Jessica's Fate

Chapter 54

We took a break a couple songs in and sat back down on the blanket, more than ready to try the tres leches cupcakes I'd made. "Here." I offered him choice of the first one out of the container.

"Thanks." He said, deliberating for a moment before choosing one that had a good deal of whipped cream frosting on it. "They look amazing."

"Thanks." I said. "I do gather from my research that cupcake form is a bit tricky and not at all traditional." I said, picking mine out and putting the container down.

"True, cupcakes are rare for this cake. That's usually having more to do with how you soak the traditional cake and let it soak it all in." He said, peeling back the cupcake paper and taking a bite.

"I think I worked it out okay." I shrugged, a smile on my face as I watched him chew the bite he'd taken. "I also hope I didn't take too many liberties with it with regards to the coconut."

He shook his head as he swallowed. "No, never too many liberties when it comes to coconut." He smiled. "They're amazing. Thank you." He said before noticing I hadn't taken a bite yet. "Come on, you have to try it."

I laughed softly. "Oh, I guess that's right, I was supposed to eat this."

Tony raised an eyebrow at me and waited until I bit into mine.

"Oh, wow." I murmured, swallowing my first bite. "I have to say this is rather amazing." I smiled and took a bite at the same time he took another one. We finished our cupcakes and reached for a second one. We ate those slower, enjoying the music the band played while we traded bites of cupcakes or teased each other with a mini cupcake battle that ended up with a rather intimate moment of needing to kiss... lick... frosting off of each other's face or fingers.

He sighed against my lips, one hand sliding into my hair as he kissed me, tongue probing my mouth to deepen the kiss. I sighed in return against his lips before he pulled away and took a deep breath while the band took a short break. "Nice." His voice was low, taking on a husky timbre as he spoke. "Are you having a good time?"

I smiled and leaned in to brush a soft kiss across his lips. "Yes, Tony. I'm having a great time. I hope we do this more."

He laughed softly. "Kissing or coming to the music in the park festivities?"

I raised an eyebrow at him and shook my head. "Both." I smirked at the slight look of surprise that crossed his face. "I'm having a good time." I reminded him. "I love music and I really like kissing you. My weekends tend to get a little crazy at times so something like this on a Sunday afternoon would be just about the right way to relax."

The slight surprise and tension I'd seen on his face eased and he smiled at me. "I'll keep that in mind for when you try to tell me you're too tired on a Sunday afternoon." He teased.

"See that you do." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Oh!" He perked up as the band came back and started up a new song. "We definitely need to dance to this one, it's one of my favorite songs." He scrambled up to his feet and reached down, offering me his hand as he helped me up to my feet and we moved off of the edge the blanket.

I recognized the song as 'She Will Be Loved' and wondered about how this song was one of his favorite songs. "I like this one too." I commented.

He smiled at me, singing along with the words as he pulled me into his arms and arranged me in front of him, my rear fitting in right up against his hips as he settled me into the position he wanted, dancing with me slowly... more intimately than I'd ever danced with Zack as he found the beat he wanted from the drums and moved his hands down to rest on my hips as he moved my body in reaction to his until I figured it out and my hips shifted from side to side, just as he'd moved them with his hands.

It was far more like dancing at a club, or so I gathered, than any dancing I'd ever done before.

But it was nice.

It felt a whole lot closer, like I'd said, intimate.

And it felt nice, and more than okay as our bodies curved and swayed with the rhythm of the song.

He left one hand on my hip and the other one moved up my side, crossing his arm across my body as we danced. He rested his hand on his arm and lowered his head to my neck, kissing the curve where my neck met my shoulder. I sighed softly and my head tilted the opposite direction, allowing him the access to my neck he was seeking.

That probably wouldn't be such a great idea in the morning.

I sensed he meant to mark me and it would end up being clearly obvious to any of my brothers I managed to see tomorrow that I'd been dating again. I side stepped slightly, distracting him.

"What's wrong, Love?"

"Nothing's wrong, so to speak. I just... I'm not prepared to explain that I'm dating to any of my brothers." I said, glancing over my shoulder at him.

His eyes softened for a moment. "I understand that." He said. "North obviously knows. How many others don't?"

I shrugged. "Not sure but it's not something I would look forward to if we ended up having to explain. And by we, I do mean me because it's in your best interest if they never find out."

He laughed softly, moving to where he was dancing in front of me and we could dance closer and have a more private conversation while we danced.

I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck. Our dancing slowed more to a classic just sway in time to the music as the band changed directions and went with a slower ballad. He tilted his head down towards mine, I almost giggled, we were for all intents and purposes dancing cheek to cheek.

I didn't know that ever happened outside of those classic movies that Owen liked to watch.

I tilted my head up slightly, studying him before shifting to brush a kiss to his cheek.

He stilled for a moment, his eyes opening and his gaze slid to meet mine and he stared at me for a long moment before I kissed his lips. His lips had stayed closed for a moment before he relaxed and gave up control of the kiss to me. I kissed him deeply, welcoming the moment that he began to kiss me back, French kissing me right there in the middle of an outdoor concert. "Jess..." He breathed as our mouths separated mere millimeters apart and I drew in a welcomed breath of air.

"Tony." I murmured back, my eyes shifting to meet his.

He stilled again and took a small step back. His eyes darted about for a moment before he drew me down to our blanket and pulled me close. "I just needed to sit down for a bit or this could get awkward." He finally explained.

"Thanks." I smiled, relaxing into his arms. We sat like that and listened to the next few songs. I shifted slightly and looked up into his eyes. "Did you want to stay or ...?" He'd been so silent through the last song that if I hadn't known that I was firmly ensconced in his arms then I would have thought that I was sitting there alone, enjoying the concert.

"Maybe after the next song." He admitted. "I have a pretty long day tomorrow with client yards." He said.

"Okay, I have a long day too." I said with a slight shrug of my shoulders. "it's fine with me." I said at the question in his eyes.

Tony smiled and leaned in to kiss me gently. "All right then."

I kissed him back briefly and settled back in the circle of his arms to enjoy the last song of our evening.

It didn't take us long to pack up our stuff and leave the park to head to his truck. He had shouldered the backpack and picked up the picnic basket with one hand. But, before I had any time to consider that he was ignoring me, his free hand had darted out and latched on to mine, lacing his fingers easily through mine. "Don't want to lose you." He said.

"I refuse to be lost." I teased, giving his hand a squeeze as we darted between blankets in an effort to not disturb anyone's concert viewing as well as a strong desire to not all on top of anyone in the almost dark created by the dim light of later hours of twilight.