Velvet Kisses Ch. 02

"Guess I'm pretty lucky, then, because somehow I managed to find an equally wonderfully weird woman."

Ever so slowly, he leaned in to kiss her. And as his lips found hers, she happily surrendered, allowing the decadence of his mouth to overtake her.

* * * *

It was half past ten in the morning when Dane finally woke, languidly stretching out his stiff muscles before sitting up and allowing his back to rest against the headboard.

Jeneda averted her eyes from the book in her hand and after giving him a soft smile, leaned in closer so that their lips were touching. With long, slow strokes of her tongue, she kissed him deeply, and only once she was unable to hold her breath any longer, did she finally pull away.

"Wow. Good morning to you, too," he said.

"It's nearly afternoon."

He glanced at the bedside clock, and after noting the time, glanced back at her. "It's not even eleven a.m yet."

"Close enough."

"You are *such* a morning person." He sniffed the air once, then twice before asking, "Are those bagels I smell?"

"Yep. Went down to House of Bagels and got us a whole bag full."

"But Noah's is right down the block."

"Yeah..." She nonchalantly shrugged. "I was in the mood for House of Bagels, so I decided to go there instead. And besides, I've been up since six. I had to do something to kill the time while you were sleeping, didn't I?"

He lightly shook his head, and with a smile on his lips, got out of bed and headed for the kitchen, which flowed seamlessly into the rest of the loft. While he was gone, Jeneda resumed reading.

A few minutes passed before she heard him approaching the bed, and from the corner of her eye, she saw that he was approaching the bed with a bagel and glass of orange juice in hand. He set the saucer and cup on the bedside table, and once he was seated on the mattress with his back against the headboard, he started to eat his breakfast.

"What are you reading?" he asked through a mouthful of bagel.

"Life after death."

"What's it about?"

She gave a small eyeroll at the sarcasm in his voice, but the smile on her lips conveyed amusement. "NDE's. Near death experiences."

"You believe in that stuff?"

"Sure, why not?"

He smirked, then licked cream cheese off of his thumb. "Near death experiences are a malfunction of the brain, nothing more than hallucinations."

"I disagree, and if you read this book, you'll see that there's plenty of scientific evidence for afterlives."

"Evidence." A slight shake of the head followed his words. "Science is about what can be proved. If there's truly ironclad evidence, then why hasn't it become a widespread belief?"

"Because some people are too afraid to even contemplate the possibility that there's more to life than what we're currently experiencing. And, people fear what they don't understand."

"Hmm...okay."

Silence hung between them, and she could sense that he wanted to say more. But he was far from foolish, and most likely knew that engaging in a debate would cause more trouble than it was worth. It took a few seconds of watching him eat his bagel in silence before Jeneda realized that he was purposely remaining quiet. But she was far from finished, and curious to hear his opinion.

"What do you think happens when we die?"

He lightly shrugged. "I don't know...I guess we fade to black."

"So we just die, and that's it. Nothing else happens."

"That's what I believe. But if it turns out that I'm wrong and there truly is an afterlife, I'd want to spend it with you."

"Smooth. You really know how to butter a girl up, don't you?"

"I'm just being truthful." He kissed the tip of her nose before pulling back to look into her eyes. "I don't mean to be a nag or anything, but aren't you supposed to be calling your mom to tell her about our engagement?"

"I tried calling her earlier this morning, but her voice mail picked up." She closed the book, then set it on the mattress before reaching for her cell phone, which sat on the bedside table. "But I'll give it another try to see if she's around."

She dialed in the number, and after four rings, the sound of her mother's voice came through the receiver.

"Hello, jenjen."

"Hey, mom. How's it going?"

"Oh, not too bad, I'm just making some lunch. How are things on your end?"

"Good," she said before quickly adding, "Actually, they're great. Things are wonderful."

"I can tell by the sound of your voice that you're happy," she said. "You must have good news, so tell me what it is."

Jeneda glanced at Dane, and sensing that she was about to share the news, he cuddled against her, then slipped his fingers through hers.

"I'm getting married."

"To Dane?"

"Yes, to Dane," she said with a half chuckle. "Who else?"

"I don't know....."

A long stretch of silence followed her words, during which Jeneda waited for her mother to speak again. But as the noiselessness continued, she began to wonder if the other end of the line was still open.

"Hello...are you still there?"

"Yes."

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

"I'm very surprised. I don't know *what* to say."

"Congratulations?"

There was no response, only continued silence.

"What's going on, why aren't you happy for me?" Her brows knitted, body going rigid with irritation.

"You know I don't like that man you're with. I made that very clear when you came out here for a visit."

"That *man* is my fiancée. And I don't care if you don't like him, because I'm still getting married to him."

Now fully aware that the response from Jeneda's mother had been unfavorable, Dane frowned, then released a distressed sigh.

"I know you will. Your life is yours to live, Jeneda, but I want you to know that I think you're making a huge mistake."

"A mistake?" Her voice wavered with emotion, face growing hot with anger. "How can you say that to me? You're my mother. You're supposed to wish me well, not tell me I'm making a mistake."

"What do you want me to do, Jeneda? Lie to you?" Sternness had crept into her voice. "Ever since the day you first met him, that man has brought nothing but trouble into your life."

"That Isn't true."

"Do I need to remind you of what he's done?" She briefly paused before continuing. "He dumped Vincent's body, Jeneda. *Vincent*. Your father's best friend. You do remember who he was, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"Then you should have some respect for both him and your father, and call the engagement off. This man is bad news. How can you not see that?"

"I've forgiven him, mother. And what he did is in the past. He doesn't deserve to continue being persecuted for a situation that was completely out of his control."

"It wasn't out of his control. He had a choice, and instead of going to the police, he chose to keep it a secret."

"He's paid for the crime, both mentally and physically. He's even been to prison. What more do you want?"

"For him to disappear. To go away and leave you alone. You deserve better."

Jeneda couldn't remember the last time she'd been so upset, and having reached the peak of frustration, she was seriously considering pressing the call end button and tossing the phone aside. But she still had yet to give her mother a piece of her mind.

"Wait a minute. Didn't you tell me when I came out for a visit, that you would try your best to get to know him? I distinctly remember you saying that when he got out of prison, you were okay with me bringing him out there to meet you. Now am I making this up, or what?"

"No."

"So what changed since then?"

"I never expected you two to get engaged. I figured you would eventually break up, and then he'd be out of your life."

"You were waiting for us to break up?" A faint scoff passed her lips, and she shook her head in disbelief. "Lovely. That's real nice, mom."

"Please think this over, Jeneda. Rushing into marriage is never a good idea."

"I'm not rushing into anything. And there's nothing for me to think over, because I've already made my decision."

Silence spun between them, and only after Jeneda's mother blew out a frustrated breath, did she finally offer some words. "Well, clearly you're going to do as you like, so I guess there's no reason for me to even try and change your mind."

A pause followed her words, yet instead of responding, Jeneda only sat rigidly on the bed with lips pressed tightly together.

"Alright, Jeneda. When you both get some free time, bring him out here to meet me."

"Do you really mean that, or are you just saying it to temporarily pacify me?"

"I want to meet him. If he's going to be your husband, then I'll need to get to know him. And the only way to effectively do that, is to talk with him face to face."

Her expression softened, and the barest hint of a smile touched her full lips. "As soon as we get some dates picked out, we'll give you a call and let you know."

"Okay."

"Talk later, then."

"Bye, Jeneda."

After setting her cell phone down on the bedside table, Jeneda curled up against Dane, and with her head resting against his shoulder, she began to speak.

"My mom wants us to come out to Key West for a visit."

"Okay....so that's good news, right?"

"I guess. I'd like to hope that she's seriously interested in meeting you, but I think she may be doing it out of obligation."

"Even if that's true, I'm still grateful that she's even giving me the chance."

"Yeah, so am I." Sighing lightly, she allowed her palm to run up and down the length of his smooth chest. "Between your mother and my mother, this should be quite an interesting wedding."

"Most definitely," he said. And with a note of apprehension in his voice, he added, "Maybe a little too interesting."

* * * *

Seven hours later, while driving back from a music and arts festival in Monterey, Dane's Prius hit a bump in the road. The force of it caused the front end of the car to violently shimmy, followed by the unmistakable flop, flop sound of a tire going flat.

Dane loudly cursed, then swerved to the side of the road and skidded to a stop. As he got out of the car, so did Jeneda, and they both headed to the front of the Prius to inspect the damage.

"Damnit, it is a flat." Dane shook his head in dismay, and with a deep sigh of frustration, walked back to the driver's side.

Once he was there, he pulled the trunk release lever, then went around to the back of the car. Wanting to see if she could be of any help, Jeneda followed.

"Just our luck that we broke down in the middle of nowhere..." She watched as he effortlessly lifted the spare tire out of the car, then a jack. "Where are we, anyway?"

Glancing around at their surroundings, she saw that there was an interstate nearby, as well as a lonely expanse of tarmac that seemed to stretch out into infinite emptiness.

"We're right outside of highway 156. Which basically means, we're still a long way from home."

They both walked back to the front of the car, and as he bent down on one knee to position the jack next to the flat tire, she bent down as well.

"Need any help?"

"No thanks, I got it." He maneuvered the jack so that it was supporting the car, then began to loosen the lug nuts. "You ever change a tire before?" He asked.

"Plenty of times. Thanks to my dad, I'm pretty self sufficient when it comes to vehicle repair."

"Oh yeah?" He pumped the jack so that the front end of the car was lifted off the ground, then removed the destroyed tire and replaced it with the new one. "All this time you've been a gear head, and I didn't even know."

"I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a gear head, but I can do basic stuff like changing tires and making sure my break fluid levels are okay."

The smile he gave her seemed to convey how cute he found her statement, but as he focused his attention back on the spare tire, the expression of amusement on his face suddenly transformed into one of seriousness.

"You have got to be kidding me."

"What?" Jeneda followed his line of sight, and as he pointed out a sizeable tear in the rubber, she let out a groan of disappointment. "Oh that's just wonderful."

Dane blew out a puff of air, and after rising to his feet, headed around to the driver's side. He reached inside the car to retrieve his cell phone, then dialed in a towing company and provided the operator with his location.

After ending the call, he slipped his phone into the pocket of his jeans, then leaned against the car and crossed his arms over his chest. "We've got an hour to kill. Any ideas?"

"An hour...you're joking, right?"

"We're in the middle of nowhere," Dane said, and with a light shrug, he added, "Things could always be worse, right?"

"After getting a flat tire and finding out that the spare has a hole in it, It's kind of hard to imagine things getting any suckier. But we are together, so at least there's that."

He pulled her up against him so that her body was flush against his, and after resting his palms against the swell of her ass, he gave it a firm squeeze. "So what do you think we should to pass the time?"

"I don't know..." But that wasn't entirely true, because she did have a few ideas that were more than a little naughty. "I am kinda hungry, though."

"So am I." He pressed his hips against hers so that she could feel the beginnings of his erection.

"No, really." Her inner muscles clenched involuntarily at the lust-filled look he gave her. "There's a truck stop just a little further up the road."

Dane glanced down the stretch of tarmac, and after noting a lit up sign perched atop a retro looking diner, he looked back at Jeneda. "That greasy pit?" He lightly chuckled before saying, "The place is called Babe's. Are you really sure you wanna eat there?"

"It's not like we have a whole lot of other choices."

"Yeah, I guess you've got a point." He looked back at the restaurant once more as if expecting it to disappear like a mirage. Then he released her from his hold and retrieved his car keys from the ignition.

After clicking the key fob to lock the doors, Dane grabbed her hand, and together they made their way down the road. Along the way, they passed a defunct gas station that seemed to have been out of service since the 1950's. Its boarded up windows and doors were covered with graffiti, and the antique looking gas pumps were rusted with age.

Except for the occasional tractor trailers that passed them by, the road was empty. But as they finally reached the truck stop diner, the feeling of being in a ghost town gradually subsided.

Dane opened the door so that she could enter first, and after stepping in behind her, he followed her to an empty table. A waitress promptly came to take their order, and after what seemed like barely five minutes, they received their meals.

Jeneda tucked into her food with enthusiasm, and only after clearing half of her plate, did she realize that Dane was intently watching her.

"You're really enjoying that, aren't you?" Dane asked.

Suddenly self-conscious, she slowed her chewing, then covered her mouth with her hand. "I'm sorry, am I smacking?"

"No. I'm just surprised to see you eating liver and onions."

"I love liver and onions. They're delicious."

"Never had them myself, but I'll take your word for it." He ate some more of his chili cheese fries, then took a sip of his coke. "If you had to choose between leather and vinyl, which would you prefer?"

"Hmm..." She took a sip of her lemonade while thinking it over, then finally gave her response. "I love the look and feel of leather, but there's something very sexy abut vinyl."

"I agree."

More than a little curious as to what had prompted his question, she considered asking. But before she could, he spoke again.

"If you had to lose one of your senses, which one would it be?"

Now thoroughly intrigued, she fixed her gaze on him. But his face was expressionless, leaving her to wonder at just what he was planning. "I don't know, that's a hard one," she said. "Which would you choose?"

"I asked first."

His stare was so captivating that she found herself unable to look away, and suddenly the food on her plate was forgotten.

"I'm not sure..." But she did, and paused to enhance his anticipation. "Guess I would have to go with smell."

"Interesting." He rested his arms on the table, then leaned forward slightly. "And why would you pick smell?"

"Because I could live without smelling things, but I wouldn't be able to stand not seeing or hearing anything. And I love food too much to give up taste."

"But without an olfactory gland, you would have virtually no sense of taste at all."

"True. But that would still be better than not hearing or seeing."

"What about touch?"

"I'm a very tactile person, so I wouldn't be able to give that up, either."

He watched her silently for a few moments before saying, "With the loss of one sense comes the heightening of another."

"Yes..." Her voice trailed off and an expectant look came into her eyes.

But instead of continuing on, Dane only resumed eating.

"Oh come one," she said. "You can't lead me into a conversation like that, and then just leave me hanging."

She waited for him to say something, but to her frustration, he remained quiet.

"You're planning something, aren't you?"

"I don't know. Am I?" A slow smile spread across his handsome face.

With a curious expression on her face, she locked her eyes into his, and although she already had an idea of what was going on in his head, she was clueless as to how or when he would decide to put his plans into action. She didn't have long to indulge herself in these thoughts, however, because she was suddenly struck with a sneaking suspicion that somebody was watching her and Dane.

With the diner full of customers, she wasn't entirely certain of where this observer was seated. But after a few short moments of scanning the room, her eyes came to rest on one particular individual.

As soon as she saw who it was, she froze. Her stomach lurched with nervous tension, and the food that was digesting in her stomach suddenly felt like nothing more than a hard, greasy ball. Her rigid posture drew the attention of Dane, and with concern lacing his tone, he spoke to her.

"What's wrong?"

"My dad. He's sitting right over there."

Dane turned his head to follow her line of sight, and after noting the big, burly black man keenly watching them from across the diner, he looked back at Jeneda. "Is he the one in the plaid shirt and trucker's cap?"

She nodded, then gave an anxious swallow.

"Has he been here the entire time, just watching us?"

"I don't know. I didn't notice him when we came in, but then again, I wasn't really paying attention."

Dane snuck another look at Jeneda's father before asking, "Should we go over and say hi?"

"I think It'd be best if I went alone."

"Why? He's already seen me, so I may as well introduce myself."

"Just let me go over there first, okay? It'll give me a chance to smooth things out with him."

"Alright. Just give me the signal when you're ready."

She nodded and rose to her feet. Then with tentative steps, she headed to the other side of the diner where her father, Gary, was seated at a table next to a large window.

His eyes remained intently fixed on her, and as she moved closer to where he was, her heart pounded against her chest. She came to a stop in front of him, and as he stared up at her from beneath the brim of his trucker's cap, she looked timidly back at him.

"Hi, Dad."

"Jeneda." He nodded slowly in acknowledgment, but his expression remained less than friendly.

"Funny seeing you here." The words came out sounding dumb even to her own ears, and she shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other. "I mean clearly you would be at a truck stop, because you drive a truck for a living. So I guess It's not that out of the ordinary..." Her voice trailed off, and she briefly averted her eyes, then cleared her throat.