“Yeah.” He flipped the sandwiches over and then pressed them both down with the spatula. His shoulder lifted in a shrug, and then he confessed with a resigned sigh, “But, I’m not gonna lie, I watch them alone now too.”
“You do?” She found herself smiling from ear to ear.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why?” he asked.
“I’ve heard people say they watch it for the drama, the trainwreck people?—”
“No,” he cut her off as he turned around, his expression looking almost offended. He shook his head as he returned his attention back to the sandwiches. “That’s not…I wouldn’t watch it for that. Some of the relationships do work out, like Olivia and Alex, Camilla and Jamie, Cara and Nathan, Molly Mae andTommy, Kai and Sanam, and Molly and Tom. You get to see them meet and fall in love…”
His voice trailed off, and Tiana’s heart twisted in her chest. Was Niko Costas, world-renowned ladies’ man, a hopeless romantic? No. There was no way. He had to be kidding, right?
She waited for him to get to the punchline, but none ever came. Instead, a few minutes later, he turned the stove off, plated the food, cut the sandwiches diagonally, rinsed off the pan, spatula, and knife, and put them in the dishwasher and then brought the plates to the island.
He set them both down and then handed her one of the triangles. “Be prepared for a foodgasm.”
“A foodgasm, huh? You’re that confident in yourculinaryskills.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “I’m very confident in myculiningusskills.”
Bliss exploded in her core at his play on words combining culinary and cunnilingus. She felt her cheeks flush and from the grin on his face, her blush hadn’t gone unnoticed. Out of sheer self-preservation, so she didn’t say something she’d regret, like,if you’re handing out foodgasms are orgasms on offer too? She took a big bite into the sandwich. Her eyes automatically closed as she savored the perfectly melted cheese along with the burst of sweetness from the granules of sugar and the crisp bread. He hadnotoverstated his skills. She moaned as her taste buds danced with delight.
When she opened her eyes, Niko’s arms were on either side of her thighs, and he was looking down at her. “Well?”
She nodded as she chewed and licked her lips. His eyes tracked her tongue, and he stepped back and ate his own sandwich. “This is the best grilled cheese sandwich I’ve ever tasted.”
Her heart was thudding wildly as his eyes stayed locked on her lips. She thought, for the briefest moment, that he was going to lean down and kiss her, but instead he stepped back, grabbed his own sandwich, and took a large bite. They ate in comfortable silence, then once she finished, she tried to hop down to rinse her plate, but he took it from her. “I’ve got it.”
“You cooked, I can clean up,” she tried to insist, not that there was that much to clean up.
He finished rinsing off their plates, then turned and stared down at her, as if she was a puzzle he was attempting to solve. He lifted his hand and brushed a stray curl that had fallen across her forehead and tucked it behind her ear. “I don’t understand how there aren’t guys knocking down your door to be with you.”
The tenderness in his touch, the affection in his statement, and the sincerity in his tone all served to overwhelm her, he had a habit of doing that. No one had ever looked at her, spoken to her, or treated her like she was something precious, fragile, or something that should be protected, treasured, or adored. She wasn’t sure why Niko was doing that now. It was confusing to her.
“How do you know there aren’t guys knocking down my door?” she teased, trying to make light of his comment.
His expression, posture, and tone changed instantly. He stood up straighter, his shoulders squared, his jaw tensed. “Are there?”
“What? No.” She shook her head. “I was kidding. I thought you were…I was joking.”
“I wasn’t.”
Tiana felt her heart wobble. The kitchen was quiet, with the pulse of her breath in her ears.
“I don’t know how any man can be around you and resist you. It was hard enough when you were married.”
Her breath caught in her throat. “When I was married?”
“Ever since I saw you at the ESPYs in that red dress, I couldn’t stop…” He didn’t finish that sentence. His eyes dropped to her lips.
The red dress. The only time she wore a red dress to the ESPYs was the first time she went. He must mean the first time she saw him. Had he actually noticed her, too? He never spoke to her after that, though.
He took a step back and leaned against the counter, across from her. “I want to kiss you so bad right now.”
“Really?” Tiana knew that what she said next was going to be the make or break. She’d spent all her life trying to play it safe. When you are born into poverty with no safety net, no one to love you, and no one who is obligated to be there for you either legally or by DNA, you don’t have the luxury of messing up and getting bailed out. But at that moment, she didn’t care about safe. All she wanted was to feel what Niko made her feel. Her heart was pounding so hard, she was sure he could hear it across the kitchen. “Even though I’m not your girlfriend.”
