Dancing with Shadows

Fourteen

      They lay in bed completely sated. Jasmine had forgotten how well Zeke worshiped her body from toe to head, and everywhere in between. She was now laying on her back. Her head nestled on a thick pillow. Zeke's head was just below her breasts. His fingertips ran laps from one end of her belly to the other in slow circles. Jasmine ran her own fingers along his scalp through his short hair.

      "Jazzy?" Zeke asked.

      She couldn't help but smile. There was something about how easily she accepted his nickname. "Hm?"

      "You know that we're going to have to tell our families about this."

      Jasmine's hand fell against the mattress and groaned. "Do we have to?"

      Zeke couldn't imagine why she wouldn't want to share their news with their families. He knew that he was practically bursting with excitement, and was ready to share everything with the whole world.

      "Well, you know we can't keep this a secret forever. I mean, my parents would probably kill me if I kept you and the baby away from them."

      Jasmine smiled, but it never reached her eyes. "If you want to tell your family, that's fine. I just-you don't know my parents." She lifted up onto her elbows and sighed. "They aren't-normal."

      Zeke chuckled. He couldn't imagine what she meant. "No one's parents are."

      Jasmine nibbled on her lip. Zeke felt himself stir again. He was sure that he would never get her out of his system. "What if we did a dinner with all of us? We can all go to a restaurant, and we'll tell them then."

      "I don't know that that's a good idea. My mother is one heck of a drama queen. Regardless of the setting."

      "Jasmine, you can't keep this kind of news from them. It isn't like you got a tattoo. Are you going to avoid them for the rest of your life?"

      She looked like a sullen teen when she pouted. She crossed her arms over her bare breasts. "Maybe," she responded.

      Zeke straddled her lap and forced her back down on the bed. The only thing that was separating them was the blanket in her lap. "Maybe?" he challenged her. He noted that her eyes went dark, hungry. Zeke lowered his upper body so they were closer. So his mouth hovered over her open mouth. He could feel each of her breaths panting against his lips. He used his foot to try and push away the blanket. He wanted to feel her skin. He wanted to feel her warmth. Jasmine wiggled under him, using her own feet to shove the blanket away. He felt her breaths become quicker as she helped him.

      The both of them stilled when they heard a tiny ting on the hardwood bedroom floor. Jasmine held her breath. Zeke pushed himself up so he could look into her eyes. "Was that-" Zeke moved away, and looked over the side of the bed. There on the floor was his grandmother's wedding ring. With shaky fingers, he plucked it off the floor.

      Jasmine watched as Zeke turned back to her. She noted that the ring trembled in between his thumb and forefinger. He looked at her. The question hanging silently in the air between them.

      She never gave him an answer, and he didn't know if he had the courage to voice his question again. He wanted to thrust the ring to her, but it was like he was frozen. He observed her face, looking for anything. She never gave a hint of what she was thinking. Her mouth was closed, the corners turned down slightly, as if she were in deep thought. When her eyes broke from his, he followed her gaze to the ring in his fingers. He looked back at her face to see a wrinkle between her brows, which were drawn together. His tongue slipped out to moisten his lips in vain. A movement caught his eye, so he looked away again.