Page 27 of Kiss Away Your Pain (Wounded Hearts 2)

“Well, you didn’t see it, but I looked back and I can tell you, she was very surprised and very grateful.”

“Good. Hopefully someday, she can pay it forward to someone.”

We walk back to his Jeep and he drives us to his condo a few blocks away. I’m curious to see what his place looks like.

When he opens the door and lets me in, I’m greeted by warm brown woods with accents of black and dark blues. It’s kind of cozy-modern. It suits him.

“Can I get you a glass of wine? I have a nice white that’ll pair well with our fish,” he says, bringing my tote into the kitchen that’s off to the left of the living room of the open floor-plan.

“That’d be great. Can I help you in there?” I follow him to the kitchen.

“Depends. Are you a good cook?” he asks, placing my bag on the black granite top of the island.

My laugh exposes my confession. “Not really. With my work and traveling so much, I don’t cook very often so I’m not too good at it. My mom was an amazing cook. I didn’t get that gene.”

He laughs, taking our dinner ingredients out of my bag. “Let’s let me do the cooking and you can observe,” he says, opening the glass front black cabinet and getting out two white wine glasses. “Are you hungry? Want me to start dinner now?”

“Honestly, walking through that market always makes me hungry.”

“Same.” He chuckles, opening the bottle. He pours wine in both glasses then walks around the island and hands me a glass. Every time he’s close to me, I feel his energy resound in my chest. “Thank you for being here,” he says, looking down at me. The low timbre of his voice rumbles through my body. He clinks my glass and takes a sip of wine. “Mmm, that’s good.” Setting his glass on the island, he walks into the living room. “How about some music?”

“Sure.”

He touches a few buttons on a black tower and smooth jazz music hums through the rooms.He likes jazz?

“This okay?”

“Yeah. I love this music.”

He claps his hands together and rubs them briskly. “All right, let’s get you fed. You can hang out in the living room, watch me cook, whatever you feel like.”

“Okay.” I grab my wine glass and wander through his living room. His wood and black-metal standing bookshelf is filled with books. Everything from success books, likeThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective PeopleandRich Dad Poor Dad, to cookbooks to espionage thrillers and crime action-adventure fiction books. “You read a lot,” I say, looking back at him.

“When I have the time. I like to learn new things or read for pleasure.”

On one shelf, there’s a picture of him with a woman who shares his hair and eye color. “Is this your sister?”

“Yeah. That’s me and Anastasia at a family wedding last year.”

“She’s beautiful.”

“Tell me about it. I almost had to kick more than a few asses growing up. Guys would hit on her all the time. Thankfully, she ended up with a great guy.”

“So, you like her husband?”

“I do. He’s a great guy. Respects her, treats her right, takes care of her. They’re good for each other.”

Wine glass in hand, I walk back to the kitchen and sit on a black-leather-topped stool at the island to watch him cook. “Who’s older?”

“She is,” he says, turning on the heat under the pan with our fish in it. “By only two years. She’s one of the strongest people I know, next to my dad.” He sips his wine. “I think she felt like she had to sort of step in and try to be a mom to me. Our baking sessions were like her way of showing me love. And she’s incredibly patient. I’d get so many things wrong and she’d never get upset with me. We’d either adjust or start over and she’d explain everything again.” He pauses. “We were close growing up.”

“Not anymore?”

“We are. I just don’t get to see her as much. You know, we’re older and have jobs and lives. They’re trying for kids now.” A broad smile spreads his scruffy cheeks. “Hopefully soon, I’ll be an uncle.”

“You like kids, huh?”

“Hell yeah. Though my love life hasn’t led me down that path yet, I want a family someday. I want kids.” He takes a sip of wine as he cuts the ends off the asparagus. “How about you? Do you want kids someday?”

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