Page 12 of Warm and Dry

Scott opened up, and the air slowly deflated from my lungs as I took him in. He was wearing a dark pullover with the sleeves pushed up so his firm forearms were on display and some comfy jeans.

The apartment smelled incredible, with something warm and savory wafting out. "Something smells delicious."

He took a step back and then opened his arms for me. "You said you’re not picky, but I figured a home-cooked meal is always a good first date."

First date? I liked the sound of that. And when I pressed against him and wrapped my arms around his neck, he smelled even better than the amazing aromas coming from his kitchen. “I can’t wait.” I wanted him to think I was talking about tasting his food, but I was more interested in tasting him.

“I just opened a bottle of wine, if you’d like to start with a drink.” He gently stepped back and slid his hand down to the center of my back as he nudged me to the peninsula that separated his kitchen from his dining room. “I also have beer.”

“Wine’s good.” I wasn’t a big wine drinker, but it was one of the fastest methods of getting a buzz, so a glass sounded great. While Scott poured two glasses, I noticed the lighting in the apartment was low and there was music playing softly in the background. “Thank you.”

I accepted the glass and copied Scott when he held his up for a toast. “Cheers.”

We clinked our glasses and each took a drink before a timer buzzed behind us.

“Oh, that’s the bread.” He put his glass on the counter then shoved his hand into an oven mitt. “I hope you’re hungry.”

"I was born hungry." I looked over his shoulder and my stomach growled at the sight and smells coming from the oven. "What are we having?"

"Short ribs. They've been going since this afternoon." He peeked into a large pot and then put the lid back. "With roasted asparagus and mashed potatoes."

“Oh my god, that sounds so good.” And heavy. Like no chance we were having sex kind of heavy. As excited as I was for dinner, I couldn’t help the little frown that formed on my face.

Scott moved around the kitchen like he knew what he was doing, so I did my best to stay out of his way. But after a minute, he stopped right in front of me and his brow furrowed. “What’s wrong?”

“What?” I realized that little frown might not have been so little. “Nothing.”

He exhaled and wiped his hand on a tea towel before placing his hand on the side of my neck. “What are you thinking about right this second?”

Fuck. “Um… Right this second?”

“Forest.” His voice was low and deep, and his tone left no room for avoiding it. “Tell Daddy what you’re thinking about, please.”

Holy shit. He called himself Daddy. I closed my eyes and let that tone tickle my balls as I blurted out the truth. “All that food sounds amazing and I can’t wait to eat it, but it’s definitely not sex-for-dessert kinda food.”

He was silent, letting my embarrassing confession just hang there until I cracked open one eye.

The grin on his face should have made me feel even more embarrassed, but it actually made me smile too. “Who needs potatoes and asparagus? We can use the bread for a few short rib sliders and go straight to dessert.”

“Really?”

That made him laugh and pull me in for a quick kiss on the side of my mouth. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

I wasn’t sure if he was teasing me or serious, but at least he knew where my mind was, and the ball was officially in his court.

We ate at his small dining table while catching up on our day. The short ribs were the best thing I'd eaten in my life, and when he only served half the meat and the fresh bread, I started to wonder if he was being serious about the dessert option being him…

The topic of work came up, and I mentioned the project from hell I was currently working on. It was a retrofit to bring an old manufacturing plant up to code. To my surprise, Scott asked questions that no one ever asked me about my work.

He amazed me more and more with every interaction. "You actually know about this stuff. "

"Mechanical engineering degree." He shrugged and then reached for the bottle to refill our glasses. "Never used it the traditional way, but it’s useful knowledge."

I nodded. "A laundry-preneur with an engineering degree."

"Living the dream." He winked, and the playful moment between us quickly turned heavy and thick with tension. “Basically a fantasy come true, at the moment.”

Aware of every morsel I put in my mouth, I finished my last bite and leaned back from the table, ready for dessert. “That was so good, Scott. Thank you.”