Page 116 of Torn
I swallow the lump of happy emotion in my throat as he takes my hand and leads me to the kitchen, where he inspects all the baking ingredients and supplies I’ve got laid out on the counter with keen interest.
“You’re making me something special, aren’t you?” he finally asks with a crooked grin.
I nod excitedly. “Yes. Filet mignon with mashed potatoes, sautéed fresh green beans with garlic and parmesan, and an apple pie.”
His eyes go wide. “You’re spoiling me. Please tell me you’re staying for dinner. I’m not eating all that without you.”
“If you want me to.”
“Of course I want you to. I want to see you as much as I can.”
I play nervously with the small canister of cinnamon on the counter, wondering if he’ll make love to me again or if we’ll just eat together and then I’ll leave. The truth is I want to be in his bed again, with him on top of me all hard and sexy with our bodies connected while he whispers words that people don’t say aloud. Words I can’t wait to hear him say again.
“Then I’ll still be here when you get home,” I reply, turning back to him.
His eyes stay on mine for a few moments, his gaze filled with a longing that makes a warm tingle flow down my spine.
“I wish I didn’t have to go back to work.” He pulls me against his chest, where I fit perfectly. Different from how I used to, but perfect now. “I’m having a hard time focusing there knowing you’re here in my house.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to distract you from your work.”
He lifts my chin up. “Kenzi… it’s a good distraction. I usually don’t have anything to look forward to at the end of the day other than coming home to these two lazy fur monsters. Knowing you’re going to be here, all sweet and sexy, with a kick-assdinner and homemade apple pie you made for me is like hitting the lottery.”
The sparkle of light in his eyes makes me hug him even tighter. I love hearing the playful, teasing, hopeful tone in his voice. He’s got it all wrong, though. I’m the one who hit the lottery.
Later that day, I’m still so jittery and nervous that I’m not even sure I can eat any of the dinner I’ve made for tonight, no matter how good it smells in the broiler. I only thought of him when I planned it and had no idea he’d ask me to stay.
Is this a date?
I have no idea, but I definitely want it to be.
He said he’s been thinking, but he didn’t tell me if he reached any sort of conclusion about what he thinks of us being together and what we do next. As for me, I’ve been thinking about him and us and still have only come up with one unwavering constant: All I want is for us to be together. Somehow, someway, I want us to be able to be together as a real couple and just be happy. I want our loved ones to be happy for us.
Diogee and Kitten run to wait by the front door together when they hear Tor’s bike pull into the driveway for the second time today, and I get the feeling this is a nightly ritual for them and his earlier midafternoon visit was just as much a surprise to them as it was to me. As I stand next to them and wait for him to come inside, I’m struck by how cute it is that they seem so excited that he’s home, but it also makes my heart hurt a little with the realization that Toren’s been coming home to a dark, empty house for a very long time, with no one at the door waiting for him.
Maybe it’s too soon for me to be thinking thoughts like this,but I want to be waiting for him at the door every day next to his dog and cat.
Breathe, Kenzi. Slow down.
When he walks through the door, he tweaks my heart when he hands me three red roses, then bends down to give the dog a cookie and the kitten a crinkle ball toy.
I’m speechless, standing there holding my first roses, watching him play with the kitten on the floor, seemingly oblivious to how freakin’ perfect he is.
“What?” he finally asks, standing. My beanie is on his head, only it’s faded now from the sun beating down on him when he rides. Tufts of dark hair stick out from the sides of the hat, and he has a small smudge of grease right above his left eyebrow that I want to reach out and rub off. He looks a bit disheveled and tired but he wears it well and it adds to his rugged charm.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asks.
“I just didn’t know you’d be like this,” I answer softly. “Roses…”
He moves closer to me and leans down to kiss my cheek. “Because now I’m your lover. Not your friend. Not your godfather. Not your dad’s best friend. Big difference.”
I blink at him, swaying, my heart racing. The wordloverfeels so… intimate. Powerful. Adult.Sexy.
He’s still close to me, our bodies almost touching but not, his lips just inches away, when he brushes my hair away from my face.
“I love you, Angel. But I won’t baby you when you’re in my house, and in my bed. If we do this, the little girl and the uncle are left at the door.” He kisses the spot behind my ear and brushes his lips across to my cheek. “Can you do that?”
I nod. “Yes.”