Page 10 of Hitting the Gap

“Not maybe. I’d love it if a girl I was fucking wanted to bring in some toys.”

“Really?”

“Fuck yeah.”

Bailey licked her lips and suddenly he was painfully aware of how close they were sitting and how close that box of toys was to him. He cleared his throat, then pushed off the mattress. “I’m getting hungry. You want to order pizza?”

She watched him for a second. “Umm, yeah sure.”

“Cool.” His head bobbed up and down like a freakin’ bobble head. He clenched his jaw and forced his head to stay still. “What kind do you want?”

“I’m good with anything but ham.”

“Still don’t like it, huh?”

“No, it’s a weird texture.” She scrunched up her face. “Blech.”

“Got it, no ham.” Needing some space, he walked toward the door.

“Thanks for all your help with everything.”

He rapped his knuckles against the doorframe twice. “No problem.” Once in the hallway, he paused. What the hell was that? Bailey was his friend. She needed a place to stay. He didn’t know why she’d broken up with Brad, but it was clear she was feeling vulnerable, and he wasn’t going to be some dickhead who took advantage of that. It would be fine. He’d always managed to keep it in his pants with Bailey before. This wasn’t any different. His dick twitched as he thought about using the toys on Bailey. Except it was. Fuck.

Chapter 4

Gonzo eyed the empty pizza box in the middle of the kitchen island. Why did he always eat so much? He leaned back on the couch and rested his arms on his stomach. Man, he loved pizza, but he was going to pay for today’s shitty diet. Looked like there was an extra-long run in his future tomorrow. Damn, it always seemed like such a good idea in the moment. He eyed Bailey as she set her plate down on the coffee table and sat back in the opposite chair. “Did you ever learn to cook?” he asked.

“Of course I can cook. Well, sort of, it’s not like I can whip up duck confit or anything, but I can get by.”

“It’s not that hard. You just have to make sure you cure it long enough in the spices and then roast it slowly,” he absently replied.

“Oh my god, do you seriously know how to make it?” Bailey gaped at him like he’d just admitted to being a flat earther or something.

“What? I like to cook, you know that,” he mumbled.

“Well yeah, but there’s like I make cookies when I can’t sleep and there’s people who make duck confit.” She blew a raspberry. “I can’t even wrap my head around you being all Julia Child.”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m not all Julia Child, I just find cooking relaxing.”

“Does that mean you’re gonna cook for me?” She leaned forward and placed her hands under her chin and fluttered her eyelashes.

“Maybe, if you’re nice.”

“I’m always nice. It’s my middle name.”

“Uh-huh.” He grabbed his water glass and took a sip. “I like to cook on my days off and I meal prep for game days, so if you want me to cook when I’m home just let me know.”

“Are you kidding? You just said you can make things like duck confit. Of course I want you to cook.”

He chuckled. “Alright, well, I do up a shopping list for meals and stuff when I’m home and I have someone who goes shopping and stocks the kitchen for me.”

“Ooh fancy.”

Ignoring the way she teased him, he continued, “Anyway. The schedule and shopping list are always on the fridge and Sylvia comes by twice a week, once to clean and once to restock the fridge. The game schedule kind of determines when each happens.”

“You have a housekeeper?”

“I do. She’s a single mom from this program Pete’s a part of.” When he’d found out about the program, he’d wanted to help and employing one of the moms seemed like a good way to do that. “She helps us all out with shopping and stuff and it lets her have a flexible schedule around her son’s appointments.”

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