“Where’s your head at, little devil?” he asks, his eyes alight with curiosity.
Faltering under his heavy gaze, I bury my head in his chest. “I don’t know. Just making some observations.”
I half expect him to press me further, to grip my chin and force me to meet his whiskey eyes, but he doesn’t. He simply tightens his hold on me and presses his lips to the top of my head.
The heat from the flames and the gentle crackle of the logs burning, combined with his body heat and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, lull me into a meditative state, and eventually, my eyes flutter closed.
Just as I drift off, I swear I hear him murmur, “I don’t think I’ll have the strength to walk away from you when the time comes, Leni.”
Chapter 27
Ethan
After a short power nap and separate showers, we curl up on the couch in front of the fire. Leni lies with her head in my lap, scribbling in her notebook, while I read, my fingers trailing absentmindedly through her hair. It amazes me how natural it all feels, like I’ve known her forever instead of only a couple of months. There’s no awkward need to fill the silence with needless chatter, both of us content to just enjoy this stolen moment together.
Though I’m dying to read her thoughts, I don’t peek, knowing how private she is with her writing. She has talent, though. There’s no denying the power, pain, and passion in her words, mixed with that raw vulnerability she exudes. While I know acting is her dream, she could certainly pursue her writing on the side. It would be a shame to keep the world from her words, but even if she only writes for herself, that would be enough.
When her stomach grumbles, I chuckle and place the book I’m reading on the small side table. “Hungry, little devil?”
Her eyes sparkle with mischief as she stares up at me. “I’m always hungry for you, sir.”
Goddamn, my cock stirs beneath her.
“As tempting as that is,” I say, brushing a kiss over her smirking lips. “I’m talking about real sustenance.”
Leni’s stomach rumbles again, and this time we both laugh.
I slide out from underneath her, replacing my legs with a pillow, but she sits up. “Can I help?”
“And ruin my opportunity to spoil you?” I ask in mock outrage.
Her light laughter curls around the room, causing my chest to ache. I can’t get enough of that sound, and I want to be the one to make her do it more often.
“Fine. Can I at least supervise?”
“Distract, you mean?” My lips quirk up with my teasing tone.
She puts on an air of innocence. “Who? Moi?”
Laughing, I hold my hand out and help her to her feet. Wrapping my other hand around her waist, I bend down to kiss her deeply, loving the thrill I feel every time her lips touch mine, or her tongue dances in my mouth.
I pull away when her stomach rumbles again. “Come on, let’s get you fed before you turn into a gremlin.”
Leni follows me around the island bench, perching on it while I collect everything I need to make peppercorn-crusted steak with a creamy cognac sauce, which I plan on serving with sweet potato mash and broccolini.
“Ooh, fancy,” she purrs, leaning back on her hands. “I didn’t realise I was dating a chef as well as a history professor and soccer coach.”
“An incredibly handsome chef, history professor, and football coach,” I remind her with a cocky grin as I pull the steaks from the fridge and set them on the bench.
She raises a brow, smirking. “Modest, too.”
“Humility is for people who can’t cook steak like I can,” I shoot back, cracking black pepper into a dish like I’m about to win MasterChef.
“So, this is your move, then? Lure me in with an amazing dicking, then seal the deal with food orgasms?”
I almost choke on my laughter. “You’ve really got a way with words, don’t you, little devil?”
She shrugs, failing to hide her smile as she bats her eyes innocently. “What would you call it, sir?”
