OBSESSED

22

LEAH

I couldn't believe I'd basically confessed to Jarrod that I had starved myself for this date.

I'd meant it more jokingly than he'd taken it, but it was true. I hadn't eaten anything all day because I was 1) nervous about tonight and 2) I didn't want to look all bloated after dinner.

Starving myself was not typically a habit of mine. I had zero self-control with food. I'd probably be thinner if I did, but here we were.

We chatted about how our day had been while I indulged myself in the creamy butter. Once I'd gleaned the last bit of peanut butter from the spoon, I leaned over to see what Jarrod was doing now.

He was subtly shifting his hips to the Beatles' song playing through his speaker. I reached over and pinched his butt.

"Oh!" he gasped, spinning to face me.

I chuckled. "Can I help with anything?"

"You certainly can. There's a bottle of Riesling in the fridge that you could open."

I busied myself with pulling out the bottle and hunting around in his kitchen for a bottle opener. Once I succeeded in getting it open, I found Jarrod openly watching me from his spot at the stove.

A grin slipped across his face.

"What?" I asked, voice high. I worried I'd grabbed the wrong bottle or something.

"Nothing. You're just adorable, that's all."

I stuck my tongue out at him. His smile grew.

Crossing to my side, he wrapped his arms around me and held me close. Heat poured into my face.

He pulled my chin up again so I had to meet his gaze. "I find you very beautiful, Leah."

I smiled at him as he bent down to kiss my lips. The gesture was gentle and soft, romantic.

"Thank you for opening the wine," he said as he returned to the stove.

I watched him put the baking sheet of garlic toast in the oven, wondering what I ever did to attract this perfect man's attention. Then I poured us both glasses of the Riesling.

I tried it and was, once again, surprised by how much I liked it. Usually, I couldn't stand the taste of wine unless it was sickeningly sweet and gave me terrible heartburn.

Putting the bottle back in the fridge, I carried the glasses to the living room and stood at one of the bay windows with mine.

The entire exterior wall was basically glass, complementing the modern industrial furniture, concert floors and minimalist light fixture. The space felt cold but so open and new.

The view of the city was exquisite. In the distance, high rises from metro Atlanta shimmered in the fading dusk light.

"What do you think?" asked a husky voice from behind me.

I faced him with a smile and handed over his glass. "It's gorgeous. I like your view and your design."

"I had some help—my mom is a fan of interior decorating."