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He pulled me closer, his fingers grazing my back, sending a shiver down my spine. “I didn't think I'd be able to let someone so close, but I can't deny the way I feel for you,” he’d said, his voice filled with honesty and vulnerability. “You’re everything. Everything I never knew I needed. Everything I never let myself want.”
Our love was a mix of rough and gentle, and it turned out, we needed both. Because we were both. Fire and ice. Darkness and light. A perfect balance.
I shook my head, focusing back on the task at hand. Dinner for Gray and Enzo. I wanted tonight to be special, to show them both how much they meant to me, especially Gray, whose defenses I've slowly been peeling back, layer by stubborn layer.
I reached for the rosemary, rubbing the needle-like leaves between my fingers to release their aromatic oils before sprinkling them over the roasted potatoes. Enzo once joked that cooking was my love language, and maybe he was right. Each dish was a piece of me, a tangible representation of the care I put into the relationships that matter most. And Gray mattered, more than I ever anticipated.
“Something smells heavenly,” Enzo's voice danced through the kitchen, and I turned to see him leaning against the doorframe, his dark eyes twinkling with mischief.
“Wait until you taste it,” I said, giving him a wink. “You might just propose to me on the spot.”
“Darling, if I were straight, I'd be down on one knee already,” he quipped, sauntering over to peek into the pots and pans lining the stove.
“Flatterer,” I teased, but my heart swelled knowing he appreciated the effort. “Make yourself useful and set the table, will you?”
“Of course,” he replied with a mock salute before busying himself with plates and cutlery. “But I am sorry to tell you I already made plans, bella.”
“What?” I asked, disappointment evident in my exaggerated pout. “Plans with whom?”
“A cowboy on the down-low I met at the diner.”
I hit him in the chest with a pot holder. “You sly fox, why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
He shrugged. “It will probably go nowhere, but it might be fun until nowhere arrives,” he joked.
“Alright well, please be safe. Call me if you need me.”
“Yes, mama.” He joked, kissing me on the cheek and disappearing to get ready for his date.
Returning my focus to the meal, I gave the beef stew a final stir, the earthy scent of thyme and red wine melding with the tender chunks of meat and vegetables. I was no professional chef, but I'd learned enough from my travels to build up some flavor.
The sizzle of garlic hitting hot oil for the sautéed green beans was like a melody to my ears, the sound punctuating the quiet hum of anticipation that filled the room. It wasn’t just dinner; it was love, a tangible confession of my feelings, and perhaps a preview to the kind of life Gray and I could have together.
Or was I just totally delusional and in need of a chill pill? God, I’d said ‘I love you’ three hours ago and here I was playing house already.
I poured myself a glass of wine from the bottle I’d used in the stew and chugged it back.
The kitchen door creaked as Gray pushed it open, a rush of cool evening air chasing in after him. I glanced over my shoulder from where I stood by the stove, my hands momentarily stilling their work. The way his eyes widened at the sight of dinner spread out across the counter sent a thrill down my spine. A mix of rosemary and roasted garlic hung heavily in the air, wrapping around us like a warm blanket.
“Wow,” he said, his voice low with genuine surprise. “It smells incredible in here, princess.”
“Thanks,” I replied, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “I hope it tastes as good as it smells.”
He leaned against the door frame, his cowboy boots crossing at the ankles, the sleeves of his flannel shirt rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms. “I don't doubt it will,” he said, and there was something disarmingly tender in his gaze that made my heart skip a beat.
We settled at the rustic dining table, plates clinking softly as I served the stew, its steam curling up between us. He watched me, those blue eyes of his crinkling at the corners as I poured us each a glass of red wine.
“Enzo's missing out,” Gray noted, lifting his glass in a silent toast before taking a sip.
“He is,” I agreed with a laugh. “But more for us, right?”
“Absolutely.” His lips twitched into a smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. There was a shadow there, a hint of the gruffness that seemed to be his default. But tonight, it was tempered by something softer.
“Tell me about your day,” I urged, leaning forward, my elbows resting on the table. “Anything exciting happen?”
“Aside from getting into a fist fight and then having the best sex I’ve ever had? Oh, and being told you love me? That was the highlight.” He actually smiled at that, and it reached his eyes, giving little crinkles around them. I decided those little crinkles might be my favorite thing about Gray’s face.
“Chased a couple of stray calves back to their mothers, which should have been Mitch’s job, but he was off doing something or other with Walk. Then I did some paperwork for the sales of five quarter horses.
