Chapter Seven - Sweetheart

We're now two weeks into autumn and the weather has taken a drastic turn from the sunny spells we were having. Today is the day of my date with Hunter and I've been feeling nervous yet excited all morning. When the clock finally strikes four I power off my laptop before hopping off my bed to get ready.

I had showered early and dried my hair so thankfully I don't have to worry about it now. Hunter had also texted me hours ago to dress casually and knowing that it's going to be quite chilly outside I decide to go with my black ripped jeans and a graphic t-shirt. Pairing it with heeled boots I also take out my black denim jacket that's lined on the inside with faux fur.

I put my hair up into a ponytail before slightly curling some pieces. Next, I apply some natural makeup and lightly bronze my otherwise very pale skin before finishing with a nude lip. Glancing at the time, I hurriedly grab some jewelry and put it on before haphazardly throwing my essentials into a shoulder bag. With one last look in the mirror and a spritz of perfume I leave my apartment and lock the door.

I end up taking the bus and subway to Brooklyn Heights, as far away from my apartment as possible. Texting Hunter that I'm running errands in town my phone soon buzzes with a notification. He replies saying that he'll pick me up in ten minutes which makes relief course through me.

I'm being ridiculous but I can't help it. Even thinking about my ratty old apartment compared to his luxurious penthouse apartment makes me feel incredibly insecure. Hunter thinks I live in Brooklyn Heights but I live in a neighborhood close to the college I'm attending. It isn't a great place and it's not exactly the safest during the night. The only reason I'm staying there is because my apartment's rent is low and it's only a few minutes' walk to college.

True to his word Hunter pulls up to the location I had texted him within ten minutes. I get into his sleek, black Mercedes and we drive over the Brooklyn Bridge and into Manhattan. I see that he's wearing a suede brown jacket over a white shirt with black jeans and boots. He leans over to peck my cheek before resting his hand on my thigh that instantly makes the butterflies in my tummy flutter even crazier than they have today.

"So, where are we going?" I ask nervously and hear him chuckle in response.

"Don't be nervous, kitten. We're just going for dinner." He smiles while his thumb rubs in circular motions on my leg. "But I do have a surprise for you afterwards."

That captures my attention and I perk up in interest. "Oh! What is –"

"Not telling you." He grins cheekily and I huff before nodding.

We talk about random topics before we arrive at a restaurant in Soho. Hunter grabs my hand gently to pull me out of the car. Thanking him, I bite my lip when he doesn't let go and intertwines it with his instead. We're instantly seated and I glance around to see that me and Hunter are completely under dressed for how luxurious this restaurant is. As I turn back to him I see that he's smiling innocently at me while a waiter is setting down our menus.

"You wouldn't want to be in a fancy dress and heels for where we're heading to next, darlin. Trust me." He grins before nodding at the menus.

I sigh before opening the menu and wondering what I should get. Hunter orders a water for himself, since he's driving, and I just ask for a soft drink. Then, he orders a steak while I go for the seafood linguine but not before internally grimacing over the prices. The waiter takes our menus before coming back with our drinks. Hunter then takes off his jacket before resting his arms on the table.

"So, your dad's a judge. What do your mom and sister do?" He asks and I instantly feel uneasiness rise within me.

"Um...well my mom is a surgeon and I'm the youngest after my sister Cynthia. She's also a surgeon. No brothers." I smile tightly as I think about my so-called family. "What about you?"

"Well, I'm the fourth and favorite child out of six brothers. Roman is the eldest and works with the police in Houston. Ryder is the owner of his medical company and his wife, Ella, is a music teacher. They've relocated to Canada and I also have one nephew, Isaiah. Next is Theo who works on our family ranch and manages everything. Then there's me." He flashes me a cheeky smile which makes me chuckle quietly. "After me it's Judah who owns his software company in the UK but who knows he could also have a gang or something on the side. He's the mysterious, silent brooding one out of all of us so I wouldn't be surprised."

My eyes widen at that before I burst out laughing at his thoughtful expression. Clearly, he's making fun of his younger brother but there's also a look in his eyes that tells me he believes that to some degree. Just then, our food arrives and we dig in before he resumes the conversation.

"Lastly, Noah is the baby of the family. He's still studying in school and stays with our parents and Theo back home." He finishes with a fond smile as he talks about him.

"Wow!" I laugh as I struggle to remember the names of everyone. "You all must've been quite a handful for your parents!"

"Not me though!" He smirks as he leans forward. "Favorite child, remember?"

"Did your parents tell you this or...?"

He shrugs with a mischievous glint in his stormy eyes. "I like to believe it's true. I mean, look at me. I look like an angel and on top of that I'm a lawyer."

"But your other brothers are successful too though." I point out with an amused smile.

"Except Judah. There's nothing successful about being a gang leader."

"I don't know..." I trail off teasingly.

"So, you think gang leaders are successful?"

"Successful and sexy." I nod with a smirk on my lips as I watch him almost choke on his bite of steak.

He pauses for a moment and takes a long sip of his water all the while staring at me through narrowed eyes. "You're definitely not meeting Judah then."

"Oh, come on! I was kidding!"

"Nope!" He shakes his head but he's also struggling not to smile. "Judah Jackson doesn't exist!"

I grin widely at his dramatics and shake my head. "So, did you always want to be a lawyer?"

"No, I wanted to be a teacher actually but it changed in my last two years of high school and I ended up applying to law courses. I studied in New York and worked with a few law firms before settling for Dayton & Co." He explains and I chuckle at the thought of him being a teacher.

"I can't imagine you working with children." I admit and he grins before nodding in agreement.

"I'd rip my hair out honestly." He replies which makes me laugh. "Why photography?"

"I don't know, I just love it. I've always been interested in art and taking pictures, especially how to get different angles, lighting and all that. My dream is to be a successful photographer but..." I trail off as I remember my family constantly telling me that I won't ever make it to that level.

"But what?" Hunter frowns in confusion.

"I don't know...it's stupid." I wave off and shrug halfheartedly. "I just doubt it'll happen sometimes."

"Why wouldn't it?" He reaches across the table and takes my hand in his. "I believe you'll be very successful."

"Really?" I can't help but ask in a small voice.

"Of course!" He grins boyishly as he squeezes my hand in assurance. "Will you show me your photography someday?"

"Someday, yeah." I smile and for the first time in a while I feel one hundred percent comfortable saying that.

We continue chatting throughout dinner and I find out more about him such as the fact that he loves outdoor activities and whenever he's back home he goes for hikes and horse-riding. He has a horse called Starlight too. He's also traveled a lot and would like to do some more, especially in Europe since he's always only been able to spend two days max in most of those countries. Just like me he loves the show 'Friends,' and can't handle spice that much.

I open up about myself too and find myself enjoying the date. But I had no idea that things were about to get even better. We finish dinner but Hunter tells me that we're not going to order dessert. He pays the bill and we leave the restaurant before he tells me what's going on.

"We're going somewhere else for dessert!" He grins boyishly and excitement lights up his eyes.

I smile at how much he's looking forward to it before getting into the car. It doesn't take us long to reach the place, about ten minutes in total. We've parked behind it apparently and I take his hand as we make our way to the front of a cute little art store slash coffee place. Hunter seems to know where to go and we head to the back before entering another room that's much more spacious. There's other people here too and I look around in awe at the easels, canvases, paints and brushes.

"It's a painting class with desserts and wine tastings." Hunter explains as he guides me to the free seats in the back.

"Wow! That sounds amazing!" I grin as I take a seat opposite him.

Turns out we just about made it on time because as soon as we gather some supplies, someone enters and greets us all loudly. It's a woman called Eileen and she explains how this class works while also showing us some techniques. But at the end she tells us that we're free to paint whatever we want and that it's meant to be a relaxing, carefree evening.

"You paint a picture of me and I'll paint one of you, deal?" Hunter turns to us as soon as she tells us to start whenever we're ready.

"Deal." I laugh, already knowing that mine's going to turn out horribly since I'm not that good.

I struggle on painting his head and face while the first dessert is serves. My jaw drops when I'm served a slice of hazelnut and chocolate meringue cake. Apparently it has three meringue layers infused with chocolate. There's whipped cream in between them and chocolate shavings on top. I select my choice of wine before turning to Hunter who chuckles at my surprised expression.

"Not your regular desserts, Red." He winks before dipping his brush into green paint. "Favorite color?"

"Is this going to turn into twenty questions or something?" I tease as I work on painting his hair.

"I mean, we are on a date." He chuckles and I nod in agreement.

"Hmm, I really like orange. What about you?"

He peeks at me from the side of the easel and I find myself smiling giddily at his antics. "Red."

I burst out laughing and immediately cover my mouth because of how loud it is. "Very cheesy and a lie. Tell me the truth."

"Alright, fine. Green." He replies and I'm instantly taken back to the green gown he had picked for me when we were to attend the networking event. "Any hobbies?"

"I dance sometimes, ballet. With this year being so busy I haven't found the time recently. What about you?" I ask as I indulge into the heavenly chocolate cake.

"Well, I've been trying to learn how to play the piano lately. My sister-in-law, Ella, is amazing at it and she's been teaching me." He replies before taking a sip of his water.

"Will you play it for me someday?" I ask and he smiles before nodding. "What's your favorite food?"

"Italian food is a godsend." He states seriously but amusement shines bright in his eyes. "You?"

"Italian is really good but I love Mexican food." I grin when he makes a sound of appreciation.

"Any fears?"

"The sea." I shudder even thinking about it. "Hence why I never learned how to swim. Not a big fan of water."

"I mean, only a small percentage of it has been discovered so I get your point. Mine's spiders and tight spaces." He smiles sheepishly and I chuckle.

"So, let's say we saw a spider and one of us had to get it out –"

"You couldn't pay me enough money to catch those things much less stay in the same room as them!" He huffs and I burst into laughter.

"But we're much bigger than them!" I try and reason as we're served our next dessert and another wine. This time it's a dark chocolate ganache tart. It has shiny and smooth chocolate on top with fruits lining one curve. As the previous dessert it looks just as delicious.

"Not going near it." He shakes his head adamantly as he tastes the tart.

I snicker and watch his eyes narrow playfully before he lightly taps my leg with his foot. We carry on painting while talking more about each other. The desserts just keep coming along with wine that I've never tried before much less heard of.

Throughout the evening, we're served tiramisu infused with matcha, vanilla and chocolate mille-feuille, macarons of different flavors and colors along with madeleines dusted with sugar, chocolate covered strawberry mini cheesecakes before lastly being handed a layer cake infused with ginger, wine poached pears and cream cheese frosting. The level of detail and different tastes blew my mind and I almost wish I could have this every day.

"Reveal on three, okay?" Hunter asks just as we finish the last dessert before counting down once I nodded.

We both turn our canvasses to each other and immediately burst out laughing. Turns out Hunter isn't that great of a painter either. I cover my mouth to stifle my giggles as I take in the portrait he's drawn of me. I'm wearing the green gown and I can see some of it smudged onto the ends of my hair.

"That's not what I look like!" He grins as he leans in to take a closer look.

"That's definitely not what I look like either so you can't complain!" I laugh as we both stand and set the canvasses against the wall to dry. As we're doing so Eileen states that we can come and collect them tomorrow.

"Ready to go?" He asks after we've washed our hands and helped put the supplies away.

I nod and we head out to the car and get in. I've just strapped myself in when I realize Hunter's going to drop me off at my place. Internally I start to freak out before trying to come up with a solution. Parking outside someone else's place and claiming it as my own would be stupid so I decide to tell him to drop me off at the college library.

"It's open this late?" He asks and I glance at the digital clock to see that it's nine at night.

"Yeah, it closes at eleven today. I just need to work on my thesis a bit more." I smile although my heart is racing inside.

"Sure." He grins just as we cross over the bridge.

We make it to the campus in fifteen minutes and he parks before we get out. I swing my bag higher onto my shoulder as I watch him round the front of the car before wrapping his arms around my waist. He leans against the door with a smile and I find myself mirroring the action.

"I had an amazing time. Best first date I've been on that's for sure." I tease and he chuckles in response.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." He smiles before pulling me impossibly closer against him. "Does that mean there's a chance I can take you out on a second date?"

I grin at his slyness before nodding. "I would love that."

"Great." He smiles but I notice his eyes flicker down to my lips.

"Good." I nod before biting down on it.

His eyes snap to mine and become stormy with desire. "Stop teasing me, Red."

"You started it!" I laugh quietly and watch as he straightens before cupping my face.

"Well, let me end it then." He murmurs huskily before his lips come crashing down on mine.

The kiss is soft and sweet, just like I imagined it would be. His lips feel heavenly on mine and I realize I may become addicted if we do this more often. He tries to deepen it but seems to stop himself by pulling away. But it's like he can't resist and pecks me a few more times. I smile into it before he rests his forehead against mine.

"You taste sweet." He murmurs which makes me laugh.

"Probably because we ate a lot of desserts tonight." I smirk and he responds by pecking me again.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" He asks a bit worriedly as he glances at the library building. "I can wait –"

"I'll be fine, Hunter. I've stayed late many times before." I smile reassuringly and watch as he nods albeit hesitantly.

"Okay, just text me when you get back home."

"I will. Goodnight?" I start to pull away but he tugs me back and kisses me again.

"Sorry, I can't help myself." He smiles sheepishly and I laugh. "I'll see you soon, Red."

"Bye, Hunter." I grin in response before walking backwards towards the building.

As I wave goodbye a heavy feeling of guilt blooms across my chest as I watch him wave back with a smile, not knowing that I'm lying to him. Soon, I think to myself. I'll tell him soon, I just need a bit more time.

Update schedule is: twice weekly whenever I find time!

Vote if you are enjoying this story!

Chapter 8 is already up on Inkitt! Click the link in my bio or announcement post to read my book faster!

1. Download the app

2. Follow my profile

3. Put my book in your reading list!

- R.W. ♡