Moonlight Serenade

She saw a round table in the dining room. Gideon was sitting there, reading a devotional book. Jewel sat down in the opposite chair and she spotted Tang turned to the back door. "Where are you going, Brother Tang?" she asked.

The old man smiled when he turned around to face her. "I'm gonna tend the garden first, Maam Laine. You and Sir Manasseh should talk a little more to improve your relationship." As she cleared her throat, she looked at Gideon. She caught a glimpse of her husband's smile. Jewel looked away, embarrassed.

"Tang had cooked bananas and sweet potatoes," he said, pointing to the table.

Her eyebrow twitched and her expression darkened. "I'm not going to eat that."

Gideon's brow rose. "As I expected of you, little princess."

Jewel grimaced when Gideon emphasized the word 'princess', but she just shrugged her shoulder and did not meet his eyes. Sure enough, the man asked. "What do you want to eat then? I'll cook for you." "Really?" She narrowed her eyes. "I want fried ones."

Gideon smiled. He got to his feet and went to the kitchen. The man didn't return for a few minutes and Jewel was taken aback by his actions. She never thought that the stoic man would cook for her. She looked around and noticed the book that Gideon was reading earlier. Jewel reached out a hand and opened it.

~ The path to eternal life is long and winding. Many people do not, cannot, or will not follow that path. They have abandoned the salvation that leads to life. They are the ones who have hardened their hearts and turned their backs on the truth.

They will never see life unless God permits them and they repent of their wickedness. Anyone who hears the word but does not obey is not counted worthy of God's kingdom.~

When she heard Gideon's footsteps, she looked up. Jewel quickly closed the book and returned it to its original location. There was a small smile on Gideon's lips as he walked closer to her while holding a plate with fried banana dipped in flour. "This is called Maruya and is delectable," Gideon declared as he put the plate on the table.

"Do you mean it?"

"You've never had a taste?"

Her head shook. "I've seen it for sale at the university, but I've never had one to taste."

Gideon's grin grew wide. "Try it."

She grabbed one but had to release it immediately due to heat. The searing pain on her fingertips made her frown. Gideon stifled a laugh. "Anything's funny?" she asked, annoyance was evident in her voice.

He just smirked. "I didn't laugh. Be careful, it's hot," he said and gave her a fork.

"You inform me at the right moment. Thank you!" she said and beamed at him with narrowed eyes. Of course, it's not hard to notice the sarcasm in her voice.

Gideon shook his head. "Being grumpy won't make you pretty," he teased.

"And being a jerk won't make you handsome," she retorted.

They caught each other's gazes and they laughed together. After a heartly laugh, he reached the fork, dipped it in the plate filled with maruya, and held it in front of Jewel's lips. He even blew it to ensure that it'll be cold to consume. Her pupils dilated with his thoughfulness and silently opened her mouth. A sweet taste lingered in her tongue as soon as she took a bite.

"Good, isn't it?" Gideon teased.

She made a face and continued eating while he sat opposite of her and watched as she took her fill. Jewel became conscious of his heated gaze. "Stop staring or I'll gouge your eyes out," she warned. "So brutal," he commented and smirked.

Just then, a whole afternoon passed by without much hurdle.

After dark, she just went down to eat. Gideon tried to engage her in a conversation but it was her first day being a married girl so she declined his offer to stay.

"Won't you be lonely upstairs?" he asked.

She bit her bottom lip. "Why would I be?"

Gideon grinned and stood. He walked close to her while she stepped back until her back hit the wall. She glared at him. "What are you doing?"

Tang was long gone and nowhere in sight. Basically, it was only her and Gideon alone in the living room. Her heart beat fast when she caught mischief in his eyes. "S-Stop! Don't come any closer!"

The obscure scenes inside Tiara's phone that she saw during class in their senior high years resurfaced in her mind. That girl told her that the video in her phone was a play that every married couples do. Of course, reading erotic novels made her understand what that video was all about.

Would Gideon initiate that play?

Her face paled. Although she was curious but she's more nervous. She's afraid of the pain that every heroine experienced during their first nights together with the hero.

"Are you in pain?" Gideon asked and frowned while looking her pale face. "Tell me. I'll soothe your pain away." He pulled her close and embraced her. His hand patted her back.

Jewel calmed down at his gesture. She shook her head.

Feeling that her trembling stopped, Gideon lifted her up and walked to the stairs. He climbed his way to Jewel's room and laid her in the soft mattress. He looked at the girl lying below him and caressed her soft cheeks. Jewel bit her lip and looked away. "Are you g-gonna..."

"Hmm?"

Her lips trembled. She glared at him and pushed his naughty hand away. "I'm tired," she whispered and turned back.

Gideon lost the warmth from his hand. He looked at the stubborn girl and sighed.

It was not his intention to scare her away but the beauty his wife possessed could not be neglected. The first time that he saw her portrait, he was mesmerized to the point that he looked high and low for the girl who moved his frozen heart since Angela, his first love, left him for another man.

He spent years before he finally caught the beauty that haunted his dreams for years yet it was not an easy feat, for he lost everything before he gained the woman he longed for.