Suggest? What if I suggested the sexy creature have me for lunch? I could’ve lain across the counter and let him feast upon me until he was full. My thoughts ran rampant with lust, until I remembered my mantra. Yeah, I was saved and single. Ever since I divorced Montie Brown, I walked the straight and narrow line of avoiding relationships that would lead nowhere but to the bedroom. So far, I did an impeccable job of avoiding fake love.
I took a deep breath of his fresh air, because yes, all of the air surrounding me belonged to the man standing before me. I silently meditated for strength to breathe on my own.
"So what do you recommend?" he asked again, to which a throaty voice I didn’t recognize belted from my lips.
"Oh, I guess, the three-layer chocolate mousse cake is a winner," I replied with a firm clearing of my throat to rid myself of the imposter in my vocals.
“I’ll definitely try the chocolate,” he said with a wink.
An awkward moment passed between us, and I felt the need to fill the dead space. "Are you originally from Atlanta?" I asked.
"Nah, my family has roots here, but I was born and raised in Miami."
"Oh, well enjoy your first visit at Tazi's. You're going to love it." I took one last look at the sexy man and steppe
d around him.
“I didn’t get your name,” he yelled out as I reached for my car door handle.
“Destiny.”
“I’m Jacob.”
“Nice to meet you, Jacob.”
"So, have you tried the three-layer chocolate mousse cake before?" he asked, as he strolled over to me.
I pulled my treat out of the small box inside my briefcase and said, "Yes, this is a smaller ‘to go’ version of the cake. I order mine this way, because I can't afford the calories of an entire slice."
His eyes lit up, and I became self-conscious under his glare. I was about to open the door and jump in my car, when he said, "Every calorie looks good on you.”
“Thanks.”
“Would it be too much for me to ask you to share a chocolate mousse cake with me?”
I looked around at all of the skyscrapers downtown. Somewhere in the distance, my empty home office was waiting for me to get back to a pile of work.
“I wish I could, but I really have to get back to work.”
“You look like you could use a break, and I could use the company."
I studied his chiseled, tan face and considered his offer. Something hid behind every word he spoke; something intriguing enough to make me drop my keys back inside my purse and say what the heck. It was a public place. It was just dessert. Just conversation.
"Sure. I’ll have dessert with you."
I entered Tazi's with Jacob and soon found out the reason he had me at hello. Our personalities meshed like yin to yin and yang to yang; we had so much in common. We just clicked as we laughed, talked, and ate dessert before ever sharing a meal together.
Before the end of the night, I was entangled in his covers listening to Chris Brown and Jordin Sparks sing their duet, "No Air," on Pandora. I shook my head at the thought of being unable to breathe without a man. It was laughable. Something as essential as air was nonnegotiable for me, until Jacob Turner took my breath away.
After our night together, I had soul searching to do. I had vowed to spend time enjoying the single life with the return of my maiden name, Destiny Baker. I planned to take some much needed time off from the thing so many people called love.
And I was good without love. I had a fulfilling job, beautiful home, dependable car and two charming kids. I was newly divorced, and my ex-husband was an awesome co-parent. With all things considered, I had it all.
But as each day and night passed by, since the day I met Jacob, it was so hard for me to breathe when I wasn’t with him.
CHAPTER THREE
JACOB