“Can I make us some dinner as a thanks?” I ask him.
His eyes light up. “Fuck yeah.” He starts to take my hand but stops himself like he is afraid that it would scare me.
“Show me the way?” I ask and he leads me downstairs to the state-of-the-art kitchen. There is even a Pro KitchenAid mixer that is causing my hands to itch wanting to bake anything and everything.
“Use anything you want,” he tells me.
I smile and open the refrigerator to see what he has for me to work with. It’s fully stocked, and I find everything to make homemade fettucine alfredo with noodles from scratch.
* * *
Reaper
* * *
When she is cooking, she has pure happiness radiating off her. She is smiling as she cracks eggs onto the counter where she has made a circle with flour.
“Did you just buy new appliances? This is my dream kitchen.” She breaks me from my admiring her.
“Just a few weeks ago,” I admit to her, and sit back smirking, waiting to see if she catches on.
“Just a few weeks ago?” she questions and starts the mixer I got for her.
Yes, I got it for her.
The second I saw her, I made plans. I got this house decorator and hired someone to get her the top-of-the-line appliances.
I knew the second I saw her in her bakery that she was mine and I wanted my house to be a home for her, to be hers and to have everything.
Her mouth opens, her brows furrowed like she is trying to think. I smile wider as her eyes widen, and she turns around suddenly like she shocked herself by her thoughts and fighting herself on it.
I sit back and let her stew on her thoughts.
She looks way too fucking good in my kitchen. The second I saw her, I knew her place is right here with me, even if I had to throw her over my shoulder to get her fucking here.
* * *
Julia
* * *
I can feel his eyes on me the whole time I’m cooking. My face randomly burns from the intensity of his gaze, I swear that he is not even blinking.
I don’t want to admit or think about the fact he just happened to get all brand-new kitchen appliances right after he met me. Maybe I’m just flattering myself with the idea of it, but I’m secretly loving the idea of it.
The food is almost done. I finally turn around, my hands resting on the counter behind me. “So, did you get this kitchen stuff for me?” I blurt out and I kick myself instantly for mentioning it. God, that was stupid.
He smirks and eyes me from the top of my head all the way to the tips of my toes. “Of course, I did.”
My mouth opens in shock that he admitted to it and my hunch was right. I swallow hard, my heart racing in my chest. “Why?”
He slides off the stool and walks to me slowly, pushing me against the counter. He hovers above me, and he is so much taller than me, I feel so small right now.
I try to breathe normally, hoping he doesn’t hear me almost having a panic attack from him being this close.
“Breathe,” he growls, and his hand moves slowly like I’m a scared kitten, before wrapping his hand around my cheek gently. “Darlin, the second I saw you in your bakery, I knew you were mine, no hesitations or second fucking guessing. I just knew.”
I think I could have been pushed over with a small breeze at his words and the admission. I would be lying to myself if I didn’t admit that every time my door opened, I looked to see if it was him.
“Took you long enough,” I tell him and rest my hands on his forearm where his hand is still on my face.
“Had to make sure you were ready for me.” He winks and I laugh. I don’t think I will ever be fully ready for him.
I just know my face is red. “Cute,” he grumbles.
I tap his chest pushing him back gently, needing to breathe for a second. I can feel the tingles moving along my arms, the goosebumps.
“It is not,” I whisper and try to hide my face a little from his view.
“I’m glad you’re here.” I look up at him, his eyes are intense looking down at me.
I smile and I can’t fight the urge to rest my head on his chest and go in for a hug. Talk about a one-eighty, I went from wanting to throttle him for kidnapping me and now I’m hugging him.
Because in a weird and extreme way it’s sweet and thoughtful. I’ve never had someone think of me the way that he has. He knew I loved to cook and bake; he made a place for me in his home.
He wraps both of his massive arms around me, holding me tight. I close my eyes, ignoring the stinging in my eyes because when was the last time someone hugged me?
God, I really needed this.
“Thank you,” I say softly and pull back. “Now I need to finish this food before it’s ruined.” I laugh and turn around grabbing the spoon.
“I’ll get the plates.” He walks to a set of cabinets by the sink pulling out plates and two wine glasses. If he pulls out wine, then my day is made.
He opens a small mini fridge under the counter and pulls out a bottle of wine. “Oh, give me,” I state and he laughs, pouring me a glass and I take a deep drink.
I can hear my phone going off from the living room once again. “I think I need to change my number.”
He nods. “Want me to bust that shit?”
I laugh because I know that he will totally do it.
“That’s tempting,” I tell him and he winks.
“Want me to turn it off?”
I nod. “Just if the nurses have messaged me about mom, then let me know, but if it’s from her, I really don’t care.”
I take the plates on the counter that he set out and plate our food for us, filling both. “Where do you want to eat?” I ask him.
“Let’s relax on the couch?” he suggests and I love that idea.
He carries the wine glasses and leaves my phone in the kitchen away from me, which I am thankful for.
He takes the plates from me, setting them on the coffee table. He gathers the blanket that I dropped earlier from my nap, settles it over my lap and tucks me in. I smile at the sweetness. “Thank you.”
He smiles slightly and hands me my plate. I watch for him to take the first bite to see his reaction. His eyes widen when he tastes it and I grin. I am a damn good cook and that is one thing I am proud of.
“Holy shit!’ he says through his mouthful, and I laugh. “Thank you.” I take a bite of the food I made, but the real pleasure is seeing others enjoy what I have made for them, it’s always been my love language.
I get hit with a wave of wow this is really happening again. I was stuck in that cycle with my mom for so long. I’m twenty-five but for years I have felt like I was so old, and I had no life inside of me. I accepted my fate with my mother.
I wish that we could have had a relationship. Honestly, when she first started treating me the way she did, I took her to see if it was a mental issue, like dementia and in the end, I just found out that she is a bitch.
Reaper cleans his plate and I get up, taking his plate from him. He’s shocked by my action. I fill his plate once again and set it back in his hands.
“Woman,” he grunts, staring at me for a few seconds before digging into his food. I giggle and take a drink of my wine, draining the glass.