Page 45 of Sharing Shadow Secrets
“You’re not boring, Mr. group-activities-sometimes-a-top. But for real, you’re really cool.”
“But the timing isn’t right.”
“Right,” I exhale, trying to stay strong and listen to my gut—that now isn’t the right time although I want to be cuddled up with him.
“Should I keep holding out hope?” he asks slow and uncertain.
“Yes,” I whisper, and he puts the boat in neutral, standing. He steps toward me, bending down, and holy shit he’s going to kiss me. His hands cup my face, and he places the most tempting kiss on my lips.
“I’ve never wanted a company to succeed more than yours,” he breathes, then kisses me again. This time, I really kiss him, showing him exactly how into him I am. His hand slides down my throat, lightly squeezing. “Bad girl. Breaking the rules.”
“You kissed me!”
“You’re making out with me.”
I giggle, and he kisses my forehead, releasing my neck, and retakes his seat. “I’m sure you think this is stupid, me not wanting a boyfriend until I can pay my rent, but it’s really important to me.”
“I know it’s important to you, which is why I don’t think it’s stupid,” he says, putting the boat back in gear. “It’s also good to know you’re not trying to date me for my money.”
30
Standing in the pantry with Taylor, she’s looking around aimlessly. “What were you going to do for dinner?” I ask.
“Probably grab something on the road.”
She could stay for dinner. I don’t want her to leave yet. “Why don’t I just cook?”
“Don’t want me to leave?” she flirts.
“I hear you’re on a budget.” I smile. “Let me make dinner.”
“What were you going to make for yourself?”
“Chicken with something. Maybe brussels sprouts or a sweet potato.”
“So healthy.”
“I try, but we can have something else.” I glance around. “We could have pasta with meat sauce or …”
“We can be healthy,” Taylor says, grabbing for my hand, giving it a quick squeeze. Then she lets go, deeply inhaling. “Okay. I’ll have dinner here, then I need to hit the road.”
“Sounds good,” I say, happy to have more time with her.
I grab a bag of sweet potatoes, and Taylor tilts her head. “What?”
“Is this pantry just magically stocked all the time?”
“We have an estate manager, so he makes sure there are our favorite things here when we’re around.”
“That’s pretty cool.”
“It’s nice.” I grab the avocado oil and motion back to the kitchen. “How about you peel the potatoes while I get the chicken ready?”
“Teamwork.”
I’ll never get over how much I love her smile. I pull open a drawer and hand her the peeler, then grab for everything else I need to bake the chicken.
“What should we listen to?” I ask.
