Clover trudged into the kitchen, blinking her big, sleepy eyes. A fluffy robe encased her down to her shins, but her cute, green-tipped toes were on display. How could one woman be so sexy and adorable at the same time?
“Find anything good?” Her voice was husky, and my erection threatened to return.
I shook my head. “I have to get some food first. I’ll get out of your way.”
“You can take whatever I have and get the next round of groceries.” She hugged herself and looked everywhere but at me. “I mean, if that’s easier. I know you want to keep everything separate.”
Maybe it was my morning masturbation session while she slumbered, or that this was the first day of the next three months of living together. We didn’t have to be miserable. She wasn’t my enemy. I didn’t agree with her taste in men, but then I didn’t have the most stellar luck picking women. We had a common denominator when it came to that.
“You like eggs?” I asked.
A green tint glossed over her face. “Not in the morning. Carbs are the best. I was going to make some pancakes.”
“What about sausage?”
“That I can handle.”
“I’ll make pancakes and sausage while you get dressed.”
She didn’t move. “It’s no problem.”
“I’m used to making myself something every morning. Really, it’s fine. I didn’t run this morning, so I feel like I need to do something before I sit behind my desk.” I had done something, but I refused to think about it.
“Oh. Okay.” Finally, she started to spin around.
“Clover?” When she turned back to me, my determination grew. I wasn’t my brother. I was better than him. “We can take turns cooking and getting groceries.”
She tugged at the lapels of her robe. “I can eat in the living room. Or outside while it’s still nice.”
I was a jackass. She was trying to make me comfortable. No wonder Elijah latched on to her. She catered to him, made him feel important, and he probably took advantage of it.
“I won’t take it as a sign of your undying love for me if we eat together. Promise.”
Her lips twitched. “I was more worried that you bite.”
“Sometimes.”
An undercurrent of electricity crackled between us, but she laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll be gone a few days next week for training. You gonna be okay?”
“Mm…you might have to cook ahead so you don’t miss your share of the duties.”
She nodded matter-of-factly.
“Jesus, Clover. I’m kidding. I’m a big boy, and you’re not meal prepping while my ass is at home.”
Shame flickered in her eyes, but she extinguished it. “Then I won’t expect to find an emaciated skeleton at your desk when I return.”
I patted my stomach. “Healthy as a well-fed horse.”
“Okay.” Her smile was almost shy, and it burrowed into my chest wall before she left the kitchen.
T minus eighty-eight days.
Chapter Five
Clover
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