Page 66 of A Smooth Operator

I started to stroke my dick.

"I want you, Remi."

I stroked harder, wanting the pressure, the pain.

"Remi, I'm coming, honey."

I tightened my grip as I jacked off.

"Goodnight, love."

Fuck, she called me love.

I gritted my teeth and sprayed my cum all over the wall of her shower.

My morning wood out of the way, at least for a while; I left Echo sleeping and turned on her coffee machine.

For all the times she cooked for me, I should have made her breakfast, but the truth was that if I cooked, she'd accuse me of poisoning her. So, I did the smart thing and used DoorDash to have breakfast delivered.

By the time Echo woke up and strolled out of her bedroom, bleary-eyed, making a beeline for the coffee machine, the breakfast from Brother Juniper's had arrived, and I'd set the dining table.

"Wow," Echo exclaimed. "Is that?"

"Yep, the San Diego omelet," I assured her. The restaurant was known for its open-faced omelet, which was loaded with sour cream, home fries, portabella mushrooms, tomatoes, green onions, bacon, and feta cheese.

I opened the plate covering another, and I was certain there was drool leaking out of her mouth because on the white plate lay two pancakes swirled with cinnamon sugar and cream cheese icing—another restaurant special.

"Cinnamon roll pancakes," Echo said reverently. She then looked at me. "How did you know?"

I smiled. "You mentioned it once."

I could see her mind go to the past as she tried to remember when she told me. She frowned.

"It was a year ago. You were at Dad's office, and I'd come by to have lunch with him."

"You said you were going to Brother Juniper's," she remembered.

I smiled. "You told me what you loved about their breakfast."

I knew I scored major points because her eyes got wet, and she whispered wistfully, "You remembered?"

"I remember everything." And it wasn't a lie. I did—unfortunately, I also had a very clear memory of how I fucked up the best thing in my life.

After breakfast, I suggested a ride on the Ducati, and Echo's smile only got bigger. I thought she'd complain about the weather and that it was too cold for riding on a motorcycle, but my girl was ready to go on an adventure.

We drove to my place in my car to get my Ducati. And that's when I realized that this was the first time Echo was coming to my loft. I had never brought her here. Ever. That was the kind of ass I'd been.

Echo walked around the open space in awe. "I love this. It's so you."

"What does that mean?"

"It's not traditional. It's open and raw."

It was amazing how well she knew me. Marina disliked the loft because it was empty. My mother and sister couldn't understand why I didn't live in a nice house in Germantown or midtown. Maybe someday I would, but right now, I needed a place like the loft—a place where I could find my peace. I didn't want a big house stuffed to the gills with things. I needed simplicity to relax me. Clutter made me antsy. Maybe that's why I liked Echo's place. There were no knick-knacks and all that shabby chic flowery pillows bullshit. It was sensible. Everything she had was purposefully there. No bullshit ornamental stuff in sight.

"Thanks, Doll. I'm gonna change out of the tux. You think you can put together something warm for us to take?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Warm? We just ate a hot breakfast."

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