“Absolutely.”
God, she loved this man. She should’ve known he wasn’t trying to take over and make decisions about her bakery without her input. And she had to admit that it was probably a good marketing move to limit the number of specialty items she made each day. She knew she’d probably do just as he projected…stay at work until everything was done. “I’m not saying I want to make dinner every night for the rest of our lives, but for now, I like our routine. I like being here when you get home. I look forward to hearing your truck coming down the driveway. It isn’t exactly a hardship cooking in your kitchen.”
“Maybe you could teach me some basics. That way I can make something more than just grilled steak and chicken.”
“You’d like that?” Jayme asked.
“If you were my teacher, I’d love it,” Rocket said.
Immediately, easy recipes started flitting through her head. Teaching him to cook would be fun, she suspected. “Deal.”
“But maybe not right this second,” Rocket said, lowering his head and licking the side of her neck before nipping her gently.
“No? You have something else in mind?” Jayme asked with a huge grin on her face.
“Maybe,” Rocket said. “But if you’re tired, or still irritated with me, we can pass.”
“I’m not tired or irritated with you,” Jayme said, spreading her legs as Rocket’s hand made its way from her knee to her inner thigh.
Without warning, he stood, then bent to haul her over his shoulder.
Jayme shrieked with laughter and propped her hands on his ass as he carried her toward the stairs. “Don’t drop me!” she exclaimed.
“Never,” Rocket vowed.
An hour later, Jayme lay in bed feeling completely boneless. Rocket had outdone himself, showing her exactly how much he loved her. She’d come twice, and he’d made love to her in more positions than she could count. How he’d managed to last as long as he had before losing control and coming deep inside her body, she had no idea.
They’d stopped using condoms recently, and she was on the pill. She loved that he didn’t have to pull out right after they made love. She wouldn’t have pegged Rocket as a man who enjoyed cuddling, but he always gathered her close and held her against his fiercely beating heart after he came, nuzzling the sensitive skin of her neck as they both calmed down.
She was currently lying on his chest, his semi-soft cock still inside her body, enjoying the aftermath of their lovemaking, when her stomach growled loud in the silence of the room.
Rocket immediately began to chuckle, which made his cock slip out of her body. Jayme lifted her head and mock-scowled at him, which only made him laugh harder.
“Sorry, love, I’m not laughing at you,” he said.
She enjoyed hearing him call her “love,” but she wrinkled her nose at him. “Um, I beg to differ. You most certainly are laughing at me,” Jayme countered.
“Okay, true. You’re just too damn adorable. Stay here,” he ordered as he lifted her as easily as always and began to slip out from under her.
“Where are you going?” she pouted, hating to end their cuddling time.
“To get dinner,” Rocket said easily.
“I’m not sure I want a steak right about now,” Jayme told him, completely serious, since it was about all he could make.
“No steak. Trust me. I want to get back to your beautiful naked body as soon as I can. I’ll be right back.”
Jayme watched as he strode toward the closet. In the last two months, most of her clothes had migrated into his closet and drawers. She’d lived out of a suitcase until Rocket had pointed at three drawers and said, “I moved my shit around so you can unpack.” And that was that.
He pulled on a pair of boxers and nothing else, then gave her a small chin lift before heading out of the bedroom door.
Falling back on the mattress with a sigh, Jayme stared up at the ceiling. It was almost scary how much she loved Rocket. Sure, he could be annoying at times, but she knew she wasn’t exactly Miss Congeniality all the time either. She thought they’d done an amazing job of learning to live together after both of them being single for so long.
The ceiling fan above her head spun lazily, mesmerizing Jayme…and the next thing she knew, she was startled awake when Rocket returned. She had no idea how long she’d dozed.
Sitting up, she watched him approach the bed with a large plate. Propping pillows behind her and pulling the sheet up to cover her nakedness, she smiled as Rocket placed his burden on the covers and got settled next to her.
He leaned over and kissed her before gesturing to the plate. “I made one of those fancy hors d’oeuvre plates.”
He’d cut up some cheese, sliced some summer sausage, included some grapes, cantaloupe, watermelon, and black olives, and placed Cheez-It crackers all around the outside of the plate. “It’s a charcuterie board!” Jayme exclaimed, laughing.
Rocket shrugged. “If that’s what you want to call it. I hope it’s okay?”
Jayme immediately turned to him. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“Well, it’s not worthy of Chef Jayme Caldwell, but I’ll get better.”
“You can’t get better,” she told him seriously. “You’re already perfect.”
“Far from it, but I’m going to do my best to try to never let you down.”
“You won’t,” Jayme whispered.
“I will,” Rocket countered. “But I’ll apologize when I do and promise to try harder. Like I did today.”
“I love you,” Jayme told him.
“And I love you back.” Rocket picked up the plate and balanced it on his lap, putting an arm around her waist and pulling her against him. “What would mademoiselle like to try first?”
Giggling, Jayme reached for a grape and popped it into her mouth. She didn’t know what the future held for her and Rocket, but she hoped they’d always be as happy as they were right this moment. She never wanted to go to bed mad and was glad he’d insisted they talk as soon as they got home.
She needed this man in her life…and was so thankful Winnie had set them up.
Chapter Eight
Rocket leaned against the wall of the soon-to-be-opened Warm Delights and smiled as he watched Jayme point out things to the contractor she’d hired. The closing for her store had gone off without a hitch three weeks ago, and she’d be opening her bakery after Christmas. She’d been busy setting up vendors, advertising, and getting the store designed exactly how she wanted it.
He loved witnessing the enthusiasm Jayme had and mentally swore to do whatever it took to make sure he cultivated it. She’d interviewed a few people earlier that morning and told him she was almost ready to make a decision on who to hire. Rocket had been able to get off a bit early so he could take her out to dinner to celebrate all her hard work.
Thanksgiving had come and gone, and she’d been working extremely hard lately and he wanted to give her some time to sit and relax. Rocket couldn’t help but smile when he thought about the night she’d signed the paperwork for the store. She’d been over the moon excited, and he couldn’t remember when he’d smiled or laughed more when making love.