Page 18 of He Will Come for Me

Pushing away from the kitchen island, I grab the bowl out of the mixer and begin to wash it. I need my hands to be busy andmy eyes focused on something else besides him. After I wash the bowl, I grab the icing out of the fridge.

“I made the icing yesterday, but I need to mix it to soften it,” I ramble. A finger dips into the icing and I turn in time to see him sticking it in his mouth. My jaw drops. “I can’t believe you did that.”

He pops his finger out of his mouth.Oh god. What the hell is happening to me?My body temperature is rising and there’s nothing I can do about it.Unless…I stop that thought in its tracks and turn around.

Why is he here? He needs to go away. Why did I want him to stay earlier?

“I’m not sure I’m ready to go out,” I murmur.

“You are.” Tilting my head to look at him. His arms are crossed over his chest again. I swear he’s doing that on purpose. Running my fingers through my hair, I grimace. I’ll need to wash my hands before I ice the cupcakes.

“What makes you so sure?” I ask as I attach the bowl to the mixer to soften the icing.

“You were excited about it earlier. Go with your first instinct. You’ve been cooped up in this house for two months.” I’m thankful he doesn’t mention the months I was chained up.

“You didn’t seem too thrilled about me asking.”

He doesn’t respond, instead taking a step toward me and leveling his eyes with mine. “This isn’t about me.” I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and his eyes drop to my mouth quickly before he takes a step back. “I’m going to watch a movie. Come watch it with me once the other cupcakes are done.”

He heads down the hallway with the library and his office. Further down that hall is the theater. He didn’t wait for me to answer.What if I choose not to go? Will he make me?

He wouldn’t. I’ve never had alone time with him. Not like this. He’s intruded on my reading time. I’ve woken up and seen himsitting in the chair in my room, and he does eat dinner with me most nights. But somehow this is different.

Mixing the icing, I place a paper towel over it when I’m done and wait for the timer to go off for the others. Checking the cupcakes I’ve already taken out to see if they’re cooled enough. I go ahead and pipe icing on them and place them on the cupcake stand Phillip found me earlier.

When the timer for the second batch goes off, I take them out so they can cool and turn off the oven. Taking a deep breath, I turn toward the hallway Phoenix disappeared down and put one foot in front of the other. I had every intention of going to the library, but here I am, staring at the back of Phoenix’s head. He’s sitting in the middle of the theater.

There are five rows, six seats in each row. The seats look like they might recline, but I can’t be too sure. “Come on,” he says without turning around.How did he know I was here?

I huff and walk down the aisle until I’m at the end of the row he’s sitting in. “I won’t bite.”

I’m not so sure about that. I lick my lips and get up the courage to take the seat next to him. “What are we watching?”

“The firstFast and Furious.”

“Aren’t there like a thousand of those?” I put my foot on the chair and fold it under me as I sit.

“That’s why I said it’s the first.” I chuckle and settle in as he starts the movie. I watch in disbelief. I’ve seen this movie, but it’s been ages.

“That is so unrealistic,” I gripe as I motion to the screen.

“How do you know?”

I make a face at him. “When’s the last time you drove under an eighteen wheeler?”

“Yesterday.”

I stare at him, trying to decide if he’s joking or not. “How low is your car?”

His tongue snakes out and licks his lips before he turns to face me. He leans over the armrest and it takes everything I have not to lean away. “Which one?”

I roll my eyes. “That is not the flex you think it is.”

He throws his head back in laughter. I grin as I admire him. His guard is down. He doesn’t have that stoic look on his face. I like this Phoenix. His eyes sparkle as he focuses on me.

“There are a lot of things I can do with my car.” He smirks at me before turning his attention back to the screen. “And in it.”

Did all the air get sucked out of the room? I’m hot.Standing quickly, I turn to walk away, then turn back, then away.

---