Page 73 of Ours to Keep

Her eyebrows rise, and I can see my question has intrigued her by how she tilts her head and her eyes lose the grey swirls of melancholy.

“Yes.”

I stand and hold out my hand and tug her gently to her feet as I lead her towards the kitchen. I almost trip over my feet when I realise I didn’t need to brace myself before reaching for her hand, and the moment feels good. It’s really good.

“Up you go,” I say, nudging my chin towards the counter as I let go of her hand.

“What?”

Gripping her hips, I lift her off her feet. She gasps, her hands automatically going to my shoulders for balance until I rest her arse on the top of the counter.

I pull a bottle of Brut Rosé from the wine fridge, pop the cork, and pour her a glass. She raises it to me in a silent cheers before taking a couple of sips.

“Hmm, is this?” She reaches for the bottle and turns it to read the label, a smile forming.

“You remembered?” she whispers.

“Of course.” I made sure to have as many of her favourites delivered with our shopping, and I’m glad I did, by the smile gracing her lips.

“Thank you,” she says before taking another sip.

I reach for the medium-sized frying pan hanging from the rack and place it on the hob before lighting the ring and adding some oil. While it begins to heat, I grab a mixing bowl, measuring scoops, and some ingredients. Without looking up, I feel Lily’s eyes on me.

I add the plain flour and a pinch of salt before making a well in the centre and crack two eggs into the middle.

“Are you making pancakes?” she asks, and I swear I hear faint excitement in her voice.

“I am.”

I add milk and sunflower oil before I begin whisking from the centre until the flour is incorporated with the milk, eggs, and oil. Leaning my hip against the counter, I turn to face Lily. Her lips pulled into a smile.

“My mum used to make us pancakes every Sunday for brunch,” she says wistfully.

I smile. “It’s the only thing our mum could entice me and my sister with when we were little,” I reply, feeling a sense of nostalgia fill me as I beat the ingredients together into a smooth, thick paste.

When I’m happy with the consistency, I ladle some batter into the pan, tilting the mixture until I have a thick and even layer. After about thirty seconds, I flip the pancake.

“Show off, I still can’t flip a pancake to save my life,” she says, her ankles crossed as she swings her legs back and forth.

Once it’s ready I turn it onto a plate and then immediately throw it into the food waste bin.

Lily lets out a soft chuckle. “My mum used to do that too,”she says, tilting her chin towards the bin. “She’d always throw away the first one. Said it’s the best way to get the heat right.”

“It’s true. Come on, your turn. I’ll have you flipping pancakes like a MasterChef professional.”

She shakes her head. “Very doubtful. I think I’ll pass. I’d like to eat one that hasn’t landed on the floor.”

I remove the pan from the heat and stand in front of her. “But how much more satisfying will it be to eat one you tossed,” I say, wiggling my eyebrows.

She gently swats my shoulder, and my breath catches from the unexpected contact.Her eyes widen as soon as she realises, an apology already forming on her pretty mouth.

Determined to salvagethe moment, Iquickly lift her off the counter and turn her back to my chest, walking us in front of the hob. I briefly inhale her opulent scent, a gentle combination of citrus and floral notes, so much like her personality.

Taking a deep, measured breath, I reach around her, my front flush with her back as I grab the pan handle and place it back on the stove.

I glance down at the mark on her neck from one of the guys taking their claim. It catches my attention, and I want to do the same on the other side to match.

The thought has my dick growing harder, and before I have a chance to pull away, it’s pressing against Lily’s lower back. Her pulse beats wildly in her throat, and her breathing noticeably increases, but she makes no move to step away. Instead, she reaches for the ladle with a slight shake of her wrist and adds some batter to the pan.

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