Page 110 of The Odds of Happily Ever After
He cocked an eyebrow at me. “Are you objectifying me right now?”
“So harsh. I’m admiring you. Where did you get all the muscles, Gabe? And that six-pack?”
His eyes might have been rolling, but the corner of his mouth turned up. “It’s called exercise.”
“I walk to and from campus and jog some days, but I have none of that.”
“You have nothing to worry about, Luna.”
“Uh, not true. My arms are like sticks, I have cellulite in my legs, and my boobs are nonexistent.” They were also currently braless since there was no way I was sleeping with one of those torture devices on.
To Gabe’s credit, he didn’t look away from my face. “You look good to me.”
Was swooning still a thing? Because I might be on the verge of it. “Well, you haven’t seen much of me yet.”
This time, his gaze lowered to the neckline of my nightgown. My nipples grew tight, practically saluting him.
“I’m going to get dressed,” he muttered as he grabbed the clothes he’d folded over a chair. “Can I use your bathroom?”
“Sure—actually, can you wait a sec? I need to pee.” Now that I’d recovered from the initial shock of near-naked Gabe, my bladder screamed at me.
“Of course.”
I took care of business, brushed my teeth, and set out a spare toothbrush and towel for Gabe. After double-checking that everything was clean, I walked out to find him already wearing pants and halfway through buttoning his shirt.
What a shame.
“Bathroom’s all yours,” I announced. “I’m sorry I don’t have any guy clothes here. I might have a shirt that fits you, though . . . let me check.”
“Don’t worry about it. I should get going anyway.”
My face fell. “You’re leaving?”
He hesitated. “I can stay a while if you want. I made you breakfast. ”
Until he mentioned it, I didn’t notice the mouthwatering scents of butter and fried pork in the air. The food was arranged in a platter on the dining table, along with a plate and utensils for one.
“I thought you’d want food after last night,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind me using your kitchen.”
“Mind? This is perfect, Gabe. Thank you. You should definitely stay because I’ll need help finishing this.”
“Give me a few minutes.”
While he used the bathroom, I prepared another place setting and went to brew coffee, only to find that Gabe had beat me to it. He also finished washing the pans and cooking utensils he’d used. The man was efficient and thoughtful, and I wished he didn’t have to leave. I wanted to play the birthday card to get him to stay longer, but he had already done more than enough. I hadto be content with breakfast with him, which was so much more than I thought I’d get.
I poured coffee into two mugs, added the usual milk and sugar to mine, and set them on the table. Then I swapped my nightgown for my new dress, brushed out my hair, and headed back out in time for Gabe to emerge from the bathroom, looking just as good as he did last night.
His gaze tracked down my body before lifting to my face. “You look beautiful.”
I smiled. “Thanks. Ate and Jason gave me this dress last Christmas. I was going to wear it last night, but Kriz got that other one for me.”
“That was a club dress, but this”—he nodded at me—“is a Luna dress.”
“I know, right? C’mon, let’s eat. I’m excited to try your cooking.” I sat at the table and waited for him to join me.
“It’s bacon and pancakes. Nothing fancy.”
“Do you cook a lot?” I asked as I filled my plate.
