Sam turns from me, and I watch as he takes a waffle out of the waffle maker and adds more of the mixture to cook.
I wrap my arms around his waist and lean my head onto his back as he shifts to flipping bacon—I marvel at this man, making me breakfast, taking a moment to listen to his heartbeat and feel his body move slightly as he breathes in and out.
“He’s missed you. Every time I’ve seen your dad since I moved back, you are pretty much all he talks about. ‘Kat, what are you doing to convince my boy to come home?’” My attempt to imitate Dan’s voice has us both laughing.
“He doesn’t sound like that.”
I step away from him and lean against the counter behind us. “That was the best impersonation you’ve ever heard! Don’t try to deny it, Harris.”
“That was theworstimpersonation I’ve ever heard. You need to practice more.”
“Whatever, jerk. Anyway. I’m so fucking excited to have you back home!”
“Me too.”
When the next waffle is cooked, Sam pulls two plates from the cupboard, placing a waffle and a couple of strips of bacon onto each one. He hands me the plates, and I walk back around to the barstools while he grabs the syrup—the pure maple kind. My mouth waters as I bring my plate up and smell my waffle.
He laughs as he makes his way around the counter to sit next to me. “Does it smell good?”
“It smells delicious,” I sigh as I cut into my waffle and take my first bite, groaning as the flavor assaults my taste buds in the most delectable way.
“So,” he says when he finishes his own bite, “I have a couple of things planned for today. There’s a lot to do and see in Chicago. Butwith this short trip, I didn’t want it to be overwhelming.” He pauses to eat more.
“Care to share these plans with the class? Or you just gonna keep that to yourself?” I lightly jab his ribs with my elbow.
He exaggerates a groan and rubs where my elbow hit him. “After that, I might just make you suffer and keep it to myself.”
I shrug nonchalantly and hurry to take another bite. Sam laughs and wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me in close to him. He places a kiss on my temple and releases me.
“I bought tickets for one of the river tours. After that, I thought we could grab lunch and then head up to the Observation Deck. We’ll have some time between the river tour and the Observation Deck—we don’t have to get lunch right away—but I know you’ll be hungry, and we can walk around the city, if you want.”
“That sounds great!” I smile at him and continue eating.
“It’ll be a bit cold on the river tour, so we’ll need to bundle up. But I think you’ll like it.”
I nod absentmindedly. I know he isn’t going to be working at his architecture firm much longer, but I have this weird longing to see his office. I want this part of Sam that I’ve never experienced before. “Would it be possible for you to show me your office?”
“You want to see my office?” He sounds skeptical.
“Yeah. Is that weird?” I scrunch my face at him.
“Not weird. I can make that happen. But first, finish your breakfast; I have some other plans before we leave this apartment.” He winks at me before turning his attention back to his food. I’m torn between scarfing this down and calling it quits now.
Making my decision, I push my plate away from me, stand up,give Sam a sultry look, and walk towards his bedroom.
I don’t make it far when I hear the scraping of a chair and Sam’s bare feet tapping quickly against the wood floors. Sam scoops me up into his arms, taking my breath away, and carries me into his bedroom.
“Sam, this is gorgeous!” I gasp as I snuggle into his side. His arm tightens around me as we listen to the guide talk about the various buildings and architectural history of Chicago. “Have you done this before?” I peel my eyes from the view to look up at Sam, who’s smiling down at me.
“Only once, and it wasn’t as great as this time.”
I frown at him. “What makes this time better?”
“Well, last time I went by myself.” He shrugs and looks out at the river. “It was just after Claire and I broke up, and I needed to clear my head. I’d been hearing about this for a while and decided it would be a great way to break up the monotony. This time is better because you’re here.”
He squeezes his arm around me a little tighter. I kiss his jaw before snuggling into him more.
We spend the rest of the river tour with Sam pointing out some of his favorite buildings and what he loves about them. His enthusiasm reminds me of when we were kids; he would stop and stare up at houses and buildings, just admiring the designs. I love this side of him. I’ve missed it.
