Ross ran a hand over his face, the fight leaving him. He didn’t have to tell me how much it hurt to be rejected like that, I saw it in his face. His eyes held a sadness I hadn’t seen in them before. This wasn’t the man I’d met at the Courtesan. No, this person was dejected and lonely. Lost.
Fuck, I was going to destroy whoever hurt him like this today.
“It’s a law company looking for an assistant. Seabrooke and Holmes.” He shrugged and turned his back on me again, grabbing some dishes from a cupboard above the counter. He placed a plate beside the stovetop and dished out a good-sized piece of lasagna before he passed it to me with a fork. “Let me know what you think.”
He was trying to change the topic, and right now I decided to let him, but this wasn’t over. The conversation had only just begun. I’d call River and ask him about this Seabrooke and Holmes. I was sure he would love to help me destroy another law company for discrimination.
I scooped up a generous piece of lasagna on the fork and stuffed it into my mouth, realizing too late that it was far too hot. Placing the plate back on the counter, I waved my hand in front of my mouth, blowing out air.
Ross laughed and shook his head when I finally managed to chew it all and swallow. Despite the heat, it was delicious, and the best lasagna I had ever tasted.
“Did you make this from scratch?” I asked, going for another forkful and shoving it into my mouth.
He winced. “I told you I couldn’t cook. I got it premade.”
I hummed and stared at him. “I did tell you to cook, but I didn’t tell you that you couldn’t buy premade stuff, so I’ll let this one slide.” Sidling up closer to him, I held up a forkful of lasagna. “Open.”
He parted his lips like I’d ordered, and I fed him. He moaned, eyes sliding closed as he chewed. I studied him while he ate, taking in the way the apron draped perfectly against his hard chest, and how his arm muscles strained as he leaned against the counter and reached back to get a hold on the edge. He looked yummy enough to devour, and it took all my effort not to fall to my knees and move the apron to the side so I could suck him off.
“Yum?” I asked, aware of how guttural I sounded.
He nodded and smirked, gaze sliding down my body. “Good.”
Chuckling, I waved the fork at him. “You naughty boy. I know what you’re thinking about.”
“How was work?” The change of topic flowed easily for him, but it took a moment for me to get on the same page. Everything happening right now reminded me of domesticity, something I’d never experienced in this capacity. I liked coming home to a clean house and dinner, though, and the sight of him in that adorable apron was also a positive.
“It was great, thank you so much for asking, honey. You’re such a good househusband.” I winked, and he laughed. “I work with some hot hockey players.”
“Any catch your eye?” he asked nonchalantly, but I didn’t miss the underlying question.
“No. They’re good-looking, but none of them rev my engine like you do.” I blew him a kiss and skipped over to the table, sitting down and crossing one knee over the other. Resting my elbow on the tabletop, I leaned my chin on it and watched him. “All I could think about today was getting home to you and seeing you in that apron.” My gaze roamed to his ass, which he had pointed at me while he dished out another plate of food. He had the nicest cheeks and was so damned oblivious to it. The man had no idea how much money he could have made with an ass like that. I wanted to do all kinds of filthy things with it. “I was not disappointed with what I got home to.”
He threw a smirk over his shoulder at me. “Are you hungry?”
“Yes, I am, but I don’t know what I want to eat first. Your hole or the food.” I grinned when his eyes darkened with need.
The sound of beeping filled the apartment, and Ross wiped his hands on his apron. “Laundry is ready.”
“You did the clothes?” My cock throbbed, hard as a rock. Well, fuck. Who knew Ross doing housework would get that kind of reaction out of me? I hated to admit how much I was enjoying having him slave after me, but there was something sexy about him being a housebitch.
He set my plate in front of me with cutlery. “Eat while it’s hot. I’ll get the clothes in the dryer.”
“Come and eat when you’re done. I want your cute butt sitting in this chair beside me.”
Ross laughed and leaned over to brush his lips against mine. The move had me surprised, but I returned the gentle,lovingkiss anyway. “Yes, Mister.”
Straightening, he turned toward the laundry room, and I watched him go. Once he was out of sight, I dug into my food. My stomach had been grumbling all day, but we had one thing after another, and even though they let us have half an hour for lunch, the Blizzards were on a tight schedule and we got fifteen minutes at most. That’s what I’d signed up for, though. I knew what I was getting myself into. They were a professional team, so of course they had strict time limits and regimes. Things would be slightly better while they were on summer break, but Kellan had said we had a lot to cover before next season’s training began.
A knock echoed through the apartment. Unhappily, I set down my fork and got up and went to open the front door. The sight of the person on the other side had me twisting my mouth in irritation.
“Hi.” Vane Elwood charmed the people of New Gothenburg, and I could see why. Tall, dark, and handsome, he also had gray eyes that could be sincere or mysterious, depending on the lighting and what kind of crap he was trying to sell, and an angular face that would sweep all types of women and men off their feet. However, it was probably his smile that saved his ass in press conferences. He said all the right things and the media gushed about him. It was no surprise the city was more than happy to let him rise to mayor after Ross went to prison.
“Can I help you?” I asked in a bored tone, bracing my hands on the doorframe so he couldn’t sneak in, not that I thought he was that brazen.
“Mark, Ross’s assistant, said I could probably find him here.”
“Ross who?” I smiled at him.
