She shook her head. “Just my friend, Nia. She was the only one who wanted to be my friend. I spent a lot of time reading, and other kids thought I was weird. Especially in high school.”
“In my high school, they thought I was a thug,” he said.
Aleena giggled. “No way, you were a thug?”
He leaned over the table and grinned. “Actually, I was. I didn’t take crap from anyone.”
Her eyes widened, and then she chuckled. “I wish I could have been a thug. I got a lot of crap from people.”
“Oh, honey. I have to tell you, you’d make an awful thug.”
Her brows snapped together. “Why?”
“Because you’re so darn sweet. Everything about you is feminine and beautiful.”
She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“You’ll get more of it from me.”
They stared at each other, and the room seemed to fade away until all she saw and heard was him. Glasses clanging together broke the spell she was under.
“Where did you grow up?” she asked.
“It was just my mom and me. My dad split when I was young. I grew up on the south side of the city. It was a rough place.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your dad.”
He shrugged. “We did okay. My mom had an excellent job for the city, so we never went hungry.”
“Where is she?”
“She had a brain aneurism in her sleep one night. I found her.”
Tears burned Aleena’s eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
He caressed the back of her hands with his thumbs. “It worked out. I was eighteen, so I didn’t have to go into the system. Because she worked for the city, they took care of the burial, and she had a life insurance policy. I used that to finish high school, and it got me through three years of college. The rest I had to take out with school loans.”
“It seems like we have a bit in common,” she said.
“Yeah, we’re both alone in the world. But now we have each other.”
She smiled at him. “Yeah, we do.”
“How about we get out of here and go sight-seeing? There are several small towns that I’ve never seen.”
“I’d like that very much.”
He stood, threw down some bills to cover the food and tip, and then wrapped an arm around her waist.
Chapter Eight
They drove to a few small towns and walked down the streets, sometimes moving into one of the stores if something caught their fancy.
Once again, he seemed to always have a hand on her, and it was getting to where she felt something missing if he wasn’t handling her. She was coming to crave his touch more and more.
They grabbed sandwiches for lunch and ate at a park they found.
They watched families or lovers on blankets or playing ball, and it made her feel more ready to have that for her own. The more time she spent with Kaleb, the more she could see herself making a life with him.
She couldn’t stop smiling. The whole day had been magical. She didn’t want it ever to end.
He squeezed her hand. “Do you know where you want to go for dinner?”
“How about we go to the store, get some food, and I’ll make dinner?”
He smiled down at her. “That sounds perfect.”
He pulled into the market close to where he lived. Then he followed her in and grabbed a cart.
“Is there anything you don’t like or something that you’re craving?”
He shook his head. “No, whatever you make will be great.”
She walked down each aisle, putting things into the cart. When she was done, it was close to being full.
“This isn’t all for dinner, is it?” he asked as they were checking out.
She laughed. “No. We got things for breakfast and a few other dinners.”
He swiped his card as the employees sacked their groceries.
They pulled into his building and parked. He got out and started grabbing sacks from the trunk.
“I can carry something,” she said as she stood at his elbow.
“How about you get the elevator and hold the door for me?”
She raced to the elevator and held the door wide as he slipped in. She let the door close.
“I’ll get you a keycard for this. It’s the only way to get to the penthouse.”
She watched him set some of the bags down and then slide a card into a slot and push the button with the P for penthouse, she assumed.
She held the door open again when he lifted all the sacks and set them on the kitchen counters. They both started pulling things out. She set a few things off to the side and put the rest in the fridge, freezer, and pantry.
“I wanted to make my spaghetti sauce, but it takes several hours, so we’ll have the pork chops tonight. Does that sound okay?”
He wrapped his arms around her from behind and pressed his lips to her shoulder after she closed the refrigerator door.
“Baby, I don’t care what you make, just as long as I’m with you, I’m good.”
Aleena cuddled against him and squeaked when he turned her abruptly.
He cupped the back of her head and took her mouth hungrily. She clung to him with her arms wrapped around his neck, and her body pressed hard against his.
After a long moment, he lifted his head and stared down at her.
“I could stand here and kiss you all day.”
“Not if you want dinner tonight,” she said and smiled up at him.
He chuckled and pressed a hard kiss to her mouth. “Can I help with anything?”
She shook her head. “No. I got it.”
“How about I go get some
