watered as the delicious aroma of the chicken cooking in the oven wafted throughout the apartment.
As if summoned by the devil himself, Foster opened my front door and poked his head into the apartment. “Whatcha cooking?”
With a sigh, I opened the bread and pulled out two more slices. “Chicken salad sandwiches.”
“Yum.” He closed the door behind him and claimed a stool on the other side of the island. Noticing how much food I was making and knowing my plans for the day, Foster looked around the room. “Where’s Miller?”
I couldn’t help the self-satisfied smile that stretched across my face. “He’s taking a nap.”
Foster gasped as he leaned back in his seat dramatically. “Carson, you dirty dog.”
I smirked, unable to deny what was plain to see.
Foster hooted as he slapped the counter. “Oh, how the mighty have fallen.”
“You might want to watch it,” I said, pointing my knife at him. “I seem to remember a certain cowboy who has you tongue-tied.”
He stopped laughing real quick and glared at me as he tapped his finger against the counter. “You know, I don’t appreciate you throwing that in my face.”
I shrugged, turning off the timer as it went off. “Don’t dish it out if you can’t take it,” I said, pulling the chicken out of the oven.
Hearing a loud thump, I looked over my shoulder to see Foster with his forehead pressed against the counter. “Kill me.”
I rolled my eyes at his dramatics as I reached for some forks to shred the meat. “I’ve never seen you like this. Just talk to him already. And more than just your drink order,” I added, already knowing what his response would be.
“But he’s so painfully vanilla it hurts,” Foster grouched as he sat up.
“You don’t know that,” I replied, dumping everything into a large bowl and mixing.
“He’s worked next to a BDSM club for over a year, Carson. If he were even a tiny bit kinky, he would have shown up here by now.”
Chicken salad complete, I grabbed the bread from the toaster and constructed two sandwiches: one for Foster and one for Miller. Dishing them up, I placed a plate in front of Foster. “Maybe he hasn’t shown up here because he has a thing for a certain cute Sadist that keeps showing up there.”
Foster preened as he slid his plate toward himself, his ego not allowing anything else. “I am pretty cute,” he said, taking a large bite of his sandwich. “Mmm, so good.”
Laughing at the picture Foster made, I checked the time and decided to wake Miller as soon as I finished making my own sandwich. “You know I’d give you the recipe if you asked.”
Foster was already shaking his head as he took another bite. “It always tastes better when someone else makes it.”
I leaned over the counter, placed my plate next to Foster, and then set Miller’s next to mine. “Tea?” I asked, reaching for the refrigerator and the pitcher of iced tea I’d made the day before.
“Yes.”
I poured three glasses, passing one to Foster before setting the other two by the plates that waited for Miller and I. “Be right back. I’m just going to go wake up Miller.”
“Don’t bother,” he said, pointing toward the hallway with his sandwich. “Someone already beat you to it.”
Looking in the direction Foster had indicated, I smiled as Miller shuffled down the hall. His hair was a bit of a mess, his eyes were still heavy with sleep, and his clothes were rumpled. Dangling from one ear, the rabbit he hadn’t let go of since I’d placed it in his arms hung at his side.
In a word, he was perfect. And mine.
Okay, two words, but they were both accurate.
He looked over, his gaze meeting mine. He smiled, his eyes bright with something I couldn’t easily define. It was a bit of I’m-so-happy-to-see-you mixed with a dash of I-just-remembered-what-we-did-and-am-slightly-embarrassed with a hint of hi sprinkled on top.
That was until his gaze shifted behind me in Foster’s direction. His face closed down as he hid his emotions behind his blank mask. He moved his arm behind his back until the bunny was tucked away safely out of sight.
I looked back to see Foster staring at us as he munched away at his meal. He tried to pull off the oh-don’t-mind-me-I’m-innocent look, but it wasn’t working.
With a sigh, I turned back to Miller and walked toward him, using my body to block Foster out. “Don’t mind him,” I said, placing my hands on his upper arms.