He rolls his eyes. “Leo, I saw you naked last night, you fucking goof.”
He rips the covers from me, and I immediately move my arms to cover myself, but he scoops me up and over his shoulder and plants a firm slap to my ass.
“Everett! Put me down! I need clothes on!”
He begins walking to the kitchen, “No, you don’t. I plan on eating you after breakfast anyway. It would be highly efficient if you were already naked.”
“Oh my God! You are not doing that in my kitchen!”
“Yes, I am.” His arrogance is pouring from his voice.
He plops me down onto the kitchen counter, completely naked, and then stands between my legs. Warm hands land on my hips. The coolness of the counter sends shivers up my body, and he takes note.
“Fine.”
He reaches behind his head and pulls his shirt off then dresses me in it. It falls to the counter, gathering around my ass and hips. It smells like him, leather and cinnamon, and I am in heaven.
“What do you want to eat?” He begins looking through all my cabinets, and I cringe at the lack of anything he will find that would be up to his standards.
“Umm, all I have is instant oatmeal, bread, eggs, and maybe cereal.”
His head falls forward, and he lets out a sigh. “Thank God I am here now so you and Rune don’t have to live off instant oatmeal and eggs. Jesus.”
“Hey! I do my best.” I say it jokingly but the look in his eyes is devastating.
“I know. You did good, baby. But now I’m here. No more cheap meals. Only the best for my girl and my boy.”
That last remark hits me in the gut like a sledgehammer. I guess we do have some talking to do. Might as well start now. I hop off the counter and begin making our coffee. I pour the frothed heavy cream over the rich coffee and then sprinkle it with cinnamon. I also drizzle honey on top of his but leave it off my own. “Are you? Here, I mean? For good?”
He looks at me with his teeth clenched. “Of course. I will not have you believing that I would ever leave you. Do you hear me?” He moves toward me, his presence daunting. His hands come up around my jaw, and his thumbs graze my cheeks.
“Hear me loud and fucking clear, Leo. Nothing and no one could take me from you. I don’t care what happens. I am here. Till my last fucking breath, I am here. Never let anyone tell you otherwise. No matter what happens. You are mine, and so is Rune. Do you understand?”
His eyes are angry, but not at me. I nod.
“Words, Leo. Use them.” The dominance in his voice leaves me breathless.
“Yes. I understand,” I whisper.
“Good girl. Now…” He kisses me hard and rough. “Do you still like your eggs scrambled and toast practically burnt like a fucking lunatic?”
He steps back, and I feel myself lean forward, as if he has his own gravity pulling me with him.
“Yes.”
I know he hears the desperation for him in my voice, because he looks at me like he really does plan on eating me after breakfast.
He finishes our breakfast, and I finish our coffee, and we sit next to each other at the small kitchen island.
“Tell me about your life after you left,” he says between bites of his unburnt toast.
I knew this was coming, that he would want to know about my life, but how do I wrap up eight years over breakfast? But he deserves for me to try.
“Well, after I left, I took a bus until I ran out of money. I just tried to get as far away as possible. I had enough saved to stay in a hotel while I looked for work.” I shudder at the memory of the dirty hotel I stayed in. It wasn’t safe, but it was all I could afford at the time.
Ev just waits patiently as he eats, keeping his eyes on me.
“I was lucky to find Miss Dianna’s salon. She had a help wanted sign and interviewed me on the spot.” I chuckle, remembering how pathetic I must have been.
