Page 74 of Foreplay on Words

My eyes widened, and she glanced over at me with a confused look on her face.

I grabbed a carton of eggs and started moving quickly down the aisle, grabbing bacon and sausage links. Looking over my shoulder, I saw her turn around a corner going in the opposite direction.

That was entirely too close of a call.

My shopping basket was almost full, so I grabbed a few last items and made my way toward the checkout. I didn’t need her to recall who I was, finally.

Adrian would want me to come into the office to discuss my next project, and I was not giving up my private time with Chase or our research.

I looked over my shoulder the whole way down the block and googled a coffee shop on the other side of Chase’s condo. Running into Isobel was not on my list of things to do today and had thrown off my schedule.

My phone buzzed while waiting for my order, and I pulled it out, hoping it wasn’t Chase. I wanted to surprise her.

Adrian: Where did you go? Chase is in Boston.

Evan: I know.

Adrian: Did you go back to Chicago?

Evan: No.

Adrian: Feeling talkative today, huh?

Evan: What do you want?

And why was he texting me if he was with Isobel anyway?

Adrian: Just making sure you’re alive. Enjoy your fortress of solitude.

He was fishing for information, and I wouldn’t be the one to leak anything to them.

The barista called out my name, and I tucked my phone back in my pocket, ignoring Adrian while I refocused on the task at hand. Adjusting the grocery bags, I grabbed the tray and nodded at her, heading for the exit.

Chase was bound to wake up soon, so I needed to hurry.

The condo was quiet as I let myself in, toeing off my shoes inside the door. I gently settled all the bags on the kitchen countertop and walked to the bedroom.

I could only see Chase’s hair sticking up from underneath the comforter, her face completely covered as she cocooned herself.

My bag was still open, so I crept over, got out the apron, and set the spoon on the corner of the bed. Hopefully, she’d see it and come find me. I didn’t want to make too much noise, so I returned to the kitchen, keeping my steps light.

If I stayed behind the island, no one could see what I was—or wasn’t—wearing from the windows. I may have been a little paranoid of some creep with binoculars taking in the show.

“I can do this.” I shook out my trembling hands and started unbuttoning my pants, pulling them off and neatly folding them onto a stool at the island.

My shirt was next, my nipples firming in the cold air. It’d be weird to stand here nude—wearing an apron—with socks on, so I pulled them off too.

The boxer briefs were the last thing to go. My dick was already semi-hard at the thought of what Chase would do when she found me. I’d never been spanked by a woman I was dating before, especially not with a wooden spoon doubling as a paddle.

If I were at my house, I would have put on music to cook, but I wasn’t ready for Chase to wake up yet.

Omelets and pancakes were probably the safest bet with the ingredients I’d picked up, so I strapped on my new black apron and began exploring her cabinets.

Surprisingly, she did have anodized pans and high-quality cooking utensils. I’d need to cook the bacon first and didn’t want to worry about scalding my balls with hot grease, so I was happy I’d found a package of precooked bacon in the meat aisle. The microwave would be too noisy, so I set a skillet up to crisp the bacon for a few minutes while I looked for the knives.

She had a few high-quality ceramic ones in a small knife block in one of the drawers. She sure had all the tools for someone who claimed she didn’t like to cook. It’d make it easier for me to cook for her while I was here, even if I doubted they were purchases she made herself.

Keeping the noise to a minimum, I worked my way around the kitchen island, mixing the batter, dicing vegetables, and turning the bacon.