It was too late to go backward, though, so I was going to enjoy the hell out of whatever time we had together. If he dumped me in a few weeks for some supermodel, at least I could say we had great sex and I fed him well.
I was singing about country girls shaking it on the bed of a truck, my hips swaying side to side, when a dark shadow came out of nowhere and into my peripheral vision. I let out a shriek of alarm and a guy in a cowboy hat yelped right back. My hand flew to my chest and I closed my eyes as I recognized Ford.
“Jesus, woman, you about scared the daylights out of me,” he grumbled.
“Same!” I said, reaching out to turn off the music.
“Everything okay?” Declan came running into the room looking alarmed.
“He came in and scared the crap out of me,” I said, chuckling.
“I had no idea there’d be a woman in the kitchen,” Ford said. “’Specially a half-dressed one.”
I suddenly remembered I was in nothing but my underwear with no bra and one of Declan’s shirts and I darted around to the other side of the counter.
Ford laughed. “Nothing I ain’t seen before, darlin’. And anyway, you’d be wearing less at the beach or pool.”
He had a point.
“Are you, um, hungry?” I asked him. “I’m making breakfast.”
Ford raised his eyebrows and glanced at Declan. “You mind or you want me to disappear?”
“Nah, you can eat with us,” Declan said. He peered onto the stove. “Whatcha makin’?”
“Omelets with potatoes, bacon, tomatoes, scallions and mozzarella.”
“I’m in.” Ford took off his hat and tossed it on the counter, sliding onto one of the barstools at the island.
“What can I do?” Declan asked me, leaning over me from behind and resting his chin on my shoulder.
“Make some coffee? I couldn’t quite figure out your fancy machine there.”
“It’ll make espresso, cappuccino, regular coffee, lattes…what’s your pleasure?”
“Regular old coffee. I like it strong and black.”
“Same for me,” Ford called out.
Declan started making coffee as I fried the potatoes in a separate pan. I sprinkled a touch of paprika on them, along with salt and pepper, and then chopped the scallions.
“Damn, you work that knife like a pro,” Ford said, watching me.
“I’m hoping to go to culinary school next year,” I told him. “I’ve been saving up the money since I graduated from high school, but there have been some setbacks.”
“You’re gonna be a chef?” Ford looked impressed. “Dude, you should marry her and let me live with you forever.”
Declan laughed. “This is only our third date. Unless you count the day she spilled her overpriced frou-frou coffee drinks on me. Give us a little time before we start talking about marriage.”
“Well, I guess we should wait and see how it tastes first,” Ford said solemnly.
I laughed, listening to their easy banter and wondering why I’d been so nervous to be around Declan and his friends. They’d been fun and laid-back that night at trivia too, so I’d had no reason to feel that way. I’d spent most of my life second-guessing everything I did, and never more so than when I’d met Declan, but after spending all afternoon with him yesterday, it felt different. Or at least different enough to see what there was to see.
He was all blue eyes, cheekbones, and hard muscles. His shoulder-length wavy hair made me want to run my fingers through it on a regular basis, and when he kissed me, the world stopped. That had to be a good enough reason to go out on a few dates, have more mind-blowing sex, and have a little fun.
Didn’t it?
“Holy shit, that looks amazing.” Declan was leaning over my shoulder again.
“Did I see fresh strawberries in the fridge?” I asked him. “Would you get those out?”
“Sure.” He pulled out the container and I told him to wash them as I finished the omelets. I’d added two more eggs and another slice of bacon after Ford said he was joining us, and I put one on each of our plates. Then I cut up the strawberries and put some on each plate, added a sprig of rosemary I’d found in the fridge just to make it pretty, and presented the guys with the finished product.
Ford’s eyes widened. “If you don’t marry her, I will.”
“Take a bite first,” I told him. “Then you can propose.”
Ford grabbed his fork and put a bite in his mouth. He let out a low moan, closed his eyes and waved his fork around in the air. “Okay, yes. I’m going to buy the ring today.”
Declan elbowed him. “We’re not sharing this one. Find your own chef to date.”
We’re not sharing this one?
Yikes. What did that mean?
I tried not to gape as I got my own dish and settled on the stool next to Declan.
“This is amazing,” he said, chewing. “Really, really amazing.”
“Just eggs and stuff.” I shrugged. “I have much better recipes for dinner and brunch.”
“Is she moving in?” Ford asked, his mouth full.
“Swallow before you talk,” Declan told him.
“That’s what he said.” Ford and I spoke in unison and then cracked up.
“Wow. Look at you two, ganging up on me.” Declan tried to look mad but he was hiding a smile.
“Sorry.” I reached over to squeeze his thigh.
“Okay, you cooked so I’ll clean up,” Ford said when he was through. He inclined his head at me. “My compliments to the chef, Brianna. It was really good. I hope you’ll cook for us again.”
“I’ll make dinner sometime,” I told him. “And you’re very welcome.”
Declan finished eating and we left Ford to clean up.
“Wanna go back to bed?” he whispered to me.
I looked at him with a smile. “I really, really do.”
* * *
We practically ran back up the stairs to his room and Declan locked the door behind us. He looked incredible in nothing but low-slung shorts and it did funny things to me when I saw him gazing at me as hungrily as I was gazing at him.
“First things first,” he said, leaning against the door. “We don’t have our test results back yet, so for your peace of mind, I suggest condoms until we have them. We can reassess then.”
I nodded. “That’s probably the responsible thing to do.”
His smile held a touch of mischief as his eyes raked over me. “You liked having me come inside you, didn’t you?”
My cheeks felt a little warm because no one had ever talked dirty to me before, but I liked hearing it from Declan. “Oh, yeah.”
“I’m sure our tests will come back clean, so a few more days and I’ll fill you right up.”
Oh, hell. The spot between my legs was immediately soaked and I slowly pulled his T-shirt over my head.
“I enjoy seeing you wearing one of my shirts,” he said, moving toward me. “But I like you without it even more. Let me look at you, Red.”
“I thought I was organic venti whatchamacallit?” I teased.
“Outside the bedroom, yes. But in here, you’re Red, because the carpet matches the drapes.”