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You are beautiful, Christopher. So many kinds of beautiful. And if things go the way I want them to, I’ll be able to spend the rest of my life proving it to you.
I shook my head. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. I had a plan to stick to, and Rush wasn’t part of it. No one was. Just me. I’d brought all this upon myself with my stupidity, and I was the one who had to pay for it.
Me.
Just me.
“Christopher, food’s ready!” I heard Rush call.
I needed to tell him I wasn’t feeling well and that I was going to lie down. He’d stop taking down my wall, he’d leave breakfast for me to eat later, and he’d leave me alone to get some rest. I’d have the time I needed to shore up my defenses.
Yeah, that was what I would do.
“Coffee or juice or both?” Rush shouted. “Never mind, I’ll do both!”
I smiled to myself when I heard him let out a curse right before the fire alarm went off.
“Extinguisher is under the sink!” I yelled even as a fit of laughter threatened to consume me. I quickly downed the rest of my pills and hurried down the stairs. The acrid smell of smoke hit me long before I reached the kitchen.
“Everything okay down here?” I asked. Rush had his back to me and appeared to be stirring something in a mixing bowl. He was wearing different clothes from the day before. His jeans were a little darker, and he had on a dark blue T-shirt. There was a sheen of smoke in the air around him, but I barely noticed. I was too busy drooling over his tattooed biceps.
“All good,” he said as he turned around. “How many pancakes do you want?”
I managed to tear my eyes away, but when Rush gave me a little wink, I knew he’d caught me ogling his yummy body.
“What happened to the breakfast sandwiches?” I asked with a raise of my brow. The question put me back on more even ground. I swore I saw Rush’s cheeks actually turn a bit pink.
“Oh, um,” Rush began as he glanced at the sink, which had what looked like a cookie sheet sticking out of it. “Too many trans fats in them.”
“Trans fats?”
Rush nodded. “That shit will kill you.”
“Isn’t that why the US banned the use of it in most foods a couple years back?” I asked.
Rush paused for a moment and then set the bowl down on the island. It was then that I noticed two places were already set.
I lifted my eyes only to nearly swallow my tongue with the way Rush was watching me. He looked like he wanted me for breakfast.
Yes, please.
I held my breath as he came around the island and closed the distance between us. I fully expected him to kiss me, but when his chest brushed mine, he didn’t drop his head to take my mouth. Instead, he reached past me, and I realized he’d only been attempting to get to the counter behind me.
I felt like a fool and took a step back. I dropped my eyes in embarrassment because Rush had probably known what I’d been expecting.
But leave it to Rush to do the unexpected because not more than a couple seconds later, something soft brushed my lips and then my nose.
“Leave it to me to go crazy for a guy who’s both a hottie and a smartie,” Rush said softly as the scent of roses tickled my senses.
I opened my eyes and took in the sight of the most perfect rose I’d ever seen. It wasn’t red though. It was a beautiful shade of light purple that seemed to have some hints of pink in it too.
I’d been on the verge of contradicting Rush’s statement about me being hot and smart, but the single rose he was holding between his fingers took my breath away. I looked up at him in surprise.
“I didn’t know which color you liked, so the guy at the flower shop suggested I pick one based on its meaning. I picked lilac because it represents happiness. That and love at first sight. I guess most of your romance books don’t do love at first sight—
I shook my head and sniffed back the tears. “Those were always my favorite,” I admitted. “It’s beautiful, Rush.”
“You’re beautiful,” Rush responded. He brushed his mouth gently over mine and then handed me the flower. I didn’t miss the way his hand trembled just a bit as he held it out for me to take.
I took it and used my free hand to dash at my eyes to try and keep the tears at bay.
“I wasn’t sure if you had a vase for it or not, so the guy from the flower shop suggested I get one just in case and I could always return it if you didn’t.”
