“That’s great. They’re a wonderful couple. Real down to earth.”
“I agree, and I really like them.” She paused. “When are you coming back?”
Was she missing him as much as he was missing her? “Not until Thursday. I have an early flight that morning. My brothers and I decided to stay a few days longer and hang out with the folks. They love it when the three of us are here together. And now that they have their first grandbaby and a new daughter-in-law, Mom is going all out. She is preparing all our favorite meals.”
“That sounds nice.” She sounded wistful.
“I’m sure it will be. Mom is the best cook in the world.”
“So, what’s your favorite meal?” she asked.
“Mac and cheese. She still uses her grandmother’s recipe. No shortcuts or deviations.”
“I bet it’s delicious. I can almost feel my mouth watering now.”
“It is delicious. Nobody makes it as she does. You’re going to have to try it one of these days.” He hadn’t realized what he was insinuating until the words were out of his lips.
“Maybe I will.”
At that moment, he knew that one day she would. “How about dinner Thursday night when I get back?”
“Dinner sounds nice.”
“Great. At my place. Mom gave me a new recipe I want to try out.”
“You cook?” she asked.
“On occasion.”
“Then I’ll look forward to dining with you on Thursday.”
“I’ll send a private car for you.”
“That’s not necessary, Cobra.”
“It’s something I want to do, so humor me.”
She didn’t say anything for a minute, and then gave in. “Okay.”
“Good. I’ll see you on Thursday around five.”
“That will work. Goodbye, Cobra.”
“Goodbye, Desiree.”
Cobra released a deep breath. He had just done the one thing he’d sworn that he wouldn’t do—invite a date to his home. The only thing that kept him sane was knowing she would not spend the night. At least not for another few months.
***
A short while after her phone call with Cobra, Desiree picked up the book she had been reading, but put it aside moments later. She couldn’t get back into it. Cobra said he had called because he was thinking about her, and he had invited her to dinner at his place.
She had been thinking about him, too. A lot. After their lunch date on Wednesday, how could she not? Her breasts would never be the same. She might be imagining things, but at the sound of Cobra’s voice, her nipples began to tingle mercilessly. It was as if they had recognized the voice belonging to the man who had brought them so much pleasure.
Whether she liked it or not, Cobra had gotten under her skin. And that was something, considering she’d been so fed up with selfish men that she’d decided she could do without male companionship. The last thing she had needed was to allow another one to tear down her hard-won confidence and self-esteem. For her, abstinence was one way of escaping the negative emotions Aimery had tried to make her feel.
She would always appreciate Camille, who had been there for her and offered free psychological sessions on their couch. She had refused to let Desiree blame herself for Aimery’s actions. In fact, Camille had even found out what a few other people who’d been with Aimery—usually actresses—thought of his skills in the bedroom. The consensus was that he was lousy in bed. Most of them had honed their acting skills by faking their orgasms so as not to make him mad, since he was known to lavish his lovers with expensive gifts.
That revelation had made her feel better about herself, but still, she felt that abstaining for a while, giving herself time to heal, was a good idea. Aimery’s words had been intentionally cruel, and for him to call another woman over to his place beforeDesiree could fully get dressed and leave had felt worse than any slap in the face. It had hurt her deeply. But she was over it now. Thanks to Cobra.
