The Ideal Deal

13

A soft moan escaped my mouth as the melted cheese and soft macaroni kissed my tastebuds. Much like the chicken and mash potatoes, the macaroni pie was delicious! Dominic's food was packed with flavor and absolutely amazing. I had never expected him to be such a good cook.

"This is mind blowing," I smiled as I ate another forkful of macaroni. "I don't recall your parents food being this good."

"It wasn't," he shook his head. "I took a culinary class in high school and college. I incorporated what I learned there and from my parents and played around with things. I also took some notes from your parents, believe it or not." My eyebrows raised in response, and I nodded my head. I then ate piece of chicken and was once again impressed by the food he cooked.

I smiled, "You should cook more often."

Dominic furrowed his eyes brows, causing a slight crease to form on his forehead. His nose was slightly scrounged as his lips pursed. "Do I look like a personal chef to you?" he asked, but I knew from the playful glare in his eyes that he was only playing around and hadn't actually taken offense to what I had said.

"You can be," I smiled. I then batted my eyelashes and smiled innocently, hoping that he'd give in, but I knew that my charm was of no use when it came to him.

Dominic teased, "You think sending me an innocent yet pretty look is going to change my mind, Sumter?"

"Yeah, Demonic," I nodded while batting my eyes once more. I then slightly opened my eyes to give of an even more innocent look. It always worked on Autumn and my parents.

Dominic stared at me, unamused. He then parted his lips to speak, but I gave him the best puppy eyes I could conjure up. "Why'd you have to be so damn cute?" he asked while shaking his head and looking away, and I had to force myself to not blush. Surely, he hadn't meant it in that way.

"Will you?" I pried through a sweet yet soft voice.

He sighed, "I'll think about it."

"Thanks," I smiled, and he playfully rolled his eyes with a small smile tugging on his lips. "You know, you pretend as if you don't enjoy making your wife happy."

Dominic met my eyes with a playful glare in them as he replied, "My wife ought to make me happy then, no?" My lips parted, and a slight gasp escaped my lips, as I assumed that he was talking about sex. "Question: if you were no longer a virgin, would you give yourself to me?"

I was a little taken aback by his question. Truly, I didn't know if I would. "I'm not sure," I answered with a gentle shrug.

"Why?" he asked, curiosity evident in his eyes.

I answered, "I would because you're physically very attractive, and your personality makes you even more of a challenge to get. I know that you don't just date any and everybody, and I like that about you. I wouldn't, however, because I wouldn't know how that would affect our contorted, yet functional friendship."

"Funny, I didn't know we had a friendship," he teased, and I playfully rolled my eyes with a small smile playing on my lips.

"Do you actually want to engage in that with me, and if you do, why?" I frowned. "You don't even like me- or is it because you won't be able to get your desires filled elsewhere because of our deal? And what do people get from sex anyways? Is it even that good? And if it is, wouldn't it be better if you're doing it with someone meaningful?"

"You'll learn in due time, Sumter," he simply stated before going back to eating. "All of your questions will be answered in due time."

I frowned, "Why not now?"

"Because you're not ready to know as yet," he answered.

"How?" I continued to frown.

He answered, "You just won't know until you've experienced certain things."

"Then explain to me," I persisted.

Dominic sighed and drank some water before sighing again. "You know like when you kiss someone with tongue you get aroused?"

I shook my head before admitting, "I've never tongue kissed anyone. My first kiss was with you the day we got our marriage license." I then blushed as I waited for him to laugh at me or mock me, but all he did was stare at me with his mouth hanging open.

"Seriously?" he managed to ask, as he still looked shocked, and I nodded in response. "Why would you let me kiss you then?"

I shrugged, "The papa-"

"Yeah, but we didn't have to, and you know that," Dominic pointed out, and he seemed a bit upset.

"Why are you upset? It was just a kiss," I frowned.

Dominic pointed out, "You went so many years without kissing or giving yourself to the guys you've been with for a reason, right?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I wanted to reserve that with someone special, but either way, I had to have my first kiss eventually, right?"

"I mean, yeah, but not with me!" he replied, his eyebrows a bit furrowed. "That's like you giving your virginity to me! I know I joke about it often, but I wouldn't dare to actually ask you for it."

"And what if I were to want to give myself to you?" I questioned, trying to understand why he was so angry that he was my first kiss.

He answered, "I'd turn you down, but I'd accept after you'd lose it to someone you actually care about and would be done with that person."

"Why?" I frowned. "I care about you."

"Because I don't deserve that from you," he answered. "I care about you as well, but we both know that when I was talking about someone you cared about I meant someone you're in love with or whatever."

Prying, I asked, "Why don't you deserve that though?"

"Because I just don't, okay?!" he sighed with frustration evident in his voice and on his face, and because I knew that, like me, he had a very bad temper, I decided not to push any further, and we chose to eat in silence.