The tentative smile and flushed cheeks surprised me.
He’s nervous.
That endeared him to me more than any practiced seduction, and I swallowed hard.
“You haven’t. Yet. Let’s go to the bedroom.”
He followed at my heels and accepted the CUNY T-shirt I handed him and a clean pair of briefs. I couldn’t help but notice how well he filled out the stretchy cotton underwear, and he caught my stare, giving me a smirk and a wink.
“Enjoying the view?”
I smiled. “It’s a nice one.” I climbed into the bed and pulled the comforter down. Frisco eased in next to me. Long legs slipped between mine, and he wrapped his arms around me. His lips found my hair, and I could feel the thumping of his heart between my shoulder blades.
“Is this comfortable for you?” Frisco asked.
“Yeah.” I loved being held. Pete hadn’t. We’d get into bed, have sex, then he’d shower and brush his teeth and climb back in, telling me he didn’t want to kiss me again because he was clean and I wasn’t.
“For me too.” He kissed my head, my cheek, my ear. I shivered, and the curve of his lips ticked upward. “I can feel your heart pounding.”
Sleepy from my long day and the incredible sex combined with the hot shower, I could barely form words. “Mmm. Same.” My eyes fell shut, and I wondered why I doubted I’d find Frisco next to me in the morning.
* * *
The smell of something cooking woke me.
Rubbing my eyes and blinking, I sat in bed and shook away my sleepiness. My eyes widened at the sight of the clock. “Nine? Damn.” I hadn’t slept so late in months.
As expected, the place next to me was empty and cold. I sighed. I’d never believed I would be the type to get caught up in a purely sexual relationship, but there was no other word for it. Like the first time, Frisco had played my body, then left me.
With my mother obviously puttering around, cooking breakfast, I quickly pulled on a pair of sweat pants, and after brushing my teeth, I went to the kitchen.
“Hi, Mo…oh.”What the hell?
Holding a spatula, Frisco broke out in a broad grin. “Good morning. You looked so tired, I didn’t want to wake you. I hope you don’t mind me snooping around your kitchen and using your stuff.” As he talked, he poured me a cup of coffee and slid toward me what looked suspiciously like the fluffiest omelet I’d ever seen. “I made you breakfast. I hope you like it.” He waited, chewing his bottom lip, and my heart flip-flopped at his endearing, nervous habit.
“I’m sure I will. It looks beautiful.” He’d chopped up onions, peppers, and mushrooms, all perfectly sized, and as I watched, slid them into a pan. Like a pro.
“You have a great selection of equipment. Obviously you like to cook.”
Still shell-shocked, I plunked down on a seat by the island and sipped the coffee. My mind was blown. Frisco was here, cooking us breakfast. I couldn’t reconcile this hesitant, almost awkward Frisco with the man who’d come in unannounced, stripped me naked, and made me come in minutes.
“You do too. This looks amazing.”
Again, as the night before, pink crept up Frisco’s cheeks. “It’s not much.” He ducked his head. “Just some eggs, cheeses, vegetables, and herbs.”
I cut into the eggs and took a bite. My eyes popped open, and I chewed and swallowed, savoring the bite of Emmental cheese and the perfect selection of herbs. “Saying this is just some eggs is like saying filet mignon is just a piece of meat. This is absolutely delicious, possibly the best omelet I’ve ever had.”
A full-blown blush reddened his face. “It’s really nothing,” he muttered.
“Are you a chef?”
“No.” His response came sharp and quick. “I’ve taken some lessons. That’s all.”
I continued my love affair with the omelet. “Well, you’re a fast learner for sure.”
He made his own eggs, and I watched his deft movements, thinking to myself that he knew his way around a kitchen too well for him to be just a weekend home chef. But so many people had access to classes, both online and through private lessons, that it was within the realm of possibility he was simply a kitchen warrior.
We finished, and I put the dishes in the dishwasher. “The cook never cleans.” I brushed my lips to his, and like yesterday, that same crazy wildness overcame me when I smelled his heat and skin. Before I knew it, my hand was tangled in his dark waves while our mouths devoured each other. I was one step away from ripping his clothes off in the kitchen and offering him my ass. I wanted to feel him deep inside me, stretching me wide. I’d been so empty for so long.
