Cooking and baking had always been her thing, and he’d eaten way too much take-out over the years. While he tried to at least grill for his nephew most nights, they were getting tired of the staples.
“Of course.” Her face lit up. “I’d love to cook for you guys.” She wrinkled her nose. “Cooking for one is no fun.”
“What about Jude?” he asked, plowing through his pancakes. “Don’t you cook for her?”
“She works ‘til nine most nights, so she just grabs something from the deli next door.”
“Huh.” Sounded like she was alone in the apartment a lot, so making the move to his building shouldn’t be a hard sell. “You said something about picking up some of your things from the apartment today. Does that mean you’ve decided to take me up on my offer?”
“I need to talk to Jude about it first, but I thought I could stay for a few days at least, until I get on a good schedule with Drew. Beyond that, we’ll see.”
He wasn’t stupid enough to push when she’d already bent over backwards to accommodate him. Damn. He would give anything to bend her over and…
“Penny for your thoughts,” she whispered, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
“You don’t want to know what I was thinking.” He licked the cream residue off his lips, wishing he could enjoy the full flavour of another sticky substance on his tongue. “It would probably break another one of your rules.”
“I have no doubt.” She smiled, shaking her head. “If I’m going to be cooking for you guys I should go shopping this afternoon. You have the staples, but I’d like to pick up a few more things, if that’s okay?”
“By all means.” He couldn’t think of a single thing he would refuse her. “I’ll transfer two grand into your account later this morning. That should cover the expenses and groceries for the month. Hey, why don’t I just pre-pay you for the month while I’m at it? That would be easier than the weekly thing, right?” And it would mean she was committed to them for at least the next month.
She opened her mouth before snapping it shut again.
“What were you gonna say?”
“Just that it’s hard to get used to this.” She raised her hand, gesturing to him. “This grown-up version of you, who has it all together. Is finally independent, responsible—”
“You like it?” he asked, knowing damn well she did.
Her lips twitched before she acknowledged, “I have to say I do. It’s pretty sexy.”
“Sexy, huh?” He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face if he tried. “I’ll take that.”
“I bet you will.” She turned to the sink and filled it with soap and water before adding the skillet and mixing bowls. “Busy day today, boss man?”
He chuckled before cleaning his plate and wiping his face with the napkin she’d set out. “Yeah, I’ve got a few clients. Two pieces I’ll be able to finish today. The other is one of three sittings for a back piece.”
She turned to face him, looking adorably uncertain as she bit her lip. “Um, you ever cover tattoos?”
“Sure, sometimes.” He had a friend who was a master at creative designs that incorporated existing pieces. He sometimes called on her for inspiration. “Why do you ask?”
“I have a tattoo that I might like to cover eventually.” She sighed. “It was stupid. I never should have gotten it. Now it’s going to cost me a fortune to cover it, I’m sure—”
“Where is it?” He’d gladly do it for free if it made her happy. “I can take care of it.”
She pointed to her lower back, right above the swell of her bottom. “It’s, uh, my ex’s name.”
Red hot fury swept through him, mixed with irrational jealousy. He had no reason to be angry or jealous, but there it was. He wanted it to be his name inked on her body, not some other dude’s.
“Why don’t we step into the bedroom? You can show it to me?”
She glanced at Drew, who was still engrossed in Arthur. “Ok, as long as you promise not to judge. The work isn’t the best and—”
“I don’t care about the artist’s work, Harper.” He only cared about what it would take to get rid of it and how fast he could make that happen. “Come on.” He snagged her hand and dragged her towards the bedroom. “Just let me see it.”
She gave him her back and undid the button-fly on her skirt before peeling it down to her hips.
Damn. She was wearing a black thong and he had to move that out of the way so he could inspect the ink. He tried to remain cool and professional, but this was Harper, and there was just no way.
