Ileft the lot as soon as I was able that evening, in a rush to gather ingredients, even though I hadn’t decided on what to cook. I wanted something impressive, but I hadn’t left myself with a lot of time, not if I also wanted to shower and change, which wasn’t a question.
In the end, I decided to throw together a pasta, one of my dad’s favorite recipes, and focused on dressing my apartment up a bit. On a whim, I’d picked up some tulips at the grocers, and they now sat pride of place on the table in an old canister I’d found at the back of the pantry.
I’d even managed to locate some tea lights in the back of the bathroom cupboard. I really should take the time to explore my apartment more.
Thankfully, all my effort wouldn’t go to waste. Audrey had reconfirmed earlier that she was still coming since she’d postponed two other times this last week for work. It was hard to see her slaving away without being able to help. I knew how much the launch meant to her, and if there was some way I could …
Huh. There was a thought.
I opened up Instagram on my phone and took a quick shot of the bottle of MacMillan rum Audrey had given me. Due to the show’s younger fanbase, I tended not to share much in terms of alcohol, but this was for a good cause.
Adding a praise emoji and a drink responsibly hashtag, I threw it up on my stories. It’ll only be up for twenty-four hours, but I was sure that would be enough, and I liked being able to show support for Audrey’s work.
Pocketing my phone, I looked over my haphazard attempt at a romantic setup. I hoped it played as more romantic than silly.
Luckily, it was too late to second guess it because the buzzer went, signaling Audrey was on her way up.
Fingers crossed, I didn’t fuck this all the way up.
She was a vision when I opened the door, silencing my thoughts and damn near stopping my heart.
A black silk skirt hugged the soft curve of her waist to her thighs, the material skimming her mid-calf. On top, a soft black t-shirt was knotted at the small of her waist, its short sleeves showing off the galaxy of freckles that dotted her milky skin.
I was so enamored; it took me a minute to realize the print on her shirt was the show’s logo.
“What do you think? Too fan-girly?” she said, motioning to the shirt.
And all I was able to do was shake my head in response. The overwhelming need to have this woman overrode my every other thought.
Nothing was cooked yet; maybe wecouldjust skip straight to dessert for a while.
She stepped in and kissed my cheek. “Hi, handsome.” Her hair, loosely curled today, tickled my nose before she pulled back, the smell of her shampoo lingering in its wake. “Mmm.” She appraised me, one hand molding to my bicep, the heat of her hand searing through the thin material of my shirt. “You look good tonight.”
I slid a hand to her neck, caressing the line of her jaw with my thumb. “You look good every night.” Then I leaned in to capture those perfect pink lips with mine.
Her hands slipped around my neck, and I felt her weight shift as the door closed behind her. She pushed forward, closer, her nails lightly scratching my scalp, causing heat to race through me, and I gripped her hips closer.
Then she kissed along my jaw. “I’ve been thinking about you all day. I even wore something extra special.”
Ever since our first night together, Audrey had been getting progressively more confident in herself, in her sexuality. I didn’t know what I did to deserve her, but I was damn thankful that it was me she wanted to share this with.
Just as she was nibbling on my ear and arching into me, I remembered that I wanted tonight to be more than just sex, and reluctantly, oh so reluctantly, I pulled away.
“Come on. I’m just about to make us dinner.”
“Oh? You were serious?” I took her hand and guided her around the sofa to the dining table. “Wow.” The word was quiet, merely a breath. It gave nothing away, and I was dying to know what she was thinking, but also a little scared of it, too.
“What is all this?” she asked, still facing the table, no doubt taking in the flowers, candles, everything.
“I got some good news today and thought we could celebrate.”
“Jace …” her voice hopeful, yet tentative. “This is incredible.” Her hold tightened in mine, and the nerves settled within me.
“Don’t speak too soon. You haven’t tried my cooking yet.”
When in doubt, push on and hope for the best. I moved into the kitchen, and Audrey settled down on a stool, eager to watch me work.
Ok, maybe my nerves weren’t completely gone. “I was just about to start dinner. I hope you like carbonara. It’s not as good as my dad’s, but it’s close, and I even managed to find proper guanciale, which is the only way to really have it.”
