He blinks, staring blankly at me for a moment before he catches on that I’m teasing. His smile softens and the corners of his eyes crinkle just a bit. His chin drops to his chest in an adorably shy move. “No, it was my fault. I left a bag of books in the middle of the floor. It’s not like it could grow legs and move out of my way.”
My worry eases as he plays along. “Ugh, those books are so inconsiderate. Theyshouldgrow legs and move out of the way. Who do they think they are? This isyourbedroom, amirite?”
He chuckles, barely audible, but a subtle vibration travels across the distance separating us and makes my skin tingle. My breath catches as he finally meets my gaze. His eyes are so green, I could stare into them all day.
“Thank you,” he murmurs quietly.
Maybe it’s just my imagination or perhaps it’s wishful thinking, but it feels like more than a simple show of gratitude.
“Yeah, no problem,” I reply, my voice a little breathy.
We gaze into each other’s eyes for a moment longer and it feels like yesterday afternoon in the kitchen when I thought Hayden was going to kiss me. Like there’s some invisible force nudging us toward each other. I thought maybe I’d imagined it, that my crush on the guy had me reading into things that weren’t there. But I don’t think I was. I think there might be something there.
Hayden breaks eye contact first. “Did you… um, I know you said you only wanted coffee earlier, but would you likesomething to eat now?” There’s a note of uncertainty in his voice, like he’s bracing himself in case I turn him down.
I smile, my heart skipping a beat at his adorableness. “I heard you’re famous for your cooking.”
His eyes flick up to mine, wide with surprise, before he ducks his head again. “No, I mean, I can cook. I like cooking. But I wouldn’t say I’m famous for it.”
“That’s not what the guys say.”
Hayden seems to let that absorb for a moment, like he’s not sure if he believes me or he doesn’t think the guys would say something like that. Then he flashes me a hesitant smile and squeezes past me to head to the kitchen.
“Savory or sweet?” Hayden asks as he opens the fridge.
I don’t even need to think about it. “Sweet. Always sweet. Except if there’s bacon involved. Then always bacon.”
Hayden laughs softly and it makes me wonder what he would sound like when he really laughs. Like full body, throwing head back, laugh out loud without caring who hears. I have a feeling it would be awesome. Like a happiness bomb going off, sprinkling everything with glittery joy.
“Sweet and bacon. I can do that.” He starts pulling ingredients out of the fridge and the cupboards.
I recognize the flour, milk, eggs, and bacon, but I’m not entirely sure what everything else is. “What are you making?”
“Brown sugar bacon waffles,” he says as he lays out thick slices of bacon on a metal tray, as if this is something he makes every day.
“Brown sugar bacon waffles?” I repeat. “Have you made this before?”
Hayden shakes his head while sprinkling brown sugar over the bacon. “No, but I saw a recipe for it once. It was really simple.”
Simple. Right. Yeah. Except I absolutely cannot follow what he’s doing. If this is a simple recipe, with a dozen ingredients and multiple mixing bowls, I can’t imagine what a complicated recipe would look like.
He pops the tray into the oven and within a few minutes, the fatty scent of bacon starts filling the air. My stomach growls loudly in response. Hayden looks up from the big bowl of batter he’s mixing, eyes sparkling with amusement.
I give my stomach a loving pat. “Bro, you’re making bacon. My stomach is excited.”
He laughs a little louder than before and I feel like a fisherman with a tug on his line.
“What else makes your stomach excited?” he asks.
“Meat,” I answer immediately. “Any kind of meat. The greasier the better.”
Hayden shakes his head like he was expecting me to say that. “No veggies?”
“I mean, if you can make them taste like meat.”
He peeks up at me again, just for a second, as a smile flirts at his mouth. “You like the taste of meat, huh?” His gaze darts back up to me, like he’s checking if I got the joke.
Oh, I got it alright. Hayden Summers—looks like a Greek god, is a nerd at heart, and cracks dirty jokes like a twelve-year-old boy. “Mmm, especially sausages. Long and thick and juicy.”
