Page 98 of The Hookup Type

Maci grinned. “I thought I would just watch you cook.” She pulled out her phone and scrolled with her thumb. “Want to Want Me” by Jason Derulo played from a speaker above the fireplace, and she closed the space between us to assess the items on the counter.

I pulled the carton of eggs to the side and cracked all twelve of them into the bowl. I took a handful of shredded cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and whisked it together. “Did we get milk or half and half?”

She narrowed her eyes at me, and I almost spit out my mimosa.

“You’ve never put milk in your eggs?” I exclaimed.

“Who puts milk in their eggs?” She turned around and handed me a carton of milk from the fridge.

I unscrewed the cap and poured it until it looked like a good ratio. “People who don’t want dry ass eggs.”

It was her turn to laugh, and she hovered over the sink so her drink wouldn’t spill on the counter.

“I’m going to start on the bacon and sausage. Can you cook the eggs?” I eyed her suspiciously.

I grabbed another pan and laid out a few strips of bacon along with some sausage links. I watched Maci light the burner for her pan, and before I could stop her, she poured the bowl of eggs into an ungreased frying pan.

My hands instinctively shot to my head, and my mouth fell open. “Maci,” I grunted slowly.

With a spatula already in her hand, she looked at me with a puzzled look on her face. I quickly grabbed another pan and sprayed it down with cooking spray. I bumped her out of the way with my hip and poured the eggs into the freshly sprayed skillet. She snagged the dirty one from my hand and placed it in the sink. I could tell she was trying not to laugh.

“Have you never made eggs before?” I exclaimed.

She wore the same expression she had when I asked her about the last time she got an oil change. “I’m a tad inexperienced,” she admitted.

“Oh boy.” My voice went up a few octaves. I took the spatula from her hands and started the folding process for her. “You’ve gotta be quick with eggs,” I explained and handed her the spatula so she could try again.

She broke them up into smaller pieces and glanced over at me to make sure she was doing it right. I nodded slowly and smiled down at my own pan.

The song changed to a country song I didn’t know, and her body instantly swayed to the beat. She grabbed a plate from the cabinet and sat it on the counter.

I stared at her, completely turned on by how adorable she looked dancing next to me in the kitchen. I licked the center of my bottom lip and smiled when she turned to me and belted out the next set of lines. She spun around and sang about calling someone baby and running her fingers through her hair. Her eyes fell on mine, and she pointed at me with a giant smile.

As her body language matched the song lyrics, my lips parted slightly at the swing of her hips and her hands in her hair. She continued to sing as she returned her attention to the stove. I watched her empty the eggs onto the plate, and she flicked off the burner.

I had no idea how we got to this point. I had no idea how I went from having Maci on top of me five months ago in her bedroom to not being able to touch her right now.

I wanted to grab her hips, pull her against my chest and kiss her. I’d hoist her up on the counter, and I wouldn’t care if the food burned on the stove or the eggs got cold. She would be the only thing I needed to start the day.

The front door opened at the end of the hall, and the noise snapped me out of my daydream. I clicked off the burner in front of me, and the familiar voices of Bryson and Jared entered the kitchen.

“What’s up, guys!” Jared exclaimed and threw his bag on the recliner. “Whatcha makin'?”

Connor emerged from the hall, and Katie followed closely behind him. “Didn’t you guys just eat?”

I smirked when I saw her in Connor’s shirt, and she stuck her tongue out at me.

Bryson rounded the counter to the breakfast bar and leaned forward in front of Maci. He smiled at her, and she shook her head, unable to stop herself from smiling back.

I swallowed at the sight of them so close to each other and focused my attention on Jared. “Everything is done.”

“Where are we stayin'?” Bryson asked Connor.

Maci averted her attention to Katie, and the two of them got to work making more mimosas. I knew she was avoiding eye contact with Bryson.

“There are two bedrooms downstairs for you guys.” Connor pointed to the basement door. “There’s a game room and a bathroom down there too.”

“Sweet,” Jared said, hoisting his bag back onto his shoulder.

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