Page 15 of Deadly Protector
That full mouth of his curved up again and she felt that wicked grin like a punch to all her senses. “Occasionally. I’m very self-sufficient, though I do prefer takeout.”
“I like a self-sufficient man.”
His gaze strayed to her mouth again and yeah, that lust was just simmering under the surface now. He wasn’t hiding it at all and she found that incredibly hot. Then he tucked it away as he nodded at the eggs. “Is scrambled eggs okay?”
“Perfect. I’m normally not a big breakfast person, but after all those laps I’m hungry. Did you want help?”
“Nah, just relax. I’ve got this. Did you want more coffee?”
“Actually, yeah. I could go for another cup.” She slid off the stool and made another cup. “Want me to top you off?”
He nodded as he cracked another egg into the bowl. “I’ve got to run out for an hour, to talk with someone about Ryba,” he said after she slid back onto the stool.
Shivering, she wrapped her fingers around the mug. “Is that good news?”
“Yeah. Just need to go over some things,” he said vaguely. “And I’ve also got Ryba’s contact information. I’ll be reaching out to him this morning after my meeting.”
She wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to, but he’d jumped feetfirst into this thing and she found that she trusted him. He seemed to have a much better handle on this situation and she could admit she needed the help. “Thank you. I know you said you’ll be meeting with him, but if you think I should be there—”
He shook his head, shot her a sharp look. “No way.”
She held up her palms. “I was just offering in case things had changed.”
“They haven’t. How’d you sleep?” He poured the whipped eggs into a pan already sizzling with butter as he asked.
“Not great, but that had nothing to do with your guest bed, which was very soft. What I’ve seen of your place is fantastic. And you have a gym too?”
“A small one. And my bed is very soft too, for the record.”
She blinked, surprised at his bold words.
He glanced over his shoulder, still manning the stove as he grinned. “Just thought I’d throw that out there.”
Her cheeks warmed as she said, “Noted.” She cleared her throat, feeling out of sorts, but in a good way. She was way out of her comfort zone right now—she hadn’t stayed at a man’s place since her husband. This was new territory, and despite the crap show going on in her life she found she liked being at Dimitri’s place. Even if she was a bit nervous at the thought of having sex again. “I’d like to grab some of my things if I’m going to be staying here for another day or so?” They hadn’t really discussed beyond today. “Or I can go to my mom’s or—”
“Here is fine. Better than fine,” he tacked on as he added cheese to the mix. “I like you here. And I already talked to Juan last night. He’s going to be here in an hour while I meet with my friend. He’ll take you to your place so you can grab whatever you need. Pack for a week or two.”
“That’s…a lot.” Not to mention, now Juan knew what was going on. Which meant she’d need to talk to her family about all this very soon.
He lifted a broad shoulder. “Better safe than sorry. It’s good your family knows about this anyway,” he added, as if he’d read her mind.
She took a sip of her coffee. “So who are you going to meet with?”
“Someone who knows Ryba’s aunt. Well, knows her better than I do. I want to get a feel for what we’re up against.”
The way he said “we’re” made her still even as warmth spread through her. Setting her mug down, she slid off the stool and rounded the island as he put the pan on a trivet.
She stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest.
He hugged her back tight, his arms a comforting band around her. “What’s this for?”
“Just thanking you again for helping me with this mess.” They’d been texting for months, sure, and she knew him from his physical therapy, but this felt like a huge bound in whatever this thing might be between them. He was showing her exactly who he was—a good, protective man who made her feel safe on the most basic level.
“You don’t have to thank me for this,” he murmured against the top of her head, his breath warm, his grip comforting.
And for a moment his grip tightened, one of his hands sliding lower down her back as if he might…go lower, maybe clutch onto her ass.
She leaned back, looked up at him, but his expression was shuttered.
