Font Size:  

“It’s great,” I say.

“What are you going to do for dinner tonight?” Mom asks.

I shrug. “I’ll rustle something up.”

“Do you think you could make something for Miles, too? You don’t have to, but I feel guilty about leaving him on his first night here.”

Jeez. Talk about testing me.

I could tell Mom I couldn’t make him dinner. It would make me feel too domestic, too wife-like, a preview of the future I can’t afford to entertain, but Mom is looking at me with too much hope. She prides herself on being a good hostess.

“Sure,” I say, nodding. “That’s not a problem.”

The door opens, and Noah and Miles walk in.

Miles has his T-shirt on again, but he’s so sweaty it’s sticking to his body.

“Sorry we have to abandon you this evening,” Mom says, “but Layla has offered to cook you a feast fit for a king.”

I’m about to protest that, first, I didn’t offer, and second, I didn’t say I’d cook afeast. Then Miles looks at me closely, and suddenly, nothing else matters.

No consequences exist—just us.

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” he asks.

I swallow, wondering if he imagines kissing me, us holding each other, the passion moving into heated territory to places that should make me nervous, considering my experience. Or mylackof experience, really.

“It’s no trouble at all,” I tell him.

So, there it is, all planned out—our first date.

CHAPTERFOUR

Miles

After buttoning up my shirt, I brush my hair, then sigh gently.

Noah and Elena have already left.

From downstairs, I can hear the radio and smell spices. I hear my woman rushing around the kitchen and the clattering of pots and pans. This is far too close to the life I dreamed about. Being with my woman, having her cook meals for me… and then after…

“Be. Good.”

I say that firmly under my breath as a reminder. I’ll need a lot of those.

Layla is beautiful as she chops vegetables. Something is sizzling on the stove, and she has her back to me, standing in the kitchen’s light. She’s tied her hair up in a bun, a few wild strands spiraling.

I watch her for as long as I can, pretending I’ve slipped through reality, slipped through time, and we’re about to share a meal as husband and wife.

She’s startled when she spots me, almost dropping the chopping board. I dart forward, catching it.

“Thanks,” she says. “I had no clue you were there.”

“It’s my fault for sneaking around,” I tell her.

I hold the board, my hand an inch from hers, close enough to slide it the rest of the way and feel her warmth—the heat I’ve dreamed about every night since leaving her.

“It’s nothing crazy,” she says, carrying the chopping board to the stove. “A nice and simple stir-fry. Lots of meat. You probably need the protein after your workout earlier.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like