The water finally boiled. I dumped the pasta in and set the table. Van jumped in without asking, probably because I would’ve told him to sit. We talked about superficial stuff, mostly our work and my family, as we ate. When he finished, he refused to sit while I cleaned up.
“You don’t make a very good guest,” I finally said when he blocked me from washing dishes.
He grinned and kept scrubbing. His sleeves were rolled up. As if I didn’t need more reminders of all the parts of him I liked. All the bits of him I’d had my mouth on.
I boosted myself on the counter next to the drying rack. “Have you gone to Bismarck again?”
“Why?”
I stroked my gaze along the width of his shoulders, glad he was paying attention to the dishes. “Pokémon.”
“Oh. No. Maybe when I get back.”
“When you’re rolling in all that investor cash?”
“Those fanboys are going to have to watch out for me.”
“Or all the pretty Pokémon players.” Where had that come from? No, I knew from where, but why did the question leave my mouth?
He made circles with the dishrag on a plate. “You think I’m there to pick up women?”
Well, there weren’t a lot, but if he met someone there, they would start with something healthier in common than he and I had. “You might meet your soulmate.”
He frowned and drew back. I got one blink from him, then he focused back on the dishes. “My soulmate?”
“It’s a given I’m not going to date for a while, but nothing’s stopping you.” It was hard to talk around the lump in my throat and sound casual.
He stopped again to look at me. His gaze was carefully neutral. “No, I guess not.” He rinsed the plate, a furrow in his brow. “Except for all the men at the tournaments.”
“I’m just saying.”
“Noted.”
Erase that note, dammit.
He dipped his hand in the soapy water and came up with forks. “I thought I was supposed to be staying away from women who might tank my company.”
“Right.” I smiled from the small surge of triumph. Was he on a hiatus too? “But after you attract all those new investors, it’ll be smooth sailing.”
“Then I’ll need clients.”
“That’ll be easy. You’re the best.”
He blew out a soft breath. “You don’t really know what I do.”
“You’re still the best.”
He ran water over the forks and shook them out. Once they were in the drying rack, he didn’t go for another dirty dish. He wiped his hands and stopped in front of me. “You have that much faith in me?”
I nodded, loving how close he was. If we were at the other house, I could twine my arms around his neck. We’d be naked and fucking in less than five minutes, and only because the man liked his foreplay.
I liked his foreplay.
Gripping the edge of the counter, I swallowed. “I do.”
He worked his jaw back and forth, his gaze narrowing on me. “My soulmate will have the same faith in me.”
Acid washed into my throat. “Even more, probably.” The tears threatened to gather in my eyes again. To cover for my reaction, I gave him a playful shove in the shoulder. “Buddy.”
