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“Hey,” I reply, pulling her into my arms the second she’s within reach. I press my mouth to hers before she has a chance to say anything else, desperately wanting to kiss her after the weirdness of the past twenty-four hours. “It’s good to see you,” I murmur against her lips. “I missed you.”
She smiles, sneaking a hand to my ass, which she squeezes once. “Sweet talker,” she says, kissing me quickly before she walks inside.
I close the front door, watching as she makes her way toward the kitchen, pulling a bottle of wine from her bag, which she puts on the counter, before dropping her bag onto one of the bar stools. Everything about it, from the way she looks standing in my kitchen to the way she glances back at me smiling, makes my heart trip over itself.
I like this.
Having her here in my home.
“You okay?” she asks, watching me walk over.
I slip my arm around her waist and pull her close, kissing the side of her neck before nuzzling against her. “I am now,” I murmur, lifting my head as I add, “Drink?”
Tessa gives me a strange look, her head tipped to the side as though she’s trying to work out what’s going on. Smiling, I lean in and kiss the end of her nose before letting her go and walking into the kitchen to grab some glasses.
I slide them over to her, before turning back to put the beef Bourgoin in the oven, setting a timer so I don’t forget to take it out. Leo has also given me some fresh sourdough bread and butter he actually made himself, along with some greens that apparently need three minutes in the microwave when I take the beef out of the oven.
When I finally turn back around, Tessa is watching me, a small smile on her face.
“What?” I ask, walking over to her and taking a seat on the stool beside her.
“Nothing,” she says, holding her glass up.
I grab the glass she’s poured me and hold mine up too. “What are we toasting to?”
“Fresh starts?” she suggests, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly as she watches me, waiting for my reaction.
“Fresh starts,” I repeat. “And honesty,” I add on, knowing that as awkward as things were, we do still need to talk about things.
“Fresh starts and honesty,” Tessa repeats, tapping her glass against mine before taking a sip. I do the same, my eyes never leaving hers as I wonder if I really can admit the truth to her.
We spend dinner talking casually, most of it around the work Tessa has been doing at Somerville’s and how everything is going. She’s slightly annoyed about some delays, but for the most part, is happy about the progress. Excited to see how Jack and Lauren’s house turns out before she turns to the restaurant expansion.
“Seems like you’ll be around for a while longer then?” I say, clearing our plates.
Tessa refills our glasses, emptying the bottle she brought. I grab another from my wine rack, before I pull the dessert from the fridge. It looks amazing, some meringue type thing that’s covered in cream and fruit and shit.
I chuckle at the look on her face as I rejoin her at the island. “Can’t take credit for any of this, I’m afraid. It’s all Leo.”
Tessa shakes her head, her eyes still on the dessert. “He’s an amazing chef,” she murmurs. “I can see why you get lunch there every day.”
“Speaking of work,” I prompt.
I watch as she takes in a long, deep breath, letting it out slowly before answering my question. “Yeah, if all goes well, then I’ll likely be working there for another year.”
My brows raise. “A year, huh, that’s pretty cool.”
Tessa tips her head to the side, watching me. “It is?”
Grinning, I reach over and grab her stool, pulling her closer. “Yeah, Tessa,” I whisper, my mouth brushing against hers. “It is. I like the idea of getting to see you every day.”
“You do?”
“Uh huh,” I murmur, kissing her again, deeper this time. “I’dliketo see you every day. Every night, too.”
Her eyes close, her body swaying toward mine a little, as I brush soft kisses against her lips. “As in…”
I smile, pulling back to watch her again. Tessa’s eyes open, her lips parted in a tiny O shape as she stares up at me. “As in, I want this with you, okay?”
