Page 66 of A Lesson In Beginning

“I don’t care about the mess, Adah. I care about experiencing life to the fullest. And watching you enjoy really good ice cream for the first time just moved up to the top of my bucket list.” He tugged me towards the parking lot, guiding me back to his car, which, in all honesty, I had already lost. Black cars as far as the eye could see, and I could not remember which had been his.

“Here we are.” He unlocked the door and helped me to get situated in my seat, holding my ice cream. A moment later, he joined me on his side, helping me to push the seat back and get comfortable. He turned the car on only long enough to roll the windows down, the cool breeze perfect in the mid October evening.

“I can’t believe how warm it still is this time of year. I had expected snow by now.”

“It won’t get that cold until next month, honestly.” He set his ice cream down on the dash, turning fully to look at me.

“What?” I asked, feeling nervous at his blatant scrutiny.

“I have to watch this, and I don’t want to be distracted by my own ice cream. Take a bite. Let me enjoy you eating this amazing food.” His grin spread wide across his face as I regarded him with a much more dubious expression.

I scooped out a spoonful of the creamy, light purple dessert and brought it to my lips. I swore he was bouncing the car with excited anticipation. Wrapping my lips around the spoon, I barely had time to process as flavors exploded over my tongue. Bright lemon, warm vanilla bean, and herbal lavender combined to make me moan with utter gluttonous satisfaction.

“That is possibly the best thing I’ve ever tasted.” I sighed happily, immediately digging in for a second bite while he watched on delightedly.

“I felt the same thing last night.” What was a charming excitement only a moment ago turned into sultry, sinful teasing.

“You can’t say things like that!”

“Oh, no? Why not?”

“Because it flusters me.”

“What if I enjoy having you flustered?”

“Well, I don’t know… stop it.” I giggled, even as his heated gaze continued.

“I can only imagine how much better it tastes straight from the source.”

“My word, Joel! You’re scandalous.”

“Only when it comes to you, love.” He grabbed his ice cream, finally giving me a reprieve from his sexually deviant flirtation.

“I’m starting to think you might be a bigger brat than Trixie.”

“Ouch! Them’s fighting words, little lady.”

I scrunched up my face at the term.

“Not a fan of little lady?” I shook my head, not willing to put my spoon down long enough to give an actual verbal answer. This ice cream was easily the most decadent thing I’d ever eaten. “How about darling?”

“Better, but not quite.”

“That’s okay. I’m partial to calling you love.” His smirk sent butterflies through me.

“I am, too.”

“I can see your blush this time.” His teasing, seductive voice had my thighs clenching with desire.

“I don’t think I care.”

“Good. And that settles it. Love will be the name I call you. At least for now?”

“What does that mean, for now?” I wanted to be certain I fully understood him.

“It means that I’m not ready to give you an honorific, nor to be called one. We both agreed to give it a few scenes and see how we felt. Then, the name will change. For both of us.”

“Do you have one in mind already?” My voice was timid, the thought having crossed my mind more than once. I was dying to know if he had something in mind, but equally worried that he hadn’t thought of it at all, that maybe we weren’t on the same page in that respect.

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