“You’ll never have to subsist on microwave meals and bags of popcorn.”
“No, thank God.”
He started the water in the sink. Angie hip-checked him. “I’ll wash the dishes.”
He grabbed a towel. “I’ll dry.”
They worked together, cleaning up the mess. When the sink was empty, Angie turned to him. “You like cooking, don’t you?”
He wasn’t sure where this was leading, but he answered honestly. “When I have time. It’s relaxing. Makes the world go away for a while.”
She fiddled with the paper towel she’d grabbed to wipe water off the counter. “Dan knew how to cook, but he resented that I didn’t. He used to get mad that I couldn’t fix dinner unless it was microwavable. Like I was doing it on purpose. He tried to teach me to cook, but like I said, I’m a disaster in the kitchen.”
Colt’s senses went on high alert. She was telling him something personal. He knew Dan was her ex, the one she’d planned to marry. All she’d said before was that he’d cheated on her and she’d dumped him.
“Or maybe he wasn’t patient enough with you.”
She frowned. “That too. He’d tell me it was so easy, all I had to do was pay attention. When I’d burn something, he’d get mad. And you know what, I think I could have learned. I think part of me stubbornly didn’t want to. I was working long hours, teaching school and going back to get my accounting degree. I was burning the candle at both ends to build a better life for us, and he was pissed because I didn’t fix dinner more often. I should have realized sooner what a jerk he was.”
“We don’t all have the same talents or interests. You probably could learn to cook, no matter what you think about your ability. But if it was a skill of his and you cleaned up everything like you just did for me, I don’t know why he’d have a problem with it.”
She tossed the paper towel in the trash and crossed her arms over her breasts. “Because he came from the kind of background where his mother did everything while his father lounged on the couch after work, even though she worked too. Dan just wanted somebody to cater to him, like his mom did for his dad. Only he didn’t put it that way. He tried to pretend he was all about sharing the burdens, but he really wasn’t.”
“I know you already know this, Ang, but he was a fucking idiot.”
She blushed. “Well, I certainly think so. Thanks for agreeing with me.”
He stalked over to where she leaned against the counter. Put a hand on either side of her, trapping her there. “Do you know why I think he was a fucking idiot?”
She blinked up at him. Shook her head.
He focused his gaze on her plump lower lip. He wanted to nibble that lip, suck it between his own like a ripe cherry. “He was a fucking idiot because he’d convinced you to marry him and then he did everything he could to ruin it. He had no idea how lucky he was to have you. I hope he’s miserable as hell right now.”
Angie’s color was still high. She smiled as she sort of melted against the counter. She put a hand on his abdomen, trailed it up his chest and palmed his cheek. “I hope so too. He got married a few months after we split. Last I heard, they had a kid and then he left her for another woman. So he’s paying child support to the first and planning a wedding to the second. I had a lucky escape.”
She straightened herself against him, put her other palm on his cheek and cupped his face. He had to force himself not to move. Not to press his dick against her and show her how she affected him.
Let her make the moves, dude.
“You know, I don’t really want to talk about Dan,” she said. “I’m not still hung up on him and I don’t miss him at all. I just wanted you to know that I think you’re pretty incredible—and maybe I’ve spent too much time in my head comparing you to Dan and thinking you’d turn out to be the same way because that’s how guys are. But I think I was wrong. I’ve had enough time to watch Jace and Maddy, and he’s nothing like that. Neither are you.”
He didn’t want to fuck this up, but he also had to know. “Why did you want to marry him, Ang?”
She let out a breath. Shook her head. Then her liquid green eyes met his. “I’m not sure anymore. He was the first guy to ask me. Which is crazy, I know—but I didn’t have a lot of confidence back then. I still don’t sometimes. I just hide it well.”
He put his hands on her hips, pulled her in close enough to feel how she affected him. Her eyes widened a little, but she didn’t pull away.
“I think you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met. Don’t you have any idea how gorgeous you are?”
She smiled up at him. “You’re sweet. I know I’m attractive, but I’m not special or anything. My hips are too big, and my chest isn’t quite big enough. And then there’s all this crazy blushing I do because I’m so pale.”
“I like the blushing. It’s how I know you’re attracted to me.”
“See? I couldn’t deny it even if I wanted to.”
“Why would you want to?”
She rolled her lips inward. “To protect myself?”
“You don’t have to protect yourself with me, Angie. I won’t hurt you. It’s the last thing I’d ever do.”
“I know. I didn’t always know, but I do now.” She spread her palms over his pecs. “If you decide you’re done and want to move on, I’d appreciate knowing it up front, okay? No pretending or trying to
