against my lips and then slipped his arm around me.
“You ready for this?” he asked as we headed toward the entrance.
I didn’t even answer with words. A childlike glee rippled through me, and I let out a little squeal.
Russ laughed.
My excitement was genuine, and when he collected our wristbands from the man at the gate, I was bouncing on my heels.
“This is incredible!” I exclaimed. “Everything looks like it did fifteen years ago, but at the same time, it looks completely different.”
“I’ve actually never been here before.”
My eyes bulged. “What?”
He shook his head. “It’s my first time. My family isn’t from here. I only moved to Maryland when I got to HU.”
Grabbing his hand, I tugged him toward the gate. “Well, then, come with me. There’s a lot I want to show you.”
He smirked. “There’s a lot I want to see.”
From the moment we walked through the gates of the amusement park, I knew we were going to have a good time.
And we did.
We rode almost every rollercoaster, and he made fun of my exhilarated screams down each hill.
We competed at the ring toss, and we playfully talked shit the entire time.
When we got hungry, we tried different foods from different stands, and rated each item like we were food critics.
We watched a band’s musical performance and danced like they were playing our song.
For almost seven hours, we didn’t just enjoy each other’s company. We had fun.
We even got into a spirited argument with a man who incorrectly guessed an answer for trivia.
“I didn’t know you knew so much about the government,” I marveled, truly impressed.
“The only way to work the system is to know the system,” he replied.
“Let me find out you’re as smart as you are pretty.”
He chuckled. “I could say the same about you. You swept that planet category. Were you an astronomy major or something?”
“I minored in astronomy.”
“Really?” He gave me a look. “Let me find out you wanted to be an astronaut.”
The laugh that erupted out of me was so loud and boisterous. He had been cracking me up all day. So, it caught me by surprise that he was staring at me like it was the first time he’d ever heard me laugh.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
He shook his head. There was a little wistful smile that played on his lips. “No reason.”
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
Before I could say anything, he cleared his throat.
“What made you pursue astronomy?” he asked.
“It was by accident. I thought it was an astrology class I was signing up for as an elective. But the first class was so interesting, and since I’ve always loved the sky, I stayed.” I lifted my shoulders. “But it worked out.”