“I’m using the one pan I bought for her that has never touched gluten. I’ll get more.”
“Oh, you don’t have to?—”
“I’ll get more,” he says again, and points with the tongs to a stool in front of the island. “Sit. Do you want orange juice?”
“Are you kidding me? I need coffee.”
He smirks and then stops to examine me. “How are you, Wildfire?”
“Tired. I slept hard, but I could drift right off again.” My yawn is wide and not a little embarrassing, and Brooks crosses to the fridge, where he pulls out a jug of juice and fills a pink glass, then hands it to me. “Drink this. I’m going to send you back to bed after breakfast.”
I take a sip and narrow my eyes at him.
Brooks is naturally bossy. He always has been. I’m sure being the oldest of five kids has something to do with it, but mostly, he’s just a dominant man.
Especially when it comes to sex.
My thighs clench at that thought.I love following his orders when he fucks me.
Not that we’re doing that. I just crashed here last night, nothing more.
“You’re really overthinking something over there.” He shakes his head at me.
Our conversation in the middle of the night seems to have changed things. I can feel the shift. He’s no longer looking at me like he wishes I’d disappear. Hesmilesat me. The tenderness that was always there before is back, but with the added benefit of many years of adulthood.
Thank God he doesn’t hate me anymore.
“It’s just a lot to take in. I feel like I’ve been overthinking foryears.” And now that things are calmer with this man, I can breathe again.
My stomach isn’t in knots.
That alone makes me want to cry like a freaking baby.
“You know, I didn’t take you for a queen-sized bed kind of man.”
Brooks smirks at that and then plates our food with bacon, eggs, fruit, and some yogurt. He passes me a pink plate.
I love that he has safe dishes for his niece.
“We didn’t stay in my room,” he says. “It’s the guest room.”
“Oh.” I nod and stuff some eggs in my mouth, trying to keep my face clear.
He didn’t want me in his room.
That’s okay. He didn’t have to bring me here at all, and it felt good to be in a cooler room without the mildewy smell that’s permeating my apartment.
“I didn’t want to take you in there without your consent, Wildfire. Not because I didn’t want you there.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Why are you suddenly reading my mind?”
His lips tip up in a half smile. “We may be starting over from scratch with each other, but I do still know parts of you.”
Starting over.
Is that what we’re doing?
Is that what I want to do?
