Page 15 of Love Over Easy

Shyanne

The next morning as I’m cooking in David’s kitchen, it reminds me of Gram’s. Nothing showy, but it’s serviceable and all I really need. He said he was going to finish renovating the house and while a more up-to-date kitchen would be nice, I would miss the comfort of this one.

I bend down to pull a well-loved, cast iron skillet from beneath the range. It has been seasoned to perfection, but it hasn’t been used in a while. I give it a good rinse before adding bacon to fry.

I decide to stick to the basics. Not only because David’s pantry doesn’t have ingredients for something fancy, but because I’m pretty sure he’ll like the simpler food.

I’ve just pulled a pan of biscuits out of the oven when I hear footsteps on the stairs.

“Oh, my God! What is that smell?”

I look up as David comes in, his eyes surveying the buffet spread I’ve laid out. His astonished gaze goes from the bacon, eggs, biscuits, gravy, and home fries to me. His mouth opens and he licks his lips in anticipation and asks, “You made all of this?”

I don’t know why I get such a kick out of his reaction. “Don’t get so excited. It’s nothing special.”

He picks up a biscuit from the hot pan and breaks it apart. Steam rises from the fluffy insides. He smears a pat of butter =that quickly melts and seeps into the bread. He takes a bite, closes his eyes, and hums his appreciation. “This is the best thing I’ve ever had.”

My insides twitch. I’m embarrassed and unsure what I should do or say. I’ve never had anyone react to my cooking like it’s orgasmic. Dad and the boys would sit down, eat everything in sight, and then leave me to clean up… until I became the cash cow.

Once that happened, a personal chef was hired that prepared protein-rich, low carb, muscle-building menus for me. The guys are a lot older than me and had moved out by then and it was just me and Dad. But mostly just me.

“Ahh, that coffee smells good too,” David says.

“I’ll get you a cup.”

“No. No problem, I can get it,” David says and moves behind me.

I put the last biscuit in the bread bowl and turn to add it to the buffet spread just as David reaches to get a coffee mug from the cabinet above my head and I slam into his chest. His hand wraps around my waist and the hand that had been reaching for a mug lands on my shoulder. Our bodies touch from chest to thigh with a line of heat sizzling between.

I want to step back… but instead I lean into his warm, strong body. I look up from beneath my lashes and find his gaze looking down at me. He cups my cheek with his palm and rubs his thumb back and forth over the sensitive skin. I shiver and it has nothing to do with being cold because I’m burning up inside.

My gaze moves to his lips and his mouth opens slightly. I take that as an invitation. Even if I’d wanted to, I couldn’t have stopped myself from rising up on my toes and pressing my lips against his.

I should stop this insanity. I should step back, but I don’t and David doesn’t either. It’s been so long since a man looked at me the way David just did. It’s been even longer since I reacted to a man in this way.

What started out innocently quickly escalates to a mind-numbing exchange of rightness. Being in David’s arms, his mouth crushed to mine, I want more. I want to jump up, wrap my legs around his waist, and let him carry me upstairs to his bed.

His hands grasp my shoulders just before he breaks the kiss and he rests his forehead against mine. “We can’t, Shy. It’s wrong to take it any further.”

I stumble back; a chill replaces the warmth of his arms. What have I done? “I’m sorry, David. I never meant to take advantage of you like that.” I turn around and busy myself rearranging the cooling biscuits. How could I have been so stupid? Why would I even think that a good, kind, handsome man like David would be attracted to a boyish girl like me? I haven’t a clue how to seduce a man.

A hand on my shoulder turns me around. I keep my eyes lowered because I don’t want to see that look in his eyes. The pity look would only make me feel worse. A finger under my chin tips my face. The look in his eyes is anything but pity. “I wanted that kiss and more, Shy. But the time isn’t right. I will never hurt you and taking that kiss further could have. Your bruising hasn’t even healed and there’s too many secrets between us.”

I wish I could open the refrigerator door and crawl inside. I try to look away, but his hand on my face won’t allow my escape.

“Shy, don’t for a moment think I don’t want you.”

I lick my lips and give a jerky nod and he steps away to grab the coffee that started this whole debacle. I give the counter a final wipe down, pick up the plate I’d prepared for myself earlier, and say, “Fill your plate. Is it okay if we sit at the table on the deck?”

David pours his coffee and when he turns around, it’s like the entire incident never happened. He nods at my lean meal as we head outside. “Is that all you’re eating?”

I set my plate filled with egg whites, peppers, and tomatoes down on the patio table. “Yeah. What’s wrong with it?” I ask as I lower myself into my seat.

David takes the seat across from me and says, “How can you eat that, when you have all of this?” He waves his hand over the plate he overfilled with a little bit of everything I made. Not an egg white in sight.

I want to say because I know that probably sooner rather than later, I’ll be right back where I started. I need to keep in shape. And that depresses me. My joy from a few moments’ earlier dims. “This is my usual breakfast.”

“Is that the way you stay in such great shape?” David asks.

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