“Umm… I did,” Apollo says walking out of the kitchen. “Shit. You’re mad. I thought you’d be happy. I’m sorry.”
“No no,” I say wanting to smack myself. “I am happy the shoveling got done but I wasn’t expecting it and dropped our dinner and spilled it all over the sidewalk.” I hold up the wrinkled and grease-stained paper bag.
I thought he’d be upset but the widest, brightest grin stretches and wrinkles his cheeks. “Good thing I cooked.”
“You did what?” The spices and savory beef finally register. And I can’t help the satisfied sigh that escapes me. “It smells amazing.”
With an even wider smile, Apollo steps aside to reveal a beautiful place setting. One of my mom’s lace table clothes covers the little square table. A pair of glass candle holders with tall, white tapered candles I had bought because they were pretty but have never had, and never thought I would have, a reason to use are flickering on either side of a bottle of my favorite Riesling.
“You did this…?” I ask as a lump forms in my throat. My heart swelling with a level of appreciation and warmth I’ve never felt before. “For me?”
Apollo takes my arm and leads me to the table. After pulling a chair out for me, he takes the ruined bag of food from me as I sit. My stomach grumbles excited to devour the gorgeous steak on the plate in front of me.
“Is there anything you can’t do?” I ask him.
“Would you like to test me?” He says in an overly suggestive tone I've come to expect before throwing the sexiest wink my way as he sits around the corner from me.
My muscles go all gooey.
It’s no wonder he’s a movie star. Or why women flock to him. He exudes charisma and sex appeal and all those things that make going to see an actor in a movie irresistible. But that’s not what makes me melt and want to flock to him. I’ve never seen his movies. I’m not in the least bit star-struck.
I just like the way he looks at me like I’m the only person in the world worth looking at. I’m grateful he’s done things for me that I've always had to do for myself. He has no idea how much this dinner and him scooping the snow means.
My eyes burn as tears threaten to spill over my cheeks. “Thank you, Apollo,” I say and the tears flow.
“Lily, baby,” Apollo says sliding off his chair to crouch beside me. “Oh, I’m doing this all wrong, aren’t I?”
“No. Just the opposite. You’ve done everything perfectly. I’m just not used to having things done for me. It’s all a bit overwhelming. All at once.” I take a deep breath that shakes my lungs when I exhale through pursed lips trying to calm myself. I’m not sure it’s going to work but then Apollo reaches up and wipes the tears from my cheeks with his thick thumbs as his hands cup my jaw.
“It is tragic you have no one who does things for you,” he says without a hint of humor.
“I’ve gotten used to it.”
He holds my face more firmly forcing our eyes to meet. “Not anymore. Lily Carmichael. Get ready because I’m going to spoil the hell out of you.”
“Umm… Okay.” Don’t know what all that will involve but he seems determined. I don’t think there’s much point in me trying to argue. To be honest, I don’t want to. If this insanely gorgeous, sweet man wants to spoil plain-Jane me, I’m not going to stop him.
“Eat,” he says tapping the tip of his index finger on the end of my nose. “When you’re done, you go kick your feet up and leave the dishes to me.”
“You know I don’t have a dishwasher right?”
“You do now,” he says pointing both thumbs at himself.
“I’ll try,” I say and he quirks a curious brow at me. “I’m pretty bad at letting other people do work I should be doing.”
“Try to think of it as my way of earning my keep. Hey,” he blurts clapping his hands before throwing his arms wide with revelation in his voice. “If it makes you feel better, we can split chores.” Then he leans in and whispers in a conspiratorial tone that makes me hot between my thighs. “But don’t be surprised if you find I’ve done your chores too. Because I wasn’t kidding about spoiling you. And what better way than for you to come home and not have to lift a finger.”
My cheeks bloom with heat. Because I might lift a finger tonight. While thinking about him.
The twinkle in his blue eyes makes me wonder if he can read my mind. The way my heart is hammering so hard against my ribs, he can probably hear it.
If he does know the naughty things I’m thinking, he doesn’t say.
When he sits back, I don’t waste any time. Hoping to shift the focus away from me, I cut off a corner of my steak and shove it into my mouth. The red meat practically melts on my tongue. “Holy shit. That’s delicious.”
Apollo snorts.
“What?” I ask with my mouth still full. When I realize this, I slap my hand over it. “Sorry,” I mumble behind my hand.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you swear before.”
After I swallow, I explain, “Yeah. When I took over raising Blue, I wanted to set the best example possible. Training myself not to swear was part of that.”
“Should I take it as a compliment that my cooking drew one out of you?”
“Yes, you definitely should.” I pick up the healthy pour of wine in my glass and tip it to take a drink.
“New goal,” Apollo proclaims in a kingly voice holding his fork in the air. “My success will now be measured in Lily swears.”
I hold my hand over my mouth again. This time to keep from spraying wine out of my nose.
