pasta smell. “Wow, this is real.” I moved to the table and watched him step toward me, in just his sweatpants, that rock-hard chest bare. My arms circled his tight waist, and I kissed him, my nails lightly digging into his flesh, feeling the muscles of his flank.
He rubbed his nose against mine before he pulled away and presented my chair.
I took my seat and watched him take the spot at the head of the table.
There was a spring greens salad as well. I grabbed my fork and started to eat. “Wow, this is good…”
“I put it on the grocery list.”
“I didn’t even notice.”
“Looks like someone else does my shopping, then.”
“Honestly, I’m usually too busy with other stuff.” I kept eating, loving every single bite. “Damn, this is bomb.”
“Bomb?” he asked.
“You know, awesome.”
He shook his head and stabbed his fork into the lettuce. “Weirdest slang I’ve ever heard…”
I chuckled. “So, what brought this on? This is not your usual preference—even if it doesn’t have cheese.”
“I noticed you always have something for me to eat at your apartment, so I thought I would try to have things you’ll enjoy as well….
It was thoughtful—and observant. “I love your cooking, Deacon.”
“Yeah, but I know it’s repetitive.”
“Well, it’s a nice break from my burritos.”
“I’ll never serve you that,” he said with a light chuckle. “Not my style.”
“That’s why you’re so hot, so I don’t care.”
He smiled slightly and kept eating.
“So, how’s it going?” I’d been busy for the last few days, so we hadn’t seen each other.
He shrugged. “Fine.”
“Have you seen Derek much?”
“No, actually. I don’t want to push it.”
“Yeah. That means you haven’t seen her either?”
He shook his head. “Which is fine by me.” He finished his salad and moved on to his ravioli.
I’d wondered if she would talk to Deacon about Derek’s school supplies and meeting. I hadn’t said anything because I’d wanted to give it a chance to happen on its own. But obviously, she’d already forgotten about it. I didn’t want to make Deacon pissed off at his ex. Didn’t want us to spend our time talking about her at all. So, I phrased it carefully. “You know, Derek has a parent-teacher meeting this week. I guess it’s just a preliminary meeting, for them to get to know Derek, for him ask any questions he might have, gauge what he’s interested in…stuff like that.”
“Yeah?” he asked, clearly having no idea.
“It’s on Thursday at one. You think you could make it?”
“Yes.” He answered right away, not thinking about work at all, not giving a damn about it. “I’d love to.”
I’d never had any doubt what his response would be. “Great. Mind if I come along?”
“I’d love that. But I’m not sure how Valerie will feel about it.”
“She won’t be there, so it won’t be a problem.”
“She won’t?” he asked in surprise. “Why?”
If I told him she just didn’t give a damn, it would piss him off, so I was vague. “I think she said she had something to do…”
He looked skeptical, because he knew Valerie didn’t work or have any friends. She could be seeing someone, but that would have happened really quickly. But he didn’t dwell on it.
“And I thought we could go back-to-school shopping afterward. I’ve downloaded a list of supplies he’ll need. Of course, I can just pick it up for you, but I thought it might be fun to take Derek to personalize everything. It’ll teach him how to prepare himself for future endeavors.”
“Yeah, he’ll love that.” He kept eating.
I’d successfully sidestepped a really terrible conversation.
He finished his food and wiped his plate clean. “It’s crazy to think he’s just a few floors above me… Makes me feel better.” He paused for a moment before he gathered the plates and carried them into the kitchen.
I felt guilty for misleading him, but since I had his best intentions at heart, I brushed it off.
He turned and refilled our glasses before he shoved the cork back into the bottle. “What’s my girl been up to?” He took his seat again.
I loved every affectionate name he called me. They were all wonderful. “Just busy, as usual. I’ve got a lot of clients to juggle, and it seems like they always need something.”
“They didn’t need so much until they met you. You make their lives so simple, and it’s addictive.” He took a drink then licked his lips. “I’m speaking from experience…”
I smiled. “You’re a pretty easy client, to be honest.”
“Because I’m sleeping with you,” he teased.
“No. You were a great