Page 86 of All Her Broken Pieces

“They are organized chronologically based on when we first made each dish. She numbered each one on the back.”

I flip the card in my hand, staring again at the small number before returning it to the box. My fingers move to the back of the box and pull out a card with the number three hundred on it. Holding it up to him, I ask, “I thought you said there were two hundred and eighty-six?”

“I told you to pick a number up to that. There are three hundred cards in there. We had planned to make the last fourteen recipes but never got the chance. Her cancer spread quicker than we’d anticipated, and she was bedridden the last several months of her life.”

I place a hand on his chest, gaze into his eyes, and whisper, “I’m so sorry.” I return the card to the box and withdraw another. Flipping it in my hand, I notice several marks on the back. “What are all the little tick marks?”

“That’s how many times we made each recipe.”

“And the stars on some of these?” I pull out another card, examining it closely.

“Those are secret recipes that only the two of us know. Each one of those has an ingredient missing from the instructions. Only she and I know what’s missing and how to incorporate it.”

“This is incredible. It’s like a timeline of your relationship.”

“It is. It’s why I tear up when I see them, and all those memories come flooding back. It’s also why I’m so grateful for the way your brain works and the levity you provide. The joy you bring to my life calms me. It provides a balance I never knew I needed, so thank you.” He wraps me in his arms, kissing the top of my head as we stand there holding each other, our breathing becoming synchronized. And in this moment, it truly feels like he’s part of me, that we are part of each other. Two souls destined to find one another despite our ages or backgrounds.

“Thank you for sharing this with me, for letting me be a part of this.”

His hand snakes along my neck and fists my hair, touching me and holding me in place as his eyes bore into mine. His nose trails along my jaw, and I can feel his deep inhale as he murmurs in my ear. “Berries and vanilla, so fucking good.”

Pulling back slightly, he guides my mouth to his in a bruising kiss. His tongue licks at the seam of my lips, and I open for him. Warmth pools in my core as he fills me with passion, his mouth taking while his tongue teases, giving me the pleasure I crave that only he can provide. Breaking the kiss, his other hand grabs my waist, squeezing and tickling as a loud laugh spills out of me.

“Ethan,” I cry between laughs. “What are you doing?”

“Making a core memory by engaging every one of my senses. I want to burn this into my brain, this moment here with you. This is something I want to remember every fucking day for the rest of my life. The way you feel in my hands. The way your eyes light up. The incredible way you smell. The way you taste sweet and sensual. And the melodic way you laugh. Fuck, I can’t get enough of you.”

He presses his lips to mine again, and I can feel his hunger for me grow. His arms pull me in tighter as his hips start rocking against me, his erection becoming hard to ignore.

“I want you so bad right now,” he growls in my ear as his tongue licks down my neck before stopping on that sweet spot where it meets my shoulder.

“First, we cook, then we fuck. Those were your words, were they not?” I practically moan as he sucks on that spot on my neck, pulling the sensitive flesh into his mouth hard before soothing it with a kiss. I pull back, giving him a playful swat on the chest. “You’re not giving me a hickey the day before we see your family. I’m already freaking out about meeting them.”

That fucking dimple has me backing down as he places tender kisses on my swollen lips. The way he smiles at me makes my chest tighten. “Mom can’t stop talking about how great you are. She’s been begging to meet us for lunch again. And my sisters are all going to love you. You have nothing to worry about.”

“And your dad? Jesus Christ, he’s going to think I’m some kind of cougar. Or sugar mama.”

“I don’t give a fuck if he does. I’ve made my way despite him. Hell, I’ve had to bail his ass out financially several times, and I’ve also watched the girls so he could pick up extra shifts. He knows I’m fully capable of taking care of myself financially. And the fact that I spend more nights over here than I do at my place has nothing to do with how much you make and more to do with privacy. Unless you prefer to go to my place where we can listen to Alyx have loud group sex through the thin apartment walls?”

“That might be kind of hot, actually.”

“Does my hellcat need to go back to the sex club?”

“Maybe there’s another one we can try? I’m not too keen on running into my CEO again. Thankfully, he didn’t see me, or I don’t think he did anyway. He hasn’t acted any differently toward me at work.”

“I can ask Alyx if he knows of any other clubs. But right now, I need you to decide what dish we’re bringing tomorrow. And choose wisely. Whether or not they accept you hinges on what dish you pick.”

Rolling my eyes, I pin him with a look.

“I’m only fucking with you. Seriously, they are going to love you. Lizzy’s already made you a bracelet.”

“She did?”

“Yup. She sent me a pic last night. You’re one of us now.” He winks.

The recipe box feels heavy in my hands, the decision weighing on me. I carefully flip through the cards as I read over each one, before stopping on the perfect dish. Pulling the card out, I proudly hold it up as I declare, “This one.”

If I wasn’t looking at him, I’d miss the way his forehead crinkles in worry. The movement is so brief, but I catch it, and it fills me with doubt. “Do you think someone else will be bringing sweet potato casserole?”

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