“Okay.” After a few beats, he heard her soft voice again. “Jake?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“I’m really glad you’re here.”
He kissed her head again and gave her midsection a little squeeze. “Me, too, sweetheart. Me, too.”
With his entire world wrapped up in his arms, Jake closed his eyes and fell asleep.
****
Olivia woke to a deliciousaroma. She smiled, knowing Jake had taken over her small kitchen.
He’d cooked for her at her apartment a few times after Pops died. Each time, the food had tasted amazing. There really wasn’t anything the man couldn’t do.
She stretched. Muscles that hadn’t been used in two months were deliciously sore. A wonderful reminder of Jake’s other talents.
Flashes of their lovemaking played through her mind, and her smile grew even more.Talented, indeed.
Glancing at her bedside clock, Olivia did a double-take.Holy crap!She’d slept for ten straight hours.
Even more surprising was that she hadn’t had a single nightmare. What a difference a day—or maybe she should say,Jake—could make.
Still wearing her stupid grin, Olivia quickly showered and dressed before making her way into her kitchen. She stopped when she came to the room’s entrance.
Without a word, she crossed her arms at her chest and leaned against the wood trim. For the next few minutes, she stayed just like that, admiring the view.
Jake was standing at the stove, stirring something in a steaming pot. Dressed in the same jeans he’d worn earlier, he’d left the top button undone, and hadn’t bothered with a shirt. Thank God for small miracles.
She took advantage of the moment, soaking in the site.
Slowly, her eyes worked their way down over his strong thighs. The denim was stretched tightly there, reminding her of the way those muscles had moved between her own legs just a few hours ago.
Olivia glanced lower and saw that his feet were bare. Her pulse quickened. She shouldnotbe so turned on, but cripes...even his freakingfeetwere sexy.
“Like what you see?”
When she met his eyes, she found them lit with smug amusement. Playing off her embarrassment from having been caught ogling, Olivia stood straight and started toward him.
“You shouldn’t have let me sleep so long.”
“I figured you needed it.”
His bare shoulder lifted in a shrug, drawing her attention to the sexy-as-sin Delta Force tattoo on his left bicep.Cool your jets, Bradshaw.
“I must have.”
She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. The act felt so natural, as if they’d been together like this for years.
“What smells so good?”
“Spaghetti and meatballs. There’s also garlic bread in the oven. Here,”—he turned around, and she loosened her grip without completely breaking her hold—“tell me what you think.”
Jake lifted the wooden spoon to her lips, and Olivia opened her mouth to taste the red sauce.
“Mmm.” She licked her lips. “Where did you learn to cook like this?”
Turning back around to keep an eye on the bubbling liquid, he said, “In the military, it was either MRE’s or whatever the chow hall had to offer. Sometimes not even that. Even now, when my team takes a job, a decent meal isn’t always an option. I like good-tasting food, and since there was no one else around to do it for me, I figured I’d better learn.”
