“A maybe?” I leaned back and said, not taking my gaze from his.
“I’ll take it.”
“As for the Four Seasons, that’s a no. You can come back. I see you’ve already showered and raided the clothes you left here. Now, get to cluing me in…” I flashed my free hand around the kitchen.
Daniel cleared his throat, his palm ghosting along my cheek. “Well, I cooked. It seems like it was a success, but we won’t know for sure until you taste it.”
I walked over to the stovetop and lifted a lid. “Paella?” I took in the yellow rice with what looked like sausage and shrimp and a variety of vegetables.
“Paella,” his deep voice confirmed.
“From a Scot?”
He laughed and the lines by his eyes crinkled in accordance. “Well, I asked Ryan’s assistant to help me, and her mom is from Spain so this is what we came up with.”
I felt myself nodding. “And what, you didn’t sleep, Ubered around shopping for my dog and food?”
“Tsk, tsk. You clearly haven’t been paying attention to us Hollywood types. We have a guy who has a guy who knows a girl who did everything for me. Ran out for the groceries and then snatched up a hot outfit for Rourke.” He stood next to me and lifted the lid. “Smells good, yeah?”
“It does,” I whispered.
“Then let’s eat.” While he was plating the food, he said, “Rourke, can you show this lady to her seat at the counter?”
I took that as my cue and went to sit, the red Cabernet making sense now with paella on the menu.
Mostly, I was so happy to have Daniel back that he could have served me a Happy Meal and I wouldn’t have cared.
Daniel
Much later that evening, I sat on the edge of the bed as Wren changed into a satin robe, rubbing lotion on her hands.
“Safe to say, cleaning up after you cook is harder on my skin than scrubbing into surgery…”
“Very funny, but next time I’ll opt for takeout.” She walked toward me and shimmied in between my legs, arms on my shoulders. “Is this okay? I don’t want you to think I’m being too pushy,” I asked sincerely.
“Thank you for calling, for coming back,” Wren whispered, allaying my fears. She bent and brushed her lips across mine.
“I love you, Birdie,” I mumbled along her mouth.
“I love you. I didn’t want to, but I do,” she said to me while sinking to her knees.
I wasn’t sure what Wren was up to—or I had a fairly good idea but I didn’t want her to feel pressure.
As she unbuttoned my jeans, I lifted my ass, and she tugged them off, saying, “It’s a lot to ask of you, moving your life here. I know…”
“Bird—”
“No, it is. I could relocate, but I’ve made a reputation for myself here. I don’t want to go to LA and operate on all your friends.” She said all this as she removed my boxer briefs.
I had no idea how she was concentrating and speaking and doing everything at the same time. If she wasn’t wrapping her hand around my length, I’d laugh. But in the moment, I couldn’t do much more than look at her with googly eyes. Finding my voice, I said, “You would make a reputation anywhere, but I don’t want you to leave the one you have created.”
Her mouth slipped over my tip, silencing me. She worked me with her fingers, tight, and her tongue. The way she’d come to know I loved. My hands scraped through her hair, pulling it out of the bun it had been secured into and letting it fall loose.
“Wren,” I growled, “I don’t want to finish yet.” I tugged under her arm, guiding her up and over me. Sliding back, I somehow got us to the top of the bed, against the pillows. Our mouths fused, doing what our lower halves ached to do.
On a moan, I broke free, tugging my shirt off. I rolled her and my hand slipped inside her robe, finding her nipple and squeezing as her pelvis lifted and ground into me.
“I want you,” Wren moaned into my ear before nipping her way down my neck. She put her hand between us and tried to guide me inside her, but I had other ideas.
