Page 12 of The Game Changer

“Maybe. It is new, might not be anything, or it might be something. I’d say we’re feeling each other out right now.”

“Feeling each other out,” her eyebrows raise in question. “Is that what we’re calling it these days? I mean, I know I don’t really have much of a leg to stand on when it comes to how relationships start, just promise me that you won’t lead her on or feel things out too long. You’ll waste precious years,” she says, and I can tell there’s a little warning from her and Richard’s own story. They skirted around their true feelings for so damn long. Everyone else, me included, could see it before they both did and finally acted on those feelings.

“I’m not one for dragging things out or dating just to date. It isn’t my personality,” I tell her. “Probably one of the reasons I’ve never really had a long-term relationship.”

“Well, maybe now’s the time to change that,” she suggests.

“I’ll take it under advisement,” I say to appease her. “Thanks, guys, for your advice today. I’ll let you know how everything shakes out with the team and contracts and such, but I need to get out of here. I’ve got to stop at the store yet today and get ready for my dinner date this evening.”

“Anytime. Don’t be a stranger. Our door is always open for you,” Richard tells me as he walks me out.

My stomach starts to growl as I drive toward the store. I realize I never had lunch, seeing as I was at Richard and Madison’s for a few hours. I grab a quick sandwich at the store before grabbing the items from my list and then making my way home.

Once home, I pick up the few things lying around. I tend to keep a pretty tidy house, never one for much clutter, but still, I want my place to look nice for Jill tonight. I head into my bedroom and decide to strip my bed and put on fresh sheets. Not that I expect us to make it in here, but I realize I don’t remember the last time I changed them, so I toss them into the washer and put a clean set on the bed. Once my bed is remade, I pull out the vacuum, hitting up my bedroom, the hall, and the living room.

Once my house is immaculate, because, apparently, I really want to impress Jill tonight with a sparkling clean house, I set out the items I need for tonight, verifying that I have everything and didn’t miss picking anything up. I put one of the wines I picked up in the fridge to chill and the other on the counter, pulling out the opener, so I have it handy for when Jill arrives.

I kick back on the couch, turning on the TV while I wait for Jill to call or text me to let me know she’s off work and on her way over. Since she wasn’t one hundred percent certain on what time she’d get out of work, I figured I’d wait until she let me know she was done to start actually cooking.

Jill: Just leaving work! Do you need me to pick up anything on my way?

John: Nope, all good here. I’ll go ahead and start the food.

Jill: Sounds good, I’m starving, didn’t really get much of a lunch today as we had an urgent add on.

John: Well, you’re in luck because I have a full meal, including dessert here for you tonight.

Jill: Dang, a girl could get used to that. {winky face}

John: Anytime. {winky face}

I head for the kitchen, setting my phone down on the cradle I have for it on the counter. I assemble the chicken, placing it in the hot skillet to sear it before adding the chicken stock for it to simmer in for the remainder of the time. Once that’s set up, I start the rice just about the time my buzzer rings. I answer the call, buzzing Jill up to my unit. I quickly wash my hands off, then head for the door. Opening it, I stand just outside the door in the hall and wait as Jill comes off the elevator and down the hall. She’s dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top, yet looks gorgeous, like she could walk down a runway if she wanted.

“Hi.” She smiles up at me as she stops just inches in front of me.

“Hello yourself,” I say, pulling her against me. After our hot as hell kiss last night, all I want to do is taste her lips once again, so I drop my lips to hers and do just that. I pull her with me inside my condo, kicking the door shut with my foot, all the while my lips are still fused to hers. I feel as her fingers dig into my skin, first on my biceps and then as her hands makes their way up my arms and neck and then into my hair. I cup her face, angling her just right to deepen the kiss even more. I could devour her like this all night and be a happy man. Our impromptu make-out session is interrupted when the timer in my kitchen starts going off, signaling that it’s time to finish the sauce up for the chicken.

“Guess that’s my signal to stop kissing you for now.”

“For now,” she agrees as I step back and head for the kitchen. She follows closely behind, leaning against the counter as she watches me remove the chicken from the pan and add the heavy cream and cornstarch to thicken the sauce up. She presses her fingers against her kiss swollen lips, making me wish mine were still fused with them.

“Can I get you something to drink? I picked up a couple bottles of wine, a white and red, I didn’t know what you prefer.”

“I’m good with a Chardonnay,” Jill says as I stir the sauce. I step away from the stove long enough to grab two glasses from the cabinet and the bottle of wine from the fridge. I stir the sauce quick, then pop the cork and pour us both a glass.

“Is there anything I can help with?” Jill asks as I hand over her glass of wine.

I watch as she takes a sip. I watch the way her throat moves as she swallows it down, and fuck do I want to put my lips on that skin. My dick twitches in my shorts at the thought of stripping her out of her clothes right here, right now.

“John, I think it’s going to boil over,” Jill says, pointing at the pan behind me.

“Fuck!” I curse, turning quickly and removing the pan from the burner before I make a mess of our dinner. I transfer everything to serving dishes and carry it, with Jill’s help, to my small table. Once everything is on the table, I pull Jill’s chair out for her, then my own once she’s seated. We each quickly fill our plates.

“This is amazing. Do you cook like this every night?” Jill asks as she cuts into her food.

“No, while I enjoy cooking, I hate doing it for just myself. I usually just cook up a few days’ worth of meals one day a week and then just reheat things throughout the week. Makes it so I don’t have to do a bunch of dishes each night, and so I don’t have to eat the same meal over and over, finishing up leftovers. I’ll grill up chicken and then use it a bunch of different ways, or steaks and cut them up for different things. When I used to have teammates living with me, I’d cook more often since they’d be here to eat.”

“How many of the guys have you lived with over the years?” she asks.

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