The silence of the engine finally registers with me and I turn toward Ruben, who is grinning at me. “Stay,” he says before jumping out of the SUV.
Opening my door, he holds his hand out. Placing mine in his, he pulls me out of the car and without letting go, he kisses me on the knuckles.
“Let me grab the picnic hamper and blanket.” He walks to the back of the SUV and pulls out a large hamper. The thought of what food he has in there makes my stomach grumble. I was so nervous this morning thinking about seeing Ruben today that I couldn’t eat breakfast. All I did manage was my morning coffee—this I needed to wake up otherwise I’d be ‘a bitch’ all day. Anne’s words not mine. My words would be ‘sweet as an angel.’
Coming out of my dreams about bitches and angels, I watch as Ruben struggles to hold on to everything. I step forward and grab the blanket. “Here, let me help.”
“Thanks.” He releases the blanket and locks up his SUV before taking my hand again and leading me through some trees that have grown in the shape of a shelter, like a tunnel, which we walk straight through. At the other side, my breath catches. It’s like something you’d expect to see in a movie, but not with your own eyes. The view is breathtaking.
There is a small stream practically in front of our feet that from this position looks to wind down the mountain to the right like a snake. And the view is just as Ruben described it—you can see for miles. This is the kind of place I could quite easily sit forever and never move.
Ruben squeezes my hand and with a slight tug gets me moving again to a shaded spot. He places the picnic hamper down to the side and releasing my hand, he holds his hand out. “Give me one end of the blanket, babe. Let’s get this picnic started.”
I do as he asks, wanting to listen to his voice all day. It’s dark and husky—when he’s aroused it goes deeper like melted chocolate.
“Sit.”
Sitting down, I watch Ruben fish around in the hamper, smiling—he’s happy—happy to be here with me.
I nibble on my lip, and ask, “You planning on sharing?”
He stops and looks sheepish. “Sorry. Do you know Lorraine at the Deli?” he asks while starting to unload the hamper with tubs upon tubs of food.
Just how many is he planning on feeding?
“I know Lorraine, she makes the most amazing cinnamon buns.” I kneel forward and remove some lids as my stomach grumbles, but my eyes have trouble deciding what to look at—the food on the picnic blanket or Ruben as his thigh muscles flex with his movement. And then he looks at me and grins…
God, my heart thumps in my chest with the uncensored look he gives me. Without thought, I lean over the food, grab a handful of his tee shirt and pulling him toward me, I kiss him—not a passion filled, open mouth kiss, but a tender kiss.
My heart is so filled with love for this man. Will my feelings ever be returned?
Sighing, I pull away from a shocked Ruben and pretend to ignore him while I continue removing lids. But I can’t hold back a squeal—making Ruben jump—when I spot the cinnamon buns.
“I take it you want dessert first?”
“Mmm,” I mumble, licking my lips as I retrieve a cinnamon bun, and taking my first bite, I close my eyes and sigh in pleasure as I savor the spicy sweetness.
“Fuck,” Ruben cusses under his breath.
My eyes pop open and meet his lust filled gaze. When I start to lick the sugar from my lips, he inhales and closes his eyes. “Rosie, you are really trying my patience.” His eyes pop open, and my heart starts a frantic beat. “I want you, but doing things like that,” he waves his arms around, “sends all my good intentions out the window. We need to talk and I want to spend today with you to get to know you better…so please, please behave.”
Nodding, I take another bite of the sticky bun, and then grin at Ruben who shoves a chicken leg into his mouth, which he ravishes. The grease from the food is coating his lips as I stare with longing, surely noticeable on my face. But before he can comment, I turn my gaze to the valley below and try to ignore him while finishing my bun.
He’s hard to ignore and his scent travels, making me tingle from top to toe. I wish I knew what he wants with me then this whole thing of us going out on a picnic or ‘date’ wouldn’t have me feeling out of my depth. I’d know where I stand.
This past week when Hunter has been in the club I’d wished I reacted like this with him, although he’s probably just the same as Ruben with his love ‘em and leave ‘em philosophy.
I’m also having trouble getting past the words Ruben spoke to me after he’d rocked my world. They hurt—a lot.