Tristan didn’t bother waiting for her response. He hurried out of the car, then opened the driver’s side door for her. Today she wasn’t wearing a suit. No, instead, she had on a navy-blue wrap dress with a deep neckline, and the material hugged her sexy figure to perfection.
She used to hate working out, but clearly, she was doing something to stay in shape. The moment she stepped out of the car, the dress opened slightly to show a smooth, shapely thigh, and Tristan swallowed hard.
Yeah, he couldn’t wait to be reacquainted with her. The woman was cover-girl beautiful, wicked smart, and self-confident in everything she did. She was truly the complete package. A package he looked forward to unwrapping again. Hopefully, before Christmas.
He wanted his wife back.
No other woman twisted him up inside or made him feel alive and desired in the way she looked at him when she was checking him out. After today, there was no doubt they were still attracted to one another, but he wanted more. He wanted her to fall in love with him again.
When he unlocked the door to his apartment, Cree strolled inside. He stood back as she glanced around, and he wondered what she thought of the place. When she moved over to the huge built-in bookcases, Tristan’s chest puffed out as she took in his awards and trophies.
Playing football had been his lifelong dreams, and his career had given him everything he ever dreamed of and more. Except one thing. Cree. Without her to share the highs and even the lows with, his life hadn’t been complete.
She slowly moved around the large space, taking in the leather furniture, oversize television mounted on the wall, and views of the city. As apartments went, this one was nice and grand in the eyes of most people. Yet, he typically lived in places grander and more lavishly decorated. Though he wasn’t planning on staying there long, he liked how comfortable it was despite downtown’s congestion.
“A piano?” she asked and approached the baby grand that he had purchased years ago. It sat in the corner near the window, so when he was playing, he could stare out into the city.
“Yeah, I started taking piano lessons during the off season. I always wanted to learn to play, and now I find playing relaxes my mind.”
She stared at him with an expression he couldn’t decipher, but there was no doubt she was shocked by the revelation. Outside of his family and close friends, very few people knew he played.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Cree.”
“Clearly,” she murmured, and he was sure there were things he didn’t know about her, but he planned on changing that.
“Would you like a tour?” Tristan asked, noting she was still taking in the living room-kitchen combo. At twenty-five hundred square feet, the place was way smaller than he was accustomed to, but it worked for his current needs.
“No. I won’t be here long. I just want to go over these offers with you,” she said, patting the side of her large bag. “Where do you want to talk?”
“In the kitchen. I’m starving. Do you want anything to eat or drink?”
After rinsing his hands in the sink, Tristan pulled out the leftover lasagna he made the day before, along with garlic bread and the fixings for a salad.
“Water would be great,” she said and sat at the island on one of the leather bar stools. She pulled the documents from her bag and sat them on the counter next to her.
Tristan grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, twisted the top and handed it to her.
Once his food was ready, he set everything on the counter and glanced at Cree. She was eyeing his lasagna, and he tried not to smile. It was his specialty and a dish he knew she loved. Instead of asking her again if she wanted something to eat, he shoveled a fork full of lasagna into his mouth.
“Okay, which offer do you want to start with?” he asked, not missing how she kept stealing glances at his meal.
“I can’t believe you’re eating in front of me like that,” she snapped. “Can’t you wait until I leave?”
“No. I can’t. I’m a big man. I need to fuel this body every couple of hours.”
She slowly let her gaze travel the length of him, and the appreciation he saw in her eyes made him want to flex his muscles. It wasn’t the first time he had caught her checking him out today. The way she was looking at him right now, he was tempted to take off his shirt and really give her something to look at. The twenty-one-year-old body she’d seen years ago had morphed into a well-oiled machine with five percent body fat.
“It looks good,” she said, licking her lips, and he groaned. He wanted to be the one licking her lips.
Needing to get his mind off her mouth, he asked, “You talkin’ about me or the food?”
“The food. Definitely the food.”
Tristan smirked. Not sure if she’d accept his offer, he loaded the fork up with food and brought it to her mouth.
Cree’s left brow lifted, and she stared at him, but then she shocked the hell out of him when she opened for him. She held his gaze as he fed her, and his dick twitched at the way she slowly chewed the food. As if savoring every single spice.
If she was trying to turn him on, it was working. Hell, it didn’t take much since he’d been sporting a semi-erection since the moment he saw her outside of the condo. But when she moaned and closed her eyes while chewing, he almost lost it. Now she was just messing with him.
