Page 79 of Chasing Sparks

Ash huffs out a sharp breath, his nostrils flaring. He doesn’t want to discuss this topic, but he realizes I need him to.

“Trust me, I don’t want the details of your sex life. Just a basic overview of the relationship.”

“Details of our sex life would be less painful to discuss.”

“Maybe foryou.” I turn my attention back to cooking, flipping the eggs and bacon in the pan with practiced ease.

He encircles his arms around me, depositing a series of slow, shivery kisses along my throat.

It feels like heaven, but I know exactly what he’s doing.

I wiggle against his muscled form. “You’re stalling.”

“Damn straight.”

“Guess you’re not hungry then,” I reply as I turn to him, holding the plate of eggs and bacon just out of reach.

I raise the plate higher, smiling sweetly as his gaze narrows. He sighs, running a hand over his jaw as if genuinely debating whether tackling me for the food is worth it.

Finally, he relents and settles into a kitchen chair before holding out his hand. “Give me the damn plate, and I’ll tell you my tale of woe.”

Score one for the home team.

He snatches the plate, scarfing down a few bites. “You really are the most amazing cook.”

“Stalling,” I retort in a sing-song voice.

“You first. Who broke your heart the worst?”

“That’s easy—my father.” I swallow hard, the familiar ache rising in my chest. “He took an enormous piece of me with him when he left, and I didn’t know how to process the pain of his abandonment. My mom was no help—she didn’t understand it, either. So, I wore a mask every day, pretended I hated my father, and stumbled through life.”

The words spill out faster now, like they’ve been waiting too long to be spoken. “But when the one man who shouldn’t ever break your heart shatters it to bits, your view of men becomes skewed. I opted to create this incredible love story in my head with this unbelievable man. Of course, since it was a fairytale, no one ever came close.”

I duck my head, my fingers curling around the edge of the kitchen table. Admitting the next part feels like stepping into the light after years of hiding in the shadows. But if I want Ash to be real with me, I owe him the same courtesy.

“Until you. You’re the first man I want to open up and be vulnerable for.”

A muscle jumps in Ash’s jaw at my declaration—my brutal and beautiful admission. He runs a hand over his beard, his gaze fixed on some distant point as he processes my words.

“Damn.” His voice is low, gruff, but there’s a flicker of disbelief in his expression. “Thank you.”

I’m not sure what kind of response I expected, but that certainly wasn’t it.

To be fair, I never planned on spillingmyguts this morning—I wanted Ash to spill his. But here I am, baring the parts of myself I swore I’d keep hidden.

With a shrug, I focus on my breakfast, certain I’ve said too much and overstepped the boundaries of our fragile new relationship. No doubt my admission might send Ash scurrying away—back to the arms of his waiting harem.

Sometimes, you need to stop while you’re ahead.

“You want some more?” I ask, rising from the table, eager to escape the awkwardness brewing in my stomach.

But Ash grabs my wrist, nodding toward the chair. “Stay.”

I sit down, facing him expectantly.

“It was eleven years ago. I’d hung out with all kinds of women, but I was so busy getting Black Lotus up and running that I didn’t have time for a relationship. Then I met Lucille, and within five minutes, I knew I wanted to spend my life with her.”

Okay, maybe this was a bad idea.

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