Chapter 21 Solana
There was something scary yet empowering about holding something that could serve to protect or take a life. I never wanted to be placed in a position where I’d have to do either. But I also knew that wasn’t always how life worked, and the cards I’d been given were leading me right to that.
Duke had stood beside me, correcting me every now and again as I shot at the target, but always encouraging.
It felt like we had been there a while, but it hadn’t been that long.
I also didn’t want our time together to go to waste.
So after we finished, he made sure the gun was on safety with no bullets in the chamber, then put it away.
We decided to head back into town and sit at the park in the center for our picnic. I didn’t want to get back to the bakery too late. Duke helped me lay out my pretty pink checkered blanket against the trunk of the tree we decided to sit beneath.
A few kids were running and playing in the distance. I couldn’t help but smile. I returned my focus to pulling the contents from the basket and placing everything in front of Duke and me.
It wasn’t anything special, just a few sandwiches and chips.
But I made sure to add a few new recipes I was considering for my menu.
I wanted him to be my deciding factor on whether they made the cut or not.
He smiled and rubbed his hands together at the sight of the cakes I’d brought, then reached out to touch one so I popped his hand.
“Uh-uh. You have to wait until after you eat.”
Duke’s brow rose and a smirk adorned his handsome face.
“Sweets, you know I’m a grown ass man, right?” he asked.
I ran my eyes over him with a smile, then met his gaze again.
“Yeah, you might have shown me a few things that alluded to that. But that still doesn’t mean you’re eating sweets before eating something of substance. I’m sure you didn’t even have breakfast this morning.”
Duke chuckled and looked off before returning his attention to me.
“Why are you sitting out here putting my business in the streets, Sweets? I had enough to eat this morning. You were there.”
He added that last part with a sheepish grin. I swatted his shoulder, causing him to laugh.
“There you go putting my business out there. All of Rose Haven is going to know you can’t keep your head from between my legs with how loud you’re being,” I whispered, looking around.
Duke cracked up, then ran his tongue across his lower lip with a shrug. He reached forward and plucked a grape from the containers in front of us.
“Shouldn’t taste so good and we wouldn’t have that problem. I have no shame, love.”
I rolled my eyes and tried to hold back my smile. I truly enjoyed every moment I spent with him.
“Tell me something about your parents. I feel like you never talk about them. I think I’ve heard you mention your grandparents more than anybody else.”
Duke’s expression sobered quickly at the mention of his parents. I hadn’t meant to kill our vibe. I was just curious and didn’t always know how to keep things to myself.
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I shouldn’t have asked.”
Duke grabbed a napkin to clean his fingertips. “Nah, you straight, Sweets.”
I continued eating my roast beef sandwich, waiting on him to say more.
“You don’t hear me talk much about them because they haven’t done anything worth talking about.
My grandparents raised me. Heiress had me when she was a freshman in high school.
According to my grandparents, they didn’t want that one situation to define her future, so they raised me as their own.
She was more like a sibling than a parent.
Colby was on the same young acting stuff, and his parents did the same when it came to me.
But they chose to act like I didn’t exist.”
I wiped my hands on a napkin and reached out to touch his hand.
“I hate that you had to experience that, but at least you had someone who came for you and cared for you,” I told him.
Duke glanced up from our hands, his eyes widening, then ran his free hand over his face.
“Damn. I didn’t mean to sit here and complain about this when you had it way worse than me.”
I shook my head with a soft smile. “I didn’t say that to make you feel sorry for me.
We’re all entitled to our own experiences and feelings.
I only said it because I want you to try and shift your perspective.
I know it’s easy to focus on the negatives and the things we would have preferred.
But God did give you your grandparents. Your mother didn’t abort you.
You were wanted, love. The timing was just off, and it seems like maybe a lot of guilt is swirling around in your world. ”
Duke leaned forward, almost like something I said had flipped a switch.
“I never looked at it like that, but I see where you’re coming from. I think I’m more upset with the fact that I’m grown now and she’s still doing the same things. My grandparents are still coddling her and it’s not helping.”
I nodded. “That can be frustrating. But you can only worry about what you can control. You can’t control your grandparents’ actions.
At the end of the day, she comes from them, and I can only assume it’s hard to let your child fall on their face.
I don’t have kids, so I don’t know for certain, but I imagine that’s how I would feel. ”
Duke reached out and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into his lap, then placed a kiss against my neck.
“You want kids?” he asked.
I sat quietly and leaned back into his chest. I had never really given it much thought. My whole life had been about survival. It wasn’t until this point in my life that I had allowed my dreams to become a reality.
“I wouldn’t be opposed to it. I’m just not sure what kind of mother I would be. I haven’t had many examples since the day my mother passed. The time I did have with her was good though. I think she is the sole reason I am as strong as I am. She was resilient.”
Duke’s arms tightened around me. “So are you, love. You would be an amazing mother. Shit, you might be one soon if you keep begging me to fill you up every night.”
I swatted his shoulder as he attacked my neck, cheek, and chin with kisses.
“Duke.” I giggled.
An older couple walked by holding hands and smiled in our direction. I couldn’t help but imagine Duke and me in that same position later in life. For the first time, I saw a future for myself that I would choose a thousand times over.
“Yes, Sweets. I’m busy,” he answered.
“Sir, we still have sweets to try!”
Duke glanced up from kissing my neck and looked around me at the basket.
“I don’t know, Sweets. I haven’t tasted a damn thing better than you.”
I patted his hands and he released me so I could grab the three different treats from the blanket. I returned to his lap, this time facing him. He gripped my ass the moment I sat down. I picked up the cupcake first. I had made it with a double chocolate fudge base and bourbon vanilla frosting.
I peeled the pink wrapper and handed it to him. Duke took a bite, then leaned back slightly against the tree. I could tell the moment the flavors hit him.
The deep chocolate came first, dark and rich, the kind that melted slow and heavy on the tongue. Then the bourbon vanilla frosting followed, smooth and warm with just enough sweetness to soften the edge of the fudge.
His brow lifted just a little.
Which, coming from Duke, was basically a standing ovation.
“Sweets, go ahead and put it on the menu. And since you got me being a taste tester, I need my name in lights right next to this one.”
My head went back with a laugh. He was so silly sometimes. He kept one arm wrapped around my waist while he polished off the rest of the cupcake.
“I think I can make that happen.”
Duke nodded, then rubbed his hands together as I grabbed the next two things for him to try.
The first one was still his favorite. He had a bit of frosting smeared in the corner of his mouth, and before I could stop myself, I wiped it away with my thumb, then brought it to my mouth and licked it clean.
His arousal was clear as he closed the distance between us, wrapping his free hand behind my neck and pulling me into his chest. I slipped my tongue into his mouth, tasting the fudge left behind.
I moaned against his lips. He pulled back, gripped my ass, and bit his lower lip.
“Sweets, you better cut it out. I still have to get you back to the shop in one piece.”
I giggled and laid my head on his shoulder.
“Who said that?” I responded.
Duke kissed my forehead and patted my ass for me to get up.
“Time to clean up. We got thirty minutes, love. Let me see what I can do about that.”
I giggled as we raced to pack up the food and get back to the car. We made it back to my shop in record time. This kind of break was quickly becoming my favorite type of lunch.
I walked slowly behind Duke, not wanting him to go, but I knew not a damn thing would get done if he stayed.
Not to mention, I needed to reopen the bakery.
We had used every bit of those twenty minutes after our picnic.
This man was going to have me humming and floating around like Doris Day in Calamity Jane after she got her makeover.
Duke stopped when we reached the back door, since his bike was parked out back. He wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me into his chest, then leaned down to whisper in my ear.
“You want to grab ribs later for dinner? And this time you can have your own,” he said.
I giggled as he squeezed my ass.
“I would like that, but your ribs just might taste better than mine, so I’m still going to need to try yours.”
He nipped my earlobe, causing me to yelp and then giggle.
“Duke.” I whined.
“Mm-hmm. I’ll be back later. If you have any problems, call me.”
He pulled back to make sure I understood how serious he was.
“Nothing is going to happen. I’ll be fine just like any other day.”