Zeke left her suitcase in the cab of the truck. He tried to circle around to open the door for her, but Jasmine was too quick to get out. He instead, took her hand and walked with her up to the front door. They went in and he dropped his keys in a decorative bowl on the table inside of the door.
Jasmine noticed the difference now from the last time she was in Zeke's home. There were a significantly less amount of nick-knacks through the part of the living room that she could see, and she wondered why he would have gone through to remove such an important part of his grandparents.
"Can I get you something to drink?" Zeke asked. He was suddenly unsure of himself. This felt so much like the last time she was over. He so desperately didn't want her to just freak out and leave again.
Jasmine noticed the question deep inside of his words. She looked up at him, and smiled. "Of course," she said. She moved to the side so he could lead her to the kitchen.
The kitchen was small. Jasmine wondered just how he was able to move around when preparing his meals. The only conclusion she could imagine was that he'd be better off eating out every night.
Zeke opened his fridge. "Well, I've got milk, orange juice," he looked over the open door at an expectant Jasmine. "And water."
"Water is fine."
Zeke pulled two water bottles out of the fridge and closed the door. He handed one to Jasmine and cracked open his own. He moved over to the bistro table and took one of the seats. Jasmine followed suit. They sat in silence. Both sipping from their bottles of water.
Jasmine finally had enough of the silence. She moved her water precariously close to the edge, out of her way, and leaned forward. Her face was only inches away from Zeke's. "So, what do you think? About all this."
Zeke's face lit up. He didn't seem so awkward any more. "I- I don't know. I mean I'm really excited, of course. But- I feel like it really hasn't sunken in yet."
Jasmine knew exactly what he meant. Even when she was doubled over with bouts of morning sickness, she was still trying to cope with the thought of holding another tiny life within her.
Zeke reached across the table and took her hand in his. He leaned in as well and now his lips were hovering just a breath away from hers. "I missed you," he admitted.
Jasmine wished he would just close that distance. "I missed you, too."
Zeke pulled away and stood up. He turned his wrist up to look at the time on his watch. "You know, I haven't eaten lunch yet, and I can order some amazing- anything that delivers."
Jasmine laughed at the pride in his voice. "I would like some Chinese food. I haven't had Chinese in over four months."
"Your wish is my command, m'lady."
The two of them looked over one of the take out menus and made their selections before he called in their order. Jasmine took the opportunity to poke around in the living room. She picked up a tiny porcelain couple dancing in their wedding garb. Her eyes suddenly went misty imagining it sitting atop an elegant cake.
Having placed their order, Zeke found Jasmine in the living room. She was standing in front of the China cabinet. The doors were wide open, and he saw her pick up the wedding cake topper that adorned his parents' cake, and his grandparent's before that. He couldn't help but go to her, and wrap his arms around her middle from the back. He rested his chin on her shoulder. "It's sort of an heir loom. My mom's parents had a homemade cake, and this was the topper. My father had the replica of the cake made for their own wedding cake, and now whichever of us get married first will have the same cake."
Jasmine sighed. She loved how excited he was about something so simplistic. She placed the topper back on the shelf where she got it from and closed the doors.
Jasmine turned in his arms and slipped her hands around his neck. He knew that she was going to say something, but he stilled her words. He lowered his mouth to hers and tasted her sigh. He was so sad when he couldn't get a hold of her. He wanted so badly to go through the records to find her phone number, but knew that his dad would flip a switch if he found Zeke using company resources for his own personal gain.
He kissed her until she felt dizzy with need. She pressed herself against him, and was more than pleased to feel his body react to the kiss as well. She pulled away from the kiss to take a full breath. "Zeke," she whispered.
"Yes, love," he responded. He didn't want their kiss to end yet.
"I need you."
Her voice was breathy, small, unsure. He tipped her chin up so he could look into her eyes. "I know, Jazzy. I need you, too. But we just ordered food, and I don't think I'll be able to stop loving you to answer the door." He kissed the tip of her nose and rested his forehead on hers. "I promise I will give you all the attention that you deserve once we eat."
"Okay."
* * * * *
They did eat, but after a few bites, they gave up, and rushed up to the bedroom. Zeke made love to her until she finally passed out. He went back down to the living room and packed away their leftovers. He took the day off so he could pick Jasmine up at the airport. He expected to spend the rest of the day with her, and was upset that the day was ending so quickly.
Having cleaned up, he went back upstairs to the sleeping woman in his bed. She was sprawled out, her face turned toward the door, her arms tossed out away from her, one leg was straight down, and the other bent at the hip and knee. The blanket was covering her hips, but the rest of her naked body was exposed. He drank in the sight of her, her hair a tangled mess, a clump covering her cheek and part of her mouth. His heart swelled when his eyes made it to the swell of her belly. It wasn't all that noticeable, but he knew.
Zeke sat gingerly on the edge of the bed, so as not to jostle her, and touched his fingertips to that swell. He never thought that he'd be a father. He never really thought too hard on whether he wanted to be one or not. He wasn't even all that sure that he would ever get married. He felt content with being single for the rest of his life, should that be his fate. That was until he went to Jasmine's house.
He wasn't one to believe in 'love at first sight', but he did feel something shift when he saw her for the first time. Not the earth, not fate, but a draw like a magnet. Zeke knew that she would be someone important, he just didn't know how important she would be until she was gone so suddenly.
Jasmine felt something brush against her belly, but dismissed it. It wasn't until she felt the warmth of his palm cover her belly button that she stirred from the nap. Her eyes swept open to see Zeke staring down where his hand covered her. She smiled at the sight. "What are you thinking of?" she asked.
Zeke turned his eyes up at an awake Jasmine. "You. Us. This."
"And?"
"And, I think that I want to find you in bed like this every day for the rest of my life."
Jasmine frowned. She knew that he liked her. He'd made comments before about being in love, but she wasn't sure if that was because of their situation or not. Sure she was attracted to him. Of course she enjoyed being in his company. She even felt more comfortable with him than she did with anyone else. But forever? Was that really in the cards for them? She'd already tried forever with one other, and that was cut short. Would she be able to give herself to another so completely?
"Jazzy?" Zeke didn't like the look that came over her. He thought she would be happier to hear his admission. Not- worried?
Jasmine sat up, and pulled the blanket around her up under her arm pits. She brought up her knees and crossed her arms over them, resting her chin at the juncture of her arms. "I'm sorry, I just- I know that this baby binds us, but I want you to know that just because we made certain choices four months ago-"
Zeke hopped off the bed. He couldn't believe his ears. "Certain choices?" he said. His voice was louder than what he meant. "Jasmine, are you trying to tell me that I shouldn't want to be with you?"
"No!"
"-Are you trying to tell me that you don't want to be with me?"
"Zeke, please-"
"Even after laying with me again, after letting me-"
"Zeke!" Jasmine was finally able to get through to him. She was sitting straight up in bed again. The blanket still secure under her arms. "I'm not trying to say anything of the sort. What I am saying is, I don't want you to feel like you have to do the chivalrous thing. I don't want to force you into a relationship that you may not have chosen in the first place."
Zeke crossed the room. He knelt on the bed in front of Jasmine. He'd donned a pair of jog shorts when he left her sleeping in bed. It was out of habit for him to put it in his pocket. He'd been carrying it around with him since the time she broke down in the store. He'd already realized that he belonged to her, and waited for the right moment. When they'd spent an entire afternoon in the warmth of her body, he expected to surprise her when she woke up the next morning. He wasn't expecting her to freak out and rush home before they were able to sleep through the next morning in each other's arms.
He reached into his pocket. There were so many ways that he wanted to do this. So many ways, and none of them involved a shouting match beforehand. He pulled out his grandmother's ring. The tiny golden band was full of nicks and dings. The diamond setting was tiny compared to the giant rock that previously sat on her finger. He knew that it wasn't what she deserved. He knew that should she ask for it, he would be more than willing to sell his soul for anything she wanted.
Jasmine just waited. She didn't know what it was that she expected. She had given him the out that any normal man may have wanted. Now he sat in front of her, his hand clenched in a ball. She looked down at his hand as his fingers slowly unfurled.
She gasped. There in the palm of his hand was a golden wedding ring. Her mind wanted to rebel against what she was seeing. She turned her eyes up to Zeke.
Zeke held his breath as he waited for her reaction. He felt his heart pounding so hard in his chest, he was sure she could hear it knocking against his ribs. The two of them locked in a silent showdown. Him with his heart in the palm of his hand. Her-
A tear slipped out of the corner of her eye. "Really?" she asked.
It wasn't the reaction he expected. But then again, none of this went the way he'd imagined. "Is it too small?"
Jasmine shook her head. "No, it isn't that." She clenched her hands in her lap, the blanket slipping down to reveal the swell of her breast. "I just don't know if that's the right option."
Zeke never thought she wouldn't want to accept his hand. She gave herself to him so completely. She seemed to like him just fine. She-she-"You don't want to marry me?"
"No!- I mean- Why?" Jasmine stuttered. "Why would you want to marry me? I mean, we don't even really know each other. I just-" She sighed deeply, shook her head, and lifted her hands and dropped them in exasperation. "It just seems so rushed."
Zeke closed his fingers around the ring. He felt his heart clench. He'd had break-ups before. He'd felt the sorrow of parting ways from people that he'd become attached to. He'd never truly been heart broken. But with the woman that carried his child, the woman that he'd accidentally fallen in love with, the woman that he needed to be with the most sitting naked in his bed gently letting him down, he felt his heart break. His eyes dropped to his clenched fist. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do. He felt a sudden hollow begin in the center of his chest to swallow him whole.
Jasmine took his fist in her hands, even with her fingers spread out, she couldn't completely cover it. "Zeke," she said, her voice was whisper soft, thick with emotions. "You are a good man. I appreciate the gesture, I just can't give you an answer until you tell me why you want to marry me."
He was confused. "Why?" he asked. He saw her hands wrapped around his. His eyes were stuck to them. Her left hand was on top, and he could barely make out the faded line where her ring used to be. "Why?" he repeated. He thought it would be so obvious. He looked up into her eyes swimming with unshed tears. "Because I'm in love with you," he answered. "Because since the first time I saw you, all I can do is think of you. Because every time I'm away from you, I can't wait to be near you again. Because when you disappeared, I moved in a fog. I've been trying to propose to you since the first time we kissed. When I left you in that parking lot, I went straight home and asked my mother for the ring. Even if you weren't carrying my child, I would still want to marry you. Even if-"
Tears were free falling now as Jasmine threw herself in his arms. She wrapped herself around Zeke, pressing her lips to his. Her heart was in her throat. She never thought she would ever feel so much for someone again. She answered Zeke's question the best she could. She kissed him with all her heart. She pushed him back into the bed, her hands roaming over his naked chest. She gyrated her hips into his, feeling his own body react to her movements. Her fingers slipped down to stop at his waistband.
He accepted her response to him. He let his hands hold her hips as she rocked into him. Zeke rolled her onto her back, he knelt above her just long enough to undo the tie in his shorts and slip them down his thighs. He used his fingers to test her readiness. His fingers easily slipped into her, coming away with her eagerness. He brought his fingers to his mouth.
Jasmine watched him, her chest heaving, as he took those drenched fingers into his mouth. The sight of him cleaning her from his fingers sucked her breath from her. The sound of a pop as they came away clean made her all the more excited. She reached up and brought his mouth to hers. She kissed him as if her life depended on it. Her tongue swept into his mouth coaxing his breaths into her own lungs.
He let her make love to his mouth. He rubbed his erection against her saturated opening, teasing her. When she thrust at him, he finally surged forth burying himself deep within her sheath.