I sat on a picnic bench, swinging my legs, watching him work.
“You gonna get up off that sweet ass and help me out?” he demanded with a grin.
“I’ll make dinner,” I offered with a shrug.
He tried to hide his apprehension but didn’t succeed.
“What?” I demanded.
“Uh, babe, you burn macaroni and cheese.” He replied, biting back a smile as my eyes narrowed. “I didn’t even think that was possible,” he added with a stifled chuckle.
“Fine, then you can cook,” I snapped.
“I’ve got my hands full with you, don’t I?” He grinned, seeming absurdly pleased.
“You don’t have to have your hands full of anything,” I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Christ, what crawled up your ass?” he chortled. He moved close, his large hands moving to my hips. “Why don’t you tell me what’s got you so pissed off all of a sudden?” his large body moved in between my legs, effectively caging me in.
I looked everywhere but at him as I felt him stare intently at me. He wasn’t going to let this go.
“Well?” he prompted.
“There’s so many things I can’t do! I can’t even cook macaroni! That was the only time I’ve tried to cook it and I couldn’t even do it without cooking the noodles to mush.”
He took my chin, forcing me to look at him as his expression warmed. “You want to cook for me?” he asked with a smile.
“Well…yeah,” I shrugged, my face flaming.
He leaned in, kissing me softly. “I’ll eat your mushy macaroni anytime, darlin’” he winked.
I wrinkled my nose but bit back a smile in response.
“There’s a few things you can’t do,” he allowed with a shrug. “There are so many things you’re amazing at. You know that. So you can’t cook?” he shrugged.
“I still can’t drive,” I mumbled.
“I’ll give you another lesson when we get home,” he agreed.
I scoffed. “You practically had a heart attack with the last one!”
“I’ll get better; we both will,” he replied and I knew he meant more than just the driving lesson.
“Yeah,” I murmured, taking in how close he was. I pulled on his shirt to draw him closer.
I saw him visibly swallow as his eyes darkened. His phone rang then, breaking the sexual tension between us. “Yeah?” he asked gruffly, his eyes still locked on mine. “Oh, yeah?” he asked, a smile breaking out across his face. “That’s awesome. I’ll let her know. Yeah.” He listened for a moment, his hand high on my thigh. “Good to hear, man. Will do, later.” He shut his phone off as I cocked my head to the side, curious. “That was Sal; Mad’s doing great.”
“Oh good,” I breathed a sigh of relief, looking up at the trees and wilderness around us.
“Did you camp much as a kid?” I thought to ask.
He snorted, delivering me a quick kiss before he moved back over to the stove to continue making dinner. “My parents never took us anywhere. I’ve always loved the outdoors,” he explained. “I feel like I can really breathe out here.”
I thought back on the house where he’d grown up and understood why he’d feel that way.
“Yeah, I can see that,” I agreed softly. “You gonna teach this city girl some new tricks?” I teased.
He turned to me, his eyes heated. “Hell, yes,” he answered without hesitation.
