Page 81 of Fit for Love

“Sure.”I get my laptop and then watch in hungry fascination as he fries the shiitake, sears the scallops, and assembles the tacos with the careful expertise of a chef in a Michelin-star restaurant.

When I taste the result, I moan in pleasure.“This is insane,” I say after I swallow.“I don’t think you’re as good at training people as you are at this.”

“That’s not fair.”He gives Sir Ems a taco.“You didn’t give me a chance to train you.”

“I guess.”I taste the taco once again—and almost bite my tongue.

“Okay.Show me what you’ve been working on.”He gestures at the laptop.

So I do, starting with the initial sketches I created earlier in the day and then going into the preliminary technical designs.

“What’s next?”he asks.

“After I finish the tech packs, I’ll need to source fabrics and materials.”

“How long will the whole thing take?”

I shrug.“Depends what you mean by that.Getting to the sampling stage would usually take several weeks or longer, but I might be able to cut that down drastically if I live and breathe this project.But if you’re talking about getting something into production and then stores,thatwill take much, much longer, so I won’t even think about that.”

He asks for more details, and like before, he has some good ideas, especially for someone who didn’t go to a design school.

“I went to business school,” he reminds me when I question him about that.“I didn’t finish, but I learned enough.Not to mention, my own business is going well.”

“Merely well.Understatement much?”

“I’m just saying that if you need help with the entrepreneurial aspects of this endeavor, I’d be happy to assist.”

That assumes he’ll be around when such skills will be necessary, but I dare not rely on that.Not when we’re basically nemeses with benefits… who, I guess, aren’t all that much at odds with each other anymore.

“Should I make dessert?”Ashton asks.

I shake my head.“Too full.I could really use a massage, though.My neck is stiff from working all day.”

“Hold on.”He cleans up the kitchen and sticks the plates into the dishwasher before turning back to me.“Should we go to the bedroom?”

My heart rate spikes.Trying to play it cool, I glance at the dog.“Is he coming with?”

“No.But if you have a spare pillow, or don’t mind putting a couch cushion on the floor, he’d enjoy using that as a bed.”

After a moment of thought, I designate a cushion for Sir Ems, then drag Ashton into the bedroom and kiss him the way I’ve wanted to from the moment he arrived.

His smile is smug as we separate.“So… is ‘massage’ a new euphemism for fucking?”

I roll my eyes.“You’re going to do both: massage me and then fuck me.”

He rubs his hands together.“Strip and lie down on your stomach.”

I wakeup in Ashton’s arms, feeling obscenely content.

“Breakfast?”he murmurs, kissing my neck.“I can whip up the crepes that I was going to make last night for dessert.”

It’s tempting, but… “Thank you, but I’ll just have cereal in front of my computer.Work is calling.And you need to go.”

“That’s dedication.”He sits up.“What are we doing tonight?”

“The birthday party,” I remind him.“I’ll text you the details.”

“Ah.Right.”He stands up, and he’s either oblivious to the fact that he’s naked, or he’s trying to make me horny on purpose.Again.

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