“Like it?”
“I’d marry it if I could,” I answered before finishing the last of the melting ice cream.
Felix smiled, leaning over the opposite side of the island. He cut into his apple with the side of his fork. “Next weekend Alan and I are putting up our tree.” He looked away briefly from his dessert. “Do you want to come over?”
“Are you sure? That sounds a bit like family time to me.”
“I’m sure,” Felix answered.
“Guys?”
We both looked to the doorway. Alan was dressed in his pajamas.
Felix straightened. “Off to bed?”
“Yeah.” Alan meandered into the kitchen, stole a bite of Felix’s food, then gave him a hug. “Night,” he said around a full mouth.
“Sleep well.”
Alan looked at me. “See you tomorrow.”
“Good night, Alan.”
He left the kitchen as quietly as he’d come.
I stood from the stool. “I guess that’s my cue too.” I walked around the island, took Felix’s hips, and pulled him into a kiss. “I’ll see you soon?”
“Yeah.”
I kissed him again, but when I took a step back, Felix grabbed my hand. “What?”
He spoke at the floor very softly. “Stay.”
“It’s a school night,” I answered.
Felix’s shoulders dipped a bit, and he let go of my hand. “Right, sorry.”
“No, I mean—Alan, and everything.” I stepped toward him and raised his chin. “If you want me to stay, I will.”
“It’s not an inconvenience?” Felix asked.
“Of course not.” I mean, I didn’t have a change of clothes or a toothbrush, but fuck it. I pressed my palm against his cheek and kissed him again. “Say please,” I whispered against his mouth.
“Please.”
“Please what?”
His mouth quirked into a little smile, and Felix raised his eyes. “Please stay the night.”
I took a step to the side and grabbed our half-eaten apples. “Go lock the house up. I’ll put everything away.” After Felix left, I pawed through a few kitchen drawers, found Saran Wrap to cover the plates with, then stuck them in the fridge. I rinsed off the bowls and measuring utensils Felix used for baking, and put them in the dishwasher. After wiping the counters down, I shut off the light and walked out of the kitchen.
The rest of the house was already dark by the time I finished, save for an overhead left on at the top of the staircase—an invitation if there ever was one. I tiptoed upstairs and slipped past Alan’s door. As cool as the kid was, and he really was chill with me dating his dad, I didn’t want to advertise that I was staying the night after only one week.
Although technically I guess this could have been considered our third date.
I eased open the door to Felix’s room and looked around. The headboard of a king-size bed was pushed up against the wall, leaving room on either side to walk around. The pillows and comforter were various shades of a cool gray and subdued yellow, an odd combination that Felix somehow made work. The far wall had a curtain pulled across nearly its entire length—in daytime the view of a winter wonderland from a head-to-toe glass wall on the second floor must be heart-stoppingly beautiful.
Felix came out of a connecting master bathroom as I shut the bedroom door. He was the only man I knew who wore a matching pajama set and managed to look sexy doing it. “Do you want to borrow some clothes? They might be a bit big, though.”
