Chapter 27 Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

💖I can't believe just five months ago I was holding that puppy in the palm of my hand. 💖

"Ice cream?"

Startled, I jumped at the sound of Pierce's voice, my head flying up to look at him, I knew I was blushing but there wasn't anything I could do about that.

Pierce laughed lightly at my guilt-like reaction.

"You're making me very curious as to what you're thinking about so seriously over there," he murmured and the pink in my cheeks deepened.

He settled back in the corner of his seat so that he was somewhat facing me. He looked relaxed and happy. It was a good look on him.

Determined to try and relax myself, I half turned and drew my thigh up to rest on the seat so I could be more comfortable as we chatted. In doing so, it brought me in closer contact with Pierce. My knee was a hand span from touching his leg. It didn't bother me though, like it would have before.

It seemed like because of him a lot of things bothered me less.

As I remained silent, Pierce murmured, "Curiouser and curiouser..." with a smile I could only describe as wicked.

I shook myself mentally. I needed to sort myself out before I made a fool of myself.

"You mentioned ice cream, I believe," I said a little desperately, trying to regroup as naturally as I could but feeling anything but.

Pierce's eyes twinkled at me and I could tell he had noticed how off kilter I was. Thankfully he refrained from saying anything to worsen my self-induced agitation and instead repeated his earlier question.

"Ice cream? Would you like some?"

"Sure, I love ice cream!"

"Why am I not surprised?" Pierce teased.

A small puff of laughter made its way past my lips.

"In truth, although I love food, I am not big on sweets... except for ice cream," I paused, "Yeah, I like ice cream."

"Then ice cream you shall have!"

I watched him text someone a message, I assumed either Bruce or Khai up front to let them know. That made me curious.

"Where have we been driving to all this time if you just now told them where to go?"

"I love how quick you are," Pierce said with a look in my direction that upped the temperature a degree.

I could tell he really meant the comment and wasn't just being glib. He acted like being smart was sexy or something.

My heart fluttered again and maybe even melted just a bit. A small smile started to form but it didn't stop there as it usually did. It grew, or should I say, it flourished as suddenly a huge grin stretched my face in a smile unlike any other, I had shown the man sitting next to me.

Pierce's eyes sharpened as they stared at my lips. Without thought I looked down at his. It made me remember the kiss we had shared not long ago, or kisses. I kind of had the feeling he was thinking of them, too.

His eyes darted back up to mine and he gave a small shake of his head. I completely understood the feeling. When I was around him, I felt trapped in some sort of strange gravitational pull that overrode my usual clear headedness. Pierce demolished any claim I had of control.

"Sexy and smart and sweet," Pierce suddenly murmured, drawing my attention back to him, making me blush for the thousandth time tonight as his words penetrated my bemused distraction. "You my Jackson, are a real triple threat."

I ducked my head as fiery heat washed up my face. I wouldn't have been surprised if tiny little flames suddenly ignited at the tips of my ears. His words alone floored me. His expression as he said them had been intensely fervent. I had no choice but to believe him.

I shifted in my seat. I wanted to turn around so that I could look out my window but I knew that would have been cowardly and most likely rude. I briefly glanced up at him and stammered out a thank you before ducking my head down again and looked at my fingers that were nervously twisting in my lap.

"Sorry," Pierce said into the fraught silence. "I didn't mean to make you nervous."

My head shot up towards him. I didn't want him to be sorry. I had liked what he said. His words were special to me. He saw me in a way completely different from how I saw myself. I had thought it before and I meant it; he made my heart smile.

I hated the anxiousness that was trying to sweep through me. It was ruining something wonderful. I needed to make him understand in this instance, it was me and not him.

"P... please don't be," I said softly, my expression pleading. "I... I liked what you said," I admitted shyly, my admission seeming to please him as his face softened as he watched me. "I don't really agree w... with you but it's a nice thing t... to hear. Please don't apologize."

"But I have, too Jackson, because you're stammering again and I've noticed that starts to happen when you become anxious. That means I made you anxious. That bothers me more than you can know."

My heart melted even more.

"Pierce," I sighed. "I have anxiety and it strikes out of the b... blue. That's not your fault. It's happened before and it w...will happen again. I ...," I hesitated, before rushing to finish what I wanted to say. "I don't want you to take the words back and y... you would be if you apologize."

It was difficult maintaining eye contact with him but I wanted him to see I was sincere. I replayed his voice in my mind saying, 'sexy and smart and sweet' and my toes almost curled again at the feelings that swept through me. God, I so didn't want him to say sorry.

Pierce sat a little forward and turned to face me, lifting his thigh up on the seat mirroring my position, making our knees touch. He reached out and grabbed my hand and pulled it so both of our hands lay on his muscular thigh.

He grinned at me. I could tell he liked what I had said. His response made me glad I had owned up to how his words had made me feel. He had been brave enough to say them. The least I could do was be brave enough to accept them.

"Promise me one thing if you can," Pierce said with a solemn expression, "if ever we are out and you get overly anxious or overly uncomfortable or just flat out don't like what we are doing, like earlier tonight, will you promise me that you will tell me and not sit in silence and suffer? I won't be angry and I won't be offended. I'm actually even starting to see the signs on my own, but if we can avoid even a second of you not being anxious then that's what I want, even at my own expense, okay?"

I nodded my head.

"I promise and I promise to work on not being nervous with Bruce and Khai."

Pierce shook his head at me. "You don't have to work on anything, Jackson. You are you. I don't want to change any of it. I just want to eliminate any potential land minds for you if we can."

"I'm still going to work on it," I replied, my chin jutting out a tad.

"Always so shy then I blink and you share a glimpse of the feisty lurking below the surface. It's intriguing."

I rolled my eyes.

"I am as intriguing as a goldfish in a small round goldfish bowl," I muttered.

Pierce laughed out loud at my droll response.

"I'd say you're more of a betta but that's just me. It's all in the eyes of the beholder, I guess," he quipped.

I shook my head at him and grinned.

"Watch a goldfish and you'll see what I mean. Great big eyes nervously darting around the bowl all by itself. Almost the very description of me."

Pierce chuckled outright.

"Lovely picture you painted there, but no. You just don't see yourself the way I do. We'll change that over time," he responded and it sounded like a promise.

Truth be told, since meeting Pierce I could already see changes in me. The guys, too had noticed. I smiled bigger, I laughed louder, I socialized more. Apparently now I even dated. What would be next?

"You never did answer my earlier question about where we had been heading," I said hoping to change the subject from me.

Pierce gave me a knowing smile but thankfully went along with my not so subtle hint and answered my question.

"I had told them to head back to the area we were earlier. I had a few suggestions of what we could do on my mind. Ice cream was just one of many."

"Started with the food related one first, huh?"

Pierce laughed.

"I felt like it was a safe bet," he admitted. "And though I was right I also learned something else too. You're not a big sweet eater. I don't know why but that shocks me."

I shrugged. "My dad isn't either. My mom is though. She loves it all from candy, to baked goods, to ice cream. Ice cream is her favorite."

"Then your mom and I have something in common," Pierce admitted with a rueful grin. "I am a certified junk-o-holic."

I couldn't help myself; my eyes ran down his tall fit form. He didn't look like someone who indulged in sweets at all. As my eyes roamed back upwards, they connected with glowing blue.

"Were you by chance checking to see if I had some candy hidden somewhere on my person," he teased and I flushed.

I'd been flat out caught giving him the once over and he had totally called me out on it. Embarrassed didn't begin to convey my emotional state at that moment.

I opened my mouth to speak then shut it again when my usually swift mind came back blank. What did one say after being caught giving someone an intimate once over?

"You're lean," I mumbled idiotically.

Pierce laughed some more, enjoying my discomfiture.

"I am," he agreed. "It makes me really happy that you noticed," he added with an impish smile.

I groaned and covered my face with my one free hand. I had walked right smack dab into that one.

The car slowed and then stopped. I could feel the engine motor shut off and I knew we had arrived. I said a silent prayer of thanks for the timing. I had had no idea how to respond to his remark. Now I didn't have to.

I literally dove out of the car when Bruce opened it for me. I thought I heard Pierce still laughing from inside but I didn't dare glance back to see.

Bruce indicated I should start walking and I felt him follow behind me as I made my way to the front of the car and Pierce. As we met up, I noticed his eyes still held a mischievous glint but thankfully he kept his mouth shut.

We walked inside the well-known establishment and got in line to place our order. I didn't bother to look at the menu. I would get my usual. Chocolate peanut butter. It had been my favorite for as long as I could remember. I didn't see any point trying a different flavor now.

To my great surprise, Pierce ordered the exact thing. We grinned at each other as we watched the employee scoop out the cold dark indulgence into disposable cups. Pierce paid and then we walked over to a small table in front of a large plate glass window. We sat opposite each other and began to eat.

We chatted as we spooned bites of the creamy confection into our mouths. Pierce remarked it was a shame that we had gotten the same flavor as it took the cliché romantic moment of sampling each other's choices out as an option on our first date.

Feeling playful, I responded by scooping up a spoonful and holding it out to him. With a twinkle in his eyes, he obediently opened his mouth and let me offer him a taste of mine.

It was the twinkle that did me in. I felt myself start to fall...