Page 40 of Starts With a Bang

“It might be a good idea to see how the brick oven responds when the grease from the fattier toppings drip down into the fire,” Sven suggested. “We might have to adjust how much wood we’re using.”

“That’s a fantastic idea,” Dad said.

Sven formed a heart with the pepperoni slices and slid his masterpiece to me. “For you.”

Our eyes met and held. I was once again struck by how poignant the moment felt. Sven had laid more than a pepperoni heart bare. It was a symbol of what I could have if I were brave enough. Our surroundings faded away until the kitchen island felt like a center stage, with the bright pendant lights acting as spotlights. But we weren’t actors going off a script. This was real life—his and mine. I cupped his neck and lowered my head for a soft kiss.

“I’ll take exceptional care of it.”

Sven smiled dreamily. “I know you will.”

“Want to come with me to fire the pizza?” I asked.

“I thought I got to play with the oven,” Dad whined from somewhere in the shadowy background. The pout in his voice made Sven smile. We didn’t acknowledge him otherwise, but Mom hushed him.

“Absolutely,” Sven said. “I better grab my coat.”

I moved so he could slide off the stool. And the rest of the kitchen and its inhabitants came back into focus as soon as Sven’s feet hit the floor. I chuckled and rubbed the back of my neck. “Sorry. The world often disappears when we’re together.”

Mom clutched her heart and melted on the spot. John looked amused, while Dad and Christian looked happy for me. I didn’t bother checking Emerson’s reaction. Sourness rolled from his direction, and I wouldn’t let its stench ruin my mood.

I swatted Sven’s pert backside playfully and said, “You won’t need a coat. Just grab a throw blanket off the back of the couch.” Then I grabbed the pizza paddle off the island and looked at my guy. “Ready to test your skills?”

He clapped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously. “Oh boy!”

“I’m coming too,” John said.

“And me,” Dad called out.

The four of us headed outside, where I ceremoniously presented the pizza paddle to my dad. “With this privilege comes great responsibility. Can you handle it?”

Dad snorted and shook his head as he took the paddle from me. “I knew that damn speech was going to come back and bite me in the ass someday.” He looked both irritated and impressed. “You’ve kept that on ice for twenty-two years.”

“Sure have.”

Sven joined me with a throw blanket wrapped around his shoulders. It was gray, chunky, and inviting. “What’s happening here?”

“It’s the same speech I gave Dom when he got his driver’s license,” Dad said. “He’s been biding his time to use it on me.”

Sven met my gaze. The moonlight turned his dark blue eyes into sparkling gems. “Is that true?”

I smiled and kissed his upturned lips. “I can be extremely patient.”

It’s how I survived tedious stakeouts, combing through proverbial haystacks to find the needles and putting all the pieces together to form complete pictures. But my patience could be a hindrance—a crutch to lean on—when I should really throttle down. Like with Sven. I should’ve never waited two years to make another move on him. And I sure as hell shouldn’t have procrastinated coming clean with Kerry all this time. I had some mending to do, but one of those would have to wait. Tugging the blanket off Sven, I wrapped it around my shoulders and opened my arms in invitation. Sven stepped into me and buried his nose against my chest. I wrapped us in the soft cocoon, and the world faded away again.

And as it turned out, my patience came in handy throughout the rest of the evening. Dad’s test pizza turned out great and only required a few adjustments to the process. We built several more pizzas, ranging from meat lovers to veggie lovers and everything in between. We sampled each new pizza when it came out of the oven instead of waiting until they were all baked. Some were bigger hits than others, but none of them were duds. And the energy in the house was high but good. Maybe Aunt Janet had been onto something with her idea, and I thought it was a real shame that she was missing out. Mom had gone to check on her, but she was asleep, as John had predicted.

I’d hoped that the pizza experiment would be the end of the festivities for our first night. We’d navigated some tense moments but had gotten through them without fighting. Why not end the night on a high note? Mostly, I wanted to get Svennaked and under me. I even volunteered for kitchen cleanup duties to speed things along. My mom had a different idea. She’d found a closet full of games when she scoped out the chateau on arrival, and Emerson, the asshat, encouraged the idea. He’d never liked board games, and I knew his response was retribution when he suggested we play Monopoly. I grudgingly played along and was glad I had when Sven bankrupted his ass in record time.

John, who’d made a fortune as a financier, was impressed. “I think you should come work for me. You’d make a killing.”

“Thank you, but no,” Sven said. “I enjoy overseeing my investment portfolio, but I have no desire to advise others.”

Enthusiasm for family game night waned once the next person fell to Sven’s superior skills, and I capitalized on their low energy with an exaggerated yawn, an arm stretch, and a head roll. I thought I’d carried off the act well, but I caught my parents smirking and elbowing each other.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Emerson snarled from the sofa he’d retired to after losing. “Take your lover to bed already.”

It could’ve been awkward if we let it, but I pushed back from the table and extended my hand to Sven.

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