Page 59 of A New Dawn

I shake my head. “I haven’t even had breakfast yet,” I tell him, making him frown.

“Didn’t you faint from lack of food?”

God, how does he know that? Is Gary such a blabbermouth? Somehow I can’t see it.

I shrug. What is there to say?

“I’ll cook us something,” he declares and before I can protest, he’s already in the kitchen, checking what’s in the fridge.

“Marni had housekeeping stock up the fridge. They didn’t know if you were a vegetarian, so they didn’t buy any meat. Is an omelet with veggies okay with you?”

I’m tempted to ask if there’s kale and parsnip in the fridge to make my favorite kind of omelet but remember in time not to be Predictable Ella.

“That sounds wonderful. Thank you. But you don’t have to do this. I can feed myself.”

He arches an eyebrow at that. “I haven’t seen you eating yet.” Fair point.

I take a seat on one of the breakfast bar stools and watch as Aiden expertly slices onions and capsicums. “You’ve done this before,” I joke.

He winks at me and my insides melt. Fuck my life, he’s gorgeous and this playful side of him is alarmingly endearing.

As he cracks egg after egg, he asks, “Did you know that the fastest omelet maker in the world made four-hundred-and-twenty-seven two-egg omelets in thirty minutes?”

“I did not know that…”

“I’m shocked you would eat a meal without knowing all the relevant particulars,” he teases.

“Yeah, it’s surprising. But how about this little random fact? Egg yolks are one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D.”

“I was aware of that,” Aiden says triumphantly. “It’s one of the reasons I always have them for breakfast. Here’s another fact I bet you’ve not heard about.” He crooks his finger and beckons me closer. I lean over and Aiden says in a low voice. “If you drop an egg on the floor, sprinkle it heavily with salt for easy cleanup.”

I burst into giggles. Here I thought he’s sharing something amazing, but no…

“And look… Oh no, I accidentally dropped one.” He holds up an egg and lets it fall. It smashes on the kitchen counter.

Joining the game, I walk around the island and open the cupboard above the stove to take out the salt. I take the cap off and pour the content over the smashed egg. “Only one way to find out if your theory holds,” I reply.

He smiles broadly at me as he hands me some paper towels. And low and behold, it wipes off cleanly.

“Good trick. You should try it at your next party,” I say.

And there’s that cheeky wink again… and my blush.Argh!

I lean against the island as Aiden heats up the frying pan. He looks over his shoulder and studies me for a moment.

“Tell me, Sunshine. Why were you so upset earlier? What made you cry?”

The mood immediately turns more solemn, and I drop my gaze. My heart rate picks up a notch, and I feel like a butterfly caught in a net.

Shit, what do I tell him?

My mind goes momentarily blank.

Do I trust him with the truth? Can I really tell him I thought I was pregnant by my mobster lover?

A resoundingyesechoes through my body. Heart, mind, and soul are in agreement.

Fuck, I’m screwed. I’m so so screwed.

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