She walked up to him and tugged on his shirt’s hem, pulling him closer. “You keep that up and you’re going to find yourself in an ill-advised relationship again, Daniel Collins.” She pulled back, her brow furrowing. “Thatisyour real name, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s my real name,” he said. He leaned forward and rested his forehead on hers. “And there is nothing stopping us from being in a relationship anymore. We’re free and clear.”
“Are we?” She wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Yes.” He nodded. “Is it too soon to admit that I am completely in love with you, Samiah Brooks?”
“Hmm, I’m not sure,” she said. “I’ll have to wait until London and Taylor get back and ask them what the boyfriend project handbook says about that.”
He arched a brow. “The boyfriend project?”
“I’ll explain later. For now, just kiss me.”
Epilogue
Are you sure this recipe calls for a fourth cup of chili flakes? That seems like a lot.”
“I’m sure.Buldakliterally means ‘fire chicken,’” Daniel said. He gestured to the small jar of deep red paste. “And when it comes to heat level, the chili flakes have nothing on the gochujang over there.”
“This dish is going to kill me,” Samiah said, experiencing true fear as the delicious-smelling sauce gurgled in the saucepan.
“I thought you said you liked it spicy. Don’t wimp out on me now.” He leaned over and placed the sweetest kiss on her lips. “You’ll love it, I promise.”
She would probably end up in the ER, but she’d deal with that disaster if it came to pass. Whatever the outcome of their meal, it would be worth it just for the opportunity to watch Daniel Collins’s sexy ass go to work in the kitchen. Having a man who cooked was one thing, having a man who looked likethatwhen he cooked? That was #lifegoals. She’d reached an entirely new level of living her best life.
“What time is your flight tomorrow?” Samiah asked, unable to suppress the poutiness in her tone.
“Six.”
“In the morning?You’re not expecting a ride to the airport, are you?”
His head flew back with his crack of laughter. “If I was planning to ask you, I guess I have my answer.”
She moved to stand behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek on his leanly muscled back. “I’m one hundred percent down with being the supportive girlfriend, but I don’t do early mornings.”
“I’ll catch a cab,” he said over his shoulder. “My meeting starts promptly at ten, so it was either leave tonight or take the first flight out in the morning.” He turned in her arms, settling his clasped hands at the base of her spine. “I don’t mind waking up before the crack of dawn if it means I get to spend the night with you.”
The naughtiest tingles swept through her, causing her body to rival the heat level of the killer chicken they were about to eat.
She hated that he would be gone for an entire two weeks, but when he came back to Austin at the end of the month, it would be permanent. Well, as permanent as things were in his line of work.
Over these past two weeks, she’d learned that his job took him to all parts of the country, and even sometimes out of the country. He’d been back to the DC area twice already, and would be flying to some country in the Baltics next month. He couldn’t even disclose which country. It would take her a minute to get used to the lack of transparency, but she would do what she had to do. If Daniel was willing to pack up his life and move to the San Antonio/Austin field office in order to be with her, she could learn how to deal with his demanding job schedule.
He kissed the tip of her nose. “Will you miss me?”
“No,” she said. He pinched her ass. “Fine.” She laughed. “Yes, yes, I will miss you terribly. Especially your cooking.”
“Maybe by the time I return I’ll be able to invite you tomyplace to cook,” he said. He’d spent the past couple of weeks in a hotel just south of downtown, which meant any cooking was done at her place.
Samiah had been upfront when it came to her feelings about their living arrangements. They didn’t know each other well enough to move in together just yet. It was as simple as that. She still wasn’t sure if everything shethoughtshe knew about him was fact or just part of the persona that had been created for his undercover job at Trendsetters. They were still feeling their way around the fallout of everything that happened last month.
Even so, when he texted her yesterday to let her know he’d found an apartment not too far from the hotel where he was now staying, she’d told him to sign a six-month lease instead of a full year. She suspected he wouldn’t make it through half of that. She wanted him here with her.
His arms still wrapped around her waist, Daniel nudged his chin toward where she’d placed her tablet on the kitchen counter. “Is it done?” he asked.
Samiah could barely contain the smile that broke out over her face.
“It’s done,” she said. She’d taken three additional vacation days and used them to put the finishing touches on her app and the application for the Future in Innovation Tech Conference.
