He stood over the stove, sexy and shirtless, his body tight and chiseled whether he was tense or relaxed. He was so fit that he always looked strong.
“How long have you been here?”
“About seven years now.”
“Oh…”
He turned back to me, silently asking for an explanation for my less-than-positive remark.
“Does that mean you lived here with your ex-wife?”
He nodded. “It was one of the few things I got to keep in the divorce.”
For a split second, it made me feel weird to be in the same penthouse where she used to live, in the bedroom where she used to sleep, at the dining table where she used to eat, but then I realized it was a long time ago and it shouldn’t matter. She didn’t deserve him in the first place.
When the food was done, he plated everything then handed my dinner to me. He leaned against the opposite counter, facing me, and ate where he stood, holding the plate with one hand with his fork in the other.
“Ten thousand square feet in this place and you want to eat like this?” I teased.
He sliced his fork into his tender chicken and shrugged before he placed a bite in his mouth. “You look too cute to move.”
I liked that answer. “This is really good.” I took a few bites, my feet still dangling over the edge.
“Do I cook better than Charlie?”
I squirmed on the spot. “No comment…”
“Oh, come on. You can tell me.”
“You’re putting me in a really awkward position. If I say your cooking is better and he finds out about it…he’ll never cook for me again, which means I’ll starve. If I say he’s better, I might not get that bomb-as-fuck sex anymore.”
“Bomb as fuck?” he asked, his eyes down on his food.
“Yes, that’s the best description I can think of.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He grabbed a stalk of asparagus and took a bite of the first half, looking at me as he did it. “Can I ask you something personal?”
“Anything.”
He did a double take when he heard what I said, his chin rising slightly so he could focus on me once more. Then a gentle smile came over that handsome face. “I’m not asking from a place of jealousy. I’m just curious—”
“No.”
“No, what? You didn’t give me a chance to finish.”
“Nothing has ever happened with Charlie. Ever.” My lovers always asked me this question because they couldn’t understand our friendship. Dax had already asked me this before, but he must have wanted to ask again now that I was more vulnerable than I used to be.
He looked amused by my response. “You get that question a lot, then?”
I nodded. “And my answer has never changed. Why do you ask?”
He shrugged. “You guys just have a really deep connection. When we’re playing basketball together, you can communicate telepathically. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
I continued to eat. “You’ve never had a girl friend?”
He shook his head. “None that I haven’t slept with. I guess my only female friend would be my sister, but that doesn’t really count.” He finished his food quickly and left his plate on the counter beside him.
“Well, it happens. There’s never been any attraction between us. Even if there were, I would never jeopardize our relationship for anything.”
He crossed arms over his chest as he watched me. “I guess I find it hard to believe because it’s impossible not to be attracted to you, not to think you’re special, not to think you’re a bomb-as-fuck woman. How is it Charlie doesn’t see that? I have no idea.”
I looked down at my food because I didn’t know what to say. It was such a compliment, a really nice one coming from a man like him. “You know, a lot of men I meet think I’m a bitch. I’m ambitious, opinionated, independent—those aren’t exactly sexy traits to most people. You’re one of the few men who actually sees value in them. So, it’s not me—it’s you.” He was a perfect man for me, someone who admired my spunk and was man enough to handle it. “Charlie doesn’t like that kind of woman. Look at Denise. She’s very quiet, submissive. And that’s fine, there’s nothing wrong with that, but I’m just not Charlie’s type.”
He stared at me for a long time with that absorbing gaze, pondering everything I said. Then he gave a slight nod. “I guess I can understand that.”