I looked at the batter in the bowl.
Focus.
I should be counting blueberries, not my best friend’s abs.
A deep, husky laugh rumbled from behind me as his strong arms came around my shoulders. He kissed my cheek and held me there for a few beats. “Damn, it’s nice having my girl back.”
“Do we always walk around in no clothing?” I asked, peeking over my shoulder as he made his way to the coffeepot.
I got a glance of his back and smiled as I took in his tattoo. The one I’d gone with him to get right after he turned eighteen. It was a tribute to his father and godfathers.
Ride or die.
“I mean, I sleep naked, so I put on pants just for you.” He winked.
I wondered what lay beneath that layer of gray fabric.
I’d had a teaser last night, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The erection he’d pressed against my lower belly was something I’d thought only belonged in the pages of fiction.
What was wrong with me?
It had been a while since I’d had sex, or any affection for that matter.
Maybe it was my newfound desire to liven things up in my romantic life.
I was no longer looking for a partner.
No. I was looking for a lover and nothing more.
The new me was not an overthinker. She wasn’t looking for forever. She was looking for a good time.
A good damn time.
Because when was the last time I’d had a good time?
“Well, thank you for that.” I tried to hide my smile as he topped off the coffee in my mug. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Always.”
“Yo, yo, yo!” a voice called from the door to the garage. Obviously Bass had the code, and of course he’d just walked in. “I hear our favorite girl is back in town.”
He came around the corner, and before I could react, he was pulling me into his arms, lifting me off the ground, and spinning me around. “Glad you’re back, Gracie girl. Our boy has been a miserable shit without you.”
He was tall, just like Cutler, with brown hair that was longer on top and shorter on the sides. He’d always had a good amount of scruff, but he was sporting a full beard now.
He set me back down on my feet, and Cutler chuckled. “That’s a bit dramatic, yeah?”
“Are you claiming you haven’t been a sad sack these last few months?” Bass moved toward the stove and turned off the flame to the bacon.
Always the chef.
“Damn, this looks perfect. I forgot how good you were in the kitchen,” he said. It was a huge compliment, considering he’d recently been named one of the most talented chefs on the West Coast by a very prestigious cooking magazine. He owned a well-known steakhouse in town called Bennett’s on the Bay. People were willing to drive a great distance to eat there too, just to experience the famous Bass Bennett’s food.
“I cannot wait to come in and have one of your amazing steaks.”
He eyed me from the stove as he dropped some batter in the skillet. “It’s on the house, so get your ass down there, now that you’re back in town.”
“Count on it,” I said as I moved to scramble the eggs. I added a bunch of cheddar cheese and veggies into the skillet.
