The Age of Love (Book #1)

6. Passion Fruit Flavor

15.11.2019 - Rewritten

Nothing will ever beat a man in a suit.

It was odd, seeing Theodore on a Sunday with casual clothes and not his usual Suit & Tie uniform, choosing desserts after a brunch.

"I gotta say, I'm a sucker for passion fruit."

Madison laughed, seeing King Theodore, as she named him, speak like that was funny. He was always so cautious with his words and actions, that she could hardly imagine him saying things like that.

"If it's the last piece of food on earth, sure I'll eat it."

"It's such a light fruit, unlike the cheesy curly fries you young people eat these days." He frowned jokingly.

"Keep up with modern times Han." Madison said biting off a piece of curly fries.

"Modern times come with obese kids miss Swanepoel, I'm feeling quite good about my health, thank you."

"Are you calling me fat or are you just saying you're too old to workout?" She fired back, making him put down the menu and glance at her with a cheeky smile.

"I can assure you staying active is not a problem."

Madison looked him in the eye for a long minute, before turning her attention back to her food, while Theodore ordered what turned out to be a massive glass bowl of passion fruit mousse, too heavy to swallow it, leaving her laughing at him for the rest of the afternoon.

They spent the day shopping at the local organic market and chit-chatting, Theodore was an easy going shopping companion with several opinions on vegetables but no idea how to cook them, and now, learning for the first time in 42 years how to boil Bok Choy.

Food was a topic they both enjoyed, taking the conversation along a stroll in the nearest park, the Magnolia Dell.

"It's amazing how you don't know how to make your favorite foods, how do you live?!" Madison wondered.

"Waffles require great knowledge and skills" He joked. "Why not just buy them?"

"Why not just learn and make them?"

"I don't trust myself around a stove Madison." He confessed embarrassed.

"What's the story behind this childhood trauma?"

He laughed. A funny, nothing sensual, laughter that made her laugh as well.

"In my house, we each have our own skills, my dad was a carpenter like his dad, my mom and Grayson are masters in the kitchen, my sister Sapphire and I were geeks. Always studying, never partying." He reminisced.

"Grayson is the fun twin that can cook." She noted, pretending to reconsider, shooting a joke "Pass me his number, he sounds like a catch."

"Sure, would you like that?"

That was a twist turn of events she wasn't expecting, Madison wasn't sure whether she had touched a soft spot or he was fine with the her joke. His expression didn't reveal much, Theodore always had this expression that was hard to read, he had this mystery in his eyes that drew her in, always wanting to know more.

"No Theo, I meant..." She tried to explain herself.

"It's fine." He chuckled in a good mood "Grayson is fun to be around and who doesn't like a man who can cook? I found out that's his secret to get women, after all, he might be the fun twin but I'm the pretty twin."

Hell, you can say that again.

"Watch out!"

He grabbed her abruptly, saving her from an afternoon bath in the lake, Madison had been too busy looking at him and not where she was going.

Theodore held her firmly against him, so close, he could feel her breathing nervously, staring back at him and not moving away. His arm around her back reaching her waistline and his fingers, gently but steadily, rubbed that weak spot.

"A little clumsy, aren't we miss Madison?" His tone was soft and husky.

"You're to blame." Those words slipped out of her mouth.

"Me?" A cheeky grin played on his lips combining with his perfectly arched brow. He wrapped another arm around her, pushing her closer.

"One hell of a distraction."  Madison gave in.

Dropping her shopping bag and lifting her arms to push him forward, kissing him.

Savouring the sweetness left of the passion fruit on his lips, molding together in a perfect synch – She lost herself in his arms – He opened his mouth pushing his tongue inside hers,  deepening the kiss.

He knew how to draw her in, strong yet passionate, a mixture of experience and emotion. It wasn't a kiss with alternative motives, there were boundaries in his affection.

That sense of respect lost in today's modern romance, he didn't kiss with his hands on her bottom or with his tongue shoved down her throat.

She couldn't get enough, but just as he gave himself, he pushed back.

They parted ways, looking at each other, Theodore's eyes filled with confusion, if not regret, as if he wanted to turn around and fly away.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, we're friends." He stated remorsefully "Forgive me Maddie, it was..."

"It was fantastic."

She finished his sentence, feeling her heart sink a bit after hearing his regret. "Please stop apologizing."

He only smiled back, unconvinced, grabbing her stuff and walking up to the car, driving her home in a dead silence leaving her a little uncomfortable. Madison tried breaking the ice with some trivial topics she knew it would interest him, but mission failed, he answered her briefly and kept quiet.

Theodore was fighting his inner demons, it was wrong to get involved with someone that young.

He couldn't deny the girl fascinated him, made him feel young – which he wasn't – but she had a life ahead and he would just be another statistic... Then again, part of his heart screamed for him to embark on this adventure, allow himself to feel.

Halfway through the road Theodore grabbed her hand, holding it until they got home.