Page 16 of Blazing Desires
“I... you want to eat... with me?”
“Well, why eat this sadness alone when we could do it together?”
I smile softly at him, trying to hide the deeper meaning behind that. It’s then that it hits me, I've smiled and laughed in his presence so many times already and it’s only been a few hours. I can never normally muster either up inside this house. His face softens as he returns my smile.
“Okay, love. Let's eat the sadness together.”
Heat blooms in my chest, making me feel warm for the first time in a long time. He stands and takes his food from the trolley. It’s identical to mine, and I instantly feel bad for him. He places the food on the opposite side of the table, lined up in the same order. I watch his every move, fascinated by the graceful way he shifts his body, the ripple of his muscles as he manoeuvres it with ease.
He catches me off guard, sitting on the floor opposite me with his legs crossed. His large palm pats the floor. I take that as my cue to join him, so I do, slipping out from under the warmth of the blanket and sitting cross-legged across from Blaze.
"What should we eat first?"
"Well, you've already had the banana, so I’ll leave that until last," he says as his eyes scan our options. "Let's start with the salad.”
He pulls the plate of salad towards him and immediately shovels it into his mouth. There’s no trace of disgust or disdain to show he’s not enjoying it. I can't help but watch—he's even gorgeous when he eats.
So unfair.
“Eat up, love.”
He gestures with his fork to the spread before us. I do as I'm told and pull my salad toward myself, stabbing at the wilting leaves with my fork, trying to get it into my mouth without thinking about the flavourless foliage. I shuffle closer to the table and my knees touch his. I pretend nothing happened, but secretly I’m enjoying the warmth of him seeping into me.
I pause after a large mouthful of lettuce and glance at him. He's staring right at me. At my mouth. I’m about to ask him if there is something on my face, self-consciousness prickling my skin, when he clears his throat. He carries on eating as if it is the most normal thing in the world to eat a shitty salad with his charge.
We go through the rest of the food in no time—it helps that I’m not the only one eating. The only thing he has left to eat is his banana, but he doesn’t pick it up. Instead, Blaze stands and clears the table of food. Once it’s all tidied away, he comes round the marble table to my side, stretching out a hand to help me up. I place my hand in his as he firmly wraps his fingers around mine and lifts me from the floor. I stand fast, the force pulling me flush against his hard chest. I instinctively put my free hand out and it lands on his abs, and I can feel that he's ripped, practically sculpted fromgranite.
Don’t stroke him.
“Sorry." I try to free myself from his grip and give him some space, but his free hand is pressed to the small of my back to hold me steady, stopping me from getting far—or wanting to. We’re flush against each other and all I can feel is his muscles flexing under my hand. I accidentally press into them harder.
Okay, maybe not that accidentally.
“It should be me saying sorry, Mea Divina.”
That nickname again and with the way the words fall from his lips has me thinking he's not simply apologising for helping me stand too fast. I have no idea what else he would be saying sorry for, and a frown tugs at my features.
“It's fine.”
Step away and create some space.
This time when I wiggle free from his hold, he lets me go. I settle back into the couch with the blanket over me as he watches. Once he’s satisfied that I’m settled, he turns and picks up the banana. Back in his seat, he rotates the banana this way and that.
“What are you doing?”
Is he teasing me for checking the banana earlier? But he said he wasn’t…
“Checking for spiders.” He gives me a pointed look and gets back to his inspection.
I let out a short deprecating laugh. “It looks crazy now you're doing it.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what…?”
He fixes me with a glare as I rewind the last few seconds of our conversation.
What is he talking about?
