I go for subtlety. “It’s past noon . . .”
“Oh, Rhodes, don’t you know it’s called an afternoon delight for a reason?”
“Sweet cheeks, I said I didn’t date. Didn’t say I’ve lived the life of a monk . . .”
“Oh, thank god for that,” she says.
And for a moment, I think she’s joking. She’s not.
“At least one of us has recent practice with anything, ’cause I’m at twenty-five months and counting.” She laughs but my brain is stuck on her confession. “And now he goes quiet . . .”
Ever since I left her in the doorway to the restaurant, I’ve been consumed with finding a way to continue our hot make-out session in private. It’s not like sleepovers are an option—not an easy one anyway—she has Harvs to worry about and a restaurant to run, and I have my own list of obstacles. I’m not against her staying overnight, but I’d want to prepare Jake for that since it’s never happened before. I’m willing my heart to slow down and my balls to loosen up a bit when she speaks again.
“Rhodes, I wasn’t meaning I was gonna come over and jump you. I’m in no rush or anything. It’s just—”
“You’d better hurry, baby. I’m in a giving mood, and you’ve opened the floodgates.”
“Well, I hope it’ll be you opening those, but I’m not adverse to lending a hand to get to that goal.”
I growl earning a cheeky laugh from my girl.
“Down, boy . . . at least for thirty minutes, then you can be whatever you want.
“Dee, why aren’t you in your car already?”
As soon as we end the call, I’m up out of my seat and stripping my clothes off as I walk through the house, across my room, and into my ensuite to clean up.
True to her word, thirty-five minutes later, I’m opening my door to a grinning Dee with a black Delish bag hanging from her fingers.
“Dee Duncan delivers Delish,” she says with a sly grin.
“Damn, I should get delivery more often if it comes in a package like that.”
She bats her lashes dramatically and clutches her chest. “Flattery will get you everywhere, Mr. Anderson.”
“In that case, get your butt inside so I can eat that amazing smelling food with you.”
“You definitely know how to sweet-talk a girl.”
“Only the ones I like,” I whisper as she walks through the door. I sweep her into my arms, earning a squeak before I steal a kiss from her and groan at the contact. It may have only been three days, but by my count, that’s three days too damn long.
She laughs against my lips as she presses lightly on my chest. “Hey. I said I brought you lunch, not that I was the lunch.”
“Well, that’s disappointing.” I hold out my arm to usher her into the living and dining area, chuckling to myself as she swings her hips in time with the bag hanging from her fingers.
“I didn’t say I wasn’t planning on being a sweet after-lunch-snack though.”
Fuck. I follow her like a drooling puppy dog, not embarrassed by it at all. It’s then that I get it—what first drew me to Dee—it’s her sparkle. That’s corny as hell, but it’s the pizazz she has, her laugh, her effervescent love of life that she shines far and wide. In person, it’s with her smart mouth and wicked sense of humor. At the restaurant, it’s her personality and passion for good food that you can sense in the air and taste with every bite. In her video blogs, it’s her determination to teach the world how to make quick, easy food instead of ready-made alternatives. All of this runs through my head while Dee moves into the living room.
God, I thought I was a little obsessed over her before we met. Now I might be a lost cause.
Being with Dee makes me feel on top of the world, and I’m determined to stay here and work hard to keep her by my side.
But before that, I need to eat.
Walking through to the dining room, she stops and looks at the bookshelf where there are photos of Jake and I, family, friends, and finally, Lily.
She glances over her shoulder at me. “I thought Jake was you through and through, but he has her eyes.”
“Yeah. They changed. Sometimes they’d be blue. When I’d pissed her off, they’d be electric green—something Jake also inherited. It was hard to stand my ground when she’d point those my way, and I find Jake has that trick up his sleeve too.”
Her lips curve in a knowing smile. “I bet you give in every time.”
I chuckle, looking at the ground and shaking my head. “Pretty much.”
“Wish I could’ve gotten some tips. Might come in handy one day.” She shoots me a wink before continuing to the kitchen.
I stay there, dumbfounded and amazed, staring at Lily’s photo, partly kicking myself for not thinking about the fact that my new girlfriend kinda got slapped in the face with my past. She just took it in stride and didn’t even miss a beat.
“C’mon, honey. This food may travel well, but I promise you won’t wanna wait,” she calls out from the kitchen, snapping me from my thoughts.
As if she has a sixth sense, by the time I reach her side, she’s already found the plates and cutlery.
I move behind her and brush my lips against her neck, pressing my front to her back, nuzzling against her skin and breathing in the sweet scent of her jasmine perfume. “Sorry, I didn’t think.”
“About what?” she says quietly.
“The photos.”
She stops what she’s doing and covers my hands wrapped around her waist with her own, leaning her weight into me. “Honey, I’d be disappointed if you didn’t have photos. You said you live your lives now memorializing her. You wouldn’t be the man I’m coming to know you are if you hid her away.”
“Fuck, Dee. Are you real?”
She releases a contented
