Page 21 of To Love and Protect
He turned to her with his brows pulled together. “I couldn’t let you eat that.”
Her concern melted away, and she found herself biting back a laugh once again. “Okay, but you didn’t have to throw the whole bowl away, Nico.”
He nodded his head vehemently. “I did though. I’m pretty sure it was a biohazard.”
She couldn’t hold it in anymore. She bent at the waist and let out a hard laugh. “You are too much,” she managed to say between fits of giggles.
“You should be thanking me for saving you from having to eat that shit, not laughing.” He chuckled as he ran a hand down the back of his neck. “So much for trying to be romantic.”
Remedie finally straightened up and wiped the tears that gathered at the corners of her eyes. “Is that what this is all about?” Realization fell on her as she put her hands on her hips. “Let me find out you tryna win this bet.”
Nico’s eyes glinted with mischief. “Maybe.”
Remedie took a step closer to him. Her head tilted so she could meet his eyes. “Let’s just leave the cooking to me from now on, okay? I’m sure you can find another way to win your little bet.”
“So you admit I’m going to win?”
Remedie shook her head defiantly. She had to keep up her tough girl act. Every time he was close to her, she felt her body react automatically.
“Not a chance,” she muttered.
“Yeah, aight. We gon’ see about that.”
Without warning, he dipped his head and kissed her. He hadn’t put his lips on her since they were at his mother’s house. She would never admit it out loud that she was disappointed by that. This kiss felt different. It was more passionate than the first one, and she didn’t even think that was possible. When he slipped his tongue into her mouth, Remedie moaned.
Nico pulled back with a big smile on his face. He didn’t even need to say anything. She knew what he was thinking already. She had just messed up. That little moan that just escaped her mouth told him everything he needed to know.
She was definitely already on the losing end of the bet.
CHAPTER NINE
After the breakfast fiasco, Remedie banished Nico from his own damn kitchen. He really thought it was more to do with that kiss than anything. She used his banishment as an excuse to spend more time in the kitchen than she normally did, successfully avoiding him.
She wouldn’t be able to much longer though. Gramps and Tyree would be there in the next few minutes to go over his schedule and diet for the next few weeks before his next fight.
The doorbell rang, prompting Nico to get up from the couch where he had been scrolling on his phone. When he opened the door, Gramps stood on the other side fussing at Tyree.
“You ain’t have to park so close to me with your stupid ass Barbie car.”
Tyree smacked his lips. “Just because it’s small does not make it a Barbir car.”
“No, but because it’s pink, it does,” Gramps argued.
“I’ll have you know, old man?—”
“Y’all gon’ argue on my doorstep all day or come in?” Nico asked, breaking up their bickering. If he didn’t, they would stand out there all day.
Gramps simply glanced at Nico with irritation written all over his face, before he grumbled something under his breath and moved into the house.
Tyree followed him, patting Nico on the shoulder on his way in as he said, “You know we can hear you, Gramps?”
“Oh, fuck off,” Gramps grumbled.
Nico shook his head with a chuckle as he closed the door. He bypassed them as they headed to the living room and went toward the kitchen. It was time for Remedie to stop hiding from him. He had a bet to win and a heart to secure.
He stopped and watched her assemble a tray of chicken wings, fries, mozzarella sticks, and ranch. She knew better than to add blue cheese to any of his plates. It was at the top of the list of things he hated.
She moved so effortlessly. After trying to make breakfast on his own, he wondered how she did it. It wasn’t as easy as it looked, and she was so clean too. There was nobody he would rather have in his home and making his meals than her. If he had it his way, she would be doing it as his woman and not as his personal chef. Baby steps.
