Rico was just about to get the mixing bowl when he stopped. Maybe the reason Mitch sounded odd was because he didn't want him here.
Since Mitch walked into the kitchen, all Rico wanted to do was pounce on him and climb all over that gorgeous man. But it seemed like Mitch didn't even want to lay eyes on him this morning. Maybe the two of them were right back where they started, and last night meant nothing.
Rico turned to eye Mitch. "If you don't want me here," he started to say.
"Did I say I didn't?" Mitch asked him but stayed turned away.
"You don't need to. I like to leave before I'm kicked out," Rico told him harshly.
For a little while there was only a heavy silence between them as Rico watched Mitch's back tense. Suddenly Mitch wheeled on him. "You don't get to turn my whole world upside down and just walk away," Mitch said, his words abrupt and angry.
Rico was startled both by his growly attitude and what he said. His eyes narrowed as he wondered what the hell Mitch was telling him.
"You don't want this thing between us to be over? You wouldn't be relieved?" he questioned Mitch, or maybe accused him.
Rico didn't know what to believe, and the worst thing he could do now was get his hopes up. Or maybe the worst thing he could do was push Mitch away. Or maybe the best.
Rico covered his face with his hands. He felt like his head was going to explode. "Why did you have to do this?" he asked in an anguished voice. He was asking himself, blaming himself for falling for Mitch. Blaming Mitch for being impossible to resist.
But Mitch misunderstood him. In a voice so rough it was painful to hear, he asked Rico, "Do you regret what we did last night? Is that what you're saying?"
"Of course not," Rico said and let his hands fall to his sides as he frowned at Mitch.
"Then you still think that I would cheat on you." Mitch shook his head. "You don't know me at all, do you?"
"Cheat," Rico said slowly absorbing the word. He did say cheat. Did that mean he took what was going on between them seriously? As Mitch glared at him with hurt and anger in his eyes, Rico realized that he shouldn't let him think that. "No. I don't think you would cheat on me. Not if I meant anything to you," Rico said slowly.
Laced with a mixture of fear and hope, his voice was so faint he thought the pounding of his heart might drown it out. His head was still crowded with too many questions. What did he mean to Mitch? He had no idea. Rico was sure of him as a person but not as a lover.
"You mean a lot to me," Mitch said, his voice almost as faint as Rico's had been. From that he knew that Mitch found it hard to admit that. It was easier for him to speak out of anger and frustration than to simply say that Rico meant something to him.
Where did that leave them? Rico didn't know. While he was trying to figure it out, Mitch stepped toward him, cupped his face with both hands and kissed him.
Rico leaned into that kiss, locked his arms around Mitch tight. After last night, he wanted to fall into him, hold on and never let go.
Mitch seduced him so easily, melted away more of his doubts with every swipe of his tongue. Rico was such a fool for him. There he was getting carried away again, letting the way Mitch kissed him take over his whole body and his mind.
They pulled apart just in time to avoid being caught by Sammy. She was running into the kitchen looking very unhappy.
"Daddy, fix Miss Lulu," she said mournfully while holding up a doll sewn together from a patchwork of flowery fabrics with hair braided from yellow knitting yarn.
"What happened to her?" Mitch asked as he leaned down to examine the doll.
"She has an ouchy on her tummy," Sammy said. She pointed to a worn spot on the doll's middle that had turned into a hole. "Fix her, Daddy."
"I can duck tape it," Mitch offered. Rico wasn't sure he was serious, but either way, that wasn't acceptable to Sammy.
"No. No ducky tape."
"I can staple it," he said, and now he had to be kidding.
"No, Daddy. Fix her," Sammy pleaded and gave him a pitiful look.
Rico jumped in with a possible solution. "I saw a sewing kit in a cabinet in the rose room. I'll get it." He came back with the sewing kit and showed Sammy what he found inside. "Look, a patch in the shape of a sunflower. That will look nice and it will fix the hole."
"You know how to fix Miss Lulu?" Sammy said to him, but Rico wasn't sure he could do a good job sewing that on.
"I can glue the patch on there," Mitch offered.
