"I don't just want to spend time with you. I want to be with Ayla too. If I'm going to date you, she's part of the package. I want her to be involved," he said carefully, as if he was bracing for my reaction.
I sat on the stool. "I agree."
He flashed me a smile before turning his attention to the pan.
I was in so much trouble. He was saying and doing all the right things. I just hoped that I hadn't misjudged him. That this wasn't too good to be true.
I couldn't help but think that things didn't work out for me. My ex was a disappointment. Ayla was obviously a bright spot, but I never intended to be a single mother.
Was Hudson the man for me? Only time would tell. I should take this slowly, but that was the opposite of what we did last night. That was my fault. I was the one who planned the sexy photo shoot.
We'd gone from our first official date to sleeping together. I needed to slow things down, but I wasn't sure how one managed that after moving at warp speed.
He placed an omelet on a plate, arranging half-moon-shaped avocado slices on top. Then he put the plate in front of me. "I almost forgot the coffee."
He moved to the coffee machine, pouring the hot liquid into a mug. Then he set it next to my plate. "You can get started while I whip up another omelet."
He poured the egg mixture into the pan. When he realized I hadn't eaten anything, he asked, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm just— This is a bit overwhelming. I'm trying to process everything that happened last night and you being here in my kitchen serving breakfast."
He flashed an easy smile. "Get used to the sight of me in your kitchen. I plan to be here a lot. It's not new to me since this was my kitchen for so many years."
I blinked. "This is comfortable for you?"
He leaned a hip against the counter, his body angled so that he could keep an eye on the cooking omelet and me. "I'm comfortable cooking in this kitchen. I have to say I haven't had a chance to cook for a woman before."
"This is new for you too then?"
He nodded. "We're in this together."
I liked the sound of that. "Okay."
He pointed the spatula at me. "Now eat. I have plans for you, and you're going to need energy."
I complied, cutting into the veggie omelet and eating a bite. "This is delicious."
He grinned. "Glad you like it."
It was nice being served in my kitchen. I was the one who usually did all the serving. I could get used to someone taking care of me, which was dangerous, because it wouldn't continue. Or at least, not in my experience. All good things came to an end.
The part of me that urged caution warred with the side of me that invited Hudson to my shop last night. The question was, which side of me would dominate in this situation? The practical or the adventurous?
When his omelet was done, he sat next to me, digging into his food while I sipped my coffee. It was a slow morning. I didn't have to wash anyone's face or clean up a sticky countertop. The view wasn't too bad either.
He gathered the dishes. "What do you normally do on the weekends?"
I frowned. "When Ayla's at her dad's, I usually get caught up on laundry or clean the house. Get groceries."
"I can help you with that. We'll get the laundry started, clean, and head to the grocery store."
I gave him a dubious look. "You want to do chores?"
"I want to make your life easier. We'll get the errands done and see what else we can get up to today. Sound good?"
"Yeah." He was completely unexpected.
After we got dressed, I gathered laundry while he picked up the living room and dusted. When I shut the washing machine's door and pressed Start, the vacuum turned on. He was cleaning my house.
