How To Bake The Perfect Christmas Cake. Gina Calanni

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СКАЧАТЬ know what to think of what is happening. I want to be with Jack. I do. But I don’t want a fling or a weekend moment.

      “Headed. This hand is headed for your back to pull you in closer and this hand is headed for your hair, because I love the way your silky curls feel and my lips, my lips are headed for your mouth.” He leans in and we kiss again. It’s soft at first and then the passion is stronger, he scoops me up in his arms and pulls me in tight, exploring my mouth with his tongue and my body with his firm searching hands.

      My heart is racing. I’m tingling all over the place. I know my face is flushed. I need to take control of this situation.

      “Jack.” I pull back again.

      “Yes, Lauren.”

      “Jack, seriously. I need to know what our plan is.” I pull back a little bit.

      “Our plan? Like our life plan? Or our tonight plan?” Jack tugs a tendril from my hair.

      I laugh. “Um…I guess life plan is a little far-reaching, but only tonight’s plan isn’t enough, so somewhere in the middle of those two.” I lock my eyes on him.

      He grins at me. His smile is warm and honest. I can’t imagine not seeing that smile every day and I don’t want to. I don’t want him to ever leave. I want to be with him.

      “Lauren, I’m not going anywhere if that’s your concern? Well, except back to Texas on Sunday. I have to.” He rubs my shoulder.

      He runs his finger over the top of my lip. “Don’t pout. I’ll come back. I have to get things figured out at Vintage Estates.”

      “Right, but what are we going to try? A long-distance something or other?” My eyes flicker at the idea.

      “We could. Lauren, I’m enamored with you and I want to be with you. But I can’t tell you exactly how our life will play out. If you think that’s even a possibility then you’re fooling yourself.” He tugs on my skirt.

      “I’m not saying you have to give me a blueprint of our plans for the future. But I want some sort of sense of where this is headed.”

      “How about you close your eyes and let me lead the way?” Jack lifts me off the ground and his lips meet mine. My eyes are closed. But with him I don’t feel lost.

Chapter Three

      Jack was a perfect gentleman and slept in my guest room, which I’m really happy to have finally put the finishing touches on over the summer. The room is furnished with a queen bed, a chestnut dresser and two nightstands, they are not from a matching set, but I think they look great. I set my alarm earlier than what I would have wanted to wake up to on a Saturday morning, but I wanted to be able to take a shower and get myself presentable, as Megan would say, before seeing Jack.

      I swipe a few more strokes of my deep-black mascara on my lashes. My eyes are perfectly lined and my lip-gloss is the right shade of coral. I grab my caramel Steve Madden knee-high boots and slide into them. I hope Jack is wearing jeans, it’s a Saturday and I’m not sure what he has in store, but I’m in a jeans and navy sweater mood. I’m ready to take on the day and Jack. The guest room is on the third floor of my town house and my bedroom is on the same floor as the kitchen and living room. I slowly open the door. I’m hopeful Jack isn’t up yet.

      I tiptoe out into the living room and cross my way into the kitchen, no sign of Jack. My shoulders relax. Crap, I really have nothing to prepare for breakfast. Well, it’s not like I had planned on overnight company. I go to the cupboard and pop it open. Today is definitely calling out some Columbian Supremo. I grab the little white saucer and toss it into my Keurig. From the right side of the cupboard I take out the coffee mug Brianna gave me a couple of years ago, it has an illustration of Frosty the Snowman and reads “Frosty the Snowman is a Big Flake”.

      It would make more sense for me to have this mug at my parents’ house, as I have to use powder creamery there and the flakes could be at one. I smile as I take the cup from underneath the Keurig and turn around. Jack is standing next to the far counter with a big grin on. He hasn’t even had any coffee.

      “Hey there.” Jack strides towards me and kisses me softly on my lips.

      I pull back. “Hey yourself.” I trek towards the refrigerator and pull out the pink and white carton of half and half. “Would you like some coffee?” I hold up the Frosty mug.

      “Just half a cup, I’d like to take you out to breakfast.”

      I nod my head. Does he know I have no breakfast food?

      I’m a little insulted, but in reality the only thing I can offer for breakfast is popcorn or a few slices of cheddar cheese. Maybe I should stock more food?

      “Are you okay with that?” Jack tugs on the hem of my sweater.

      I blink my eyes a few times. “Of course! Yes, that sounds nice.” Nice? Yuck…nice is such a bland adjective. I wish I could retract it and offer up something better.

      “I looked up a few places in the area, and I found one, you might have already been there.” Jack runs his hand through his hair. “Anyways, I’d like to take you.”

      “I like surprises.” I gaze up at him. He could be a model from a Dolce & Gabanna ad, he’s fresh-shaven, the scent of sandalwood and mint are so close to my nose, I want to stand on my tippy-toes and inhale.

      “Then we make a great couple, because I like giving them.” Jack winks at me.

      I melt. He used the word “couple” and a wink. Keep it together, Lauren, this is all very new.

      I offer the Frosty mug to him. “Cream or sugar?”

      “Sugar.” Jack holds onto my hand with the mug and reaches his other arm around my head and pulls me into a deep kiss. I’m glad brushing my teeth immediately upon awaking is a part of my daily routine. Our tongues swirl together like a slow erupting volcano, but with each turn further lava flows over the side. I’m falling deeper and deeper.

      I open my eyes. I have to be smart about things. I don’t want to get lost in moment, I’m a realist. I want to be positive and hope for the best, but I don’t have a great track record. My last long-distance relationship was an uber-fail and a waste of time. I can’t let this happen again. I pull back from Jack and release the Frosty mug. I slide over to the cupboard and take down my second favorite Christmas mug, it’s one my mom got me: it’s an illustration of Santa except he’s wearing a cowboy hat and sitting in his red sleigh and in the place of reindeers are armadillos and the word bubble reads “Ho Ho Ho Y’all”.

      I push it underneath the Keurig drip and select another Columbian Supremo from my basket. It drops into the machine with ease and I press the button. I eye Jack, he’s reading something on his phone.

      “Everything okay?” His eyebrows are furrowed, which indicates to me the answer would be no.

      “Yeah, I need to call my Aunt Minnie, she’s left me several messages.” Jack moves out of the kitchen. I raise my eyebrows. He had mentioned his Aunt Minnie over Thanksgiving, but only the fact of her having like five cats or something. I glance at my Texas cup, it’s filled. Finally. I pick up the pink and white carton and drop a few swirls into the mug. I open СКАЧАТЬ