Page 69 of The Marriage Bid
I reddened. “Did I sleep so deeply that I didn’t feel you taking my clothes off?”
“You were in shock. It happens sometimes.” He took hold of my hand. “I’ve been thinking that, since what happened yesterday, maybe you might want… I don’t know how to say this without seeming too forward.” He shot back up again. “You know what? Forget about it.”
“Now I want to know.”
He sighed. “Well, I was thinking maybe not now because it might be too much, and they’re too much. I was thinking that maybe you could come meet my family. Any time you want to do it. I want to introduce them to you. I think you’ll love them, especially if you like Ivy.”
His family. All this time we’ve been quasi-sneaking around, and I never thought he would want me to meet them. He was shocked when Ivy saw us together. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure if you’re sure. Unless…” he twisted his fingers. Was he nervous? How cute. “Unless you don’t want to and wish to keep this thing between us casual.” In a small voice, he said, “I don’t want it to be casual.”
“I don’t want it to be casual too. I want it to be serious.”
His eyes brightened. He took my hand in his again. “Right? It feels so… right.”
We both chuckled.
“We should do it,” I said. “But maybe not tomorrow.”
Tyler shook his head. “No. I want to spend today and tomorrow alone with you.” He claimed my lips and gave me akiss so sweet, my insides turned to liquid. When we broke apart, he brushed my hair and said, “I want to make love to you, but first, you need some food in your belly. Your stomach was growling the entire night.”
I clutched my tummy, embarrassed at the thought. “No way!”
He grinned and rushed out of the bedroom. I followed him and found him in the kitchen. He was already at the stove. “Wanna help me make breakfast?”
I nodded. “What do you want me to do?”
He lit two burners on the stove and went to the fridge. “Cut these into round slices while I shred this cheese.”
“Aye aye, chef.”
Tyler chortled. “I think you meant to say yes, chef.”
“Right. Yes, chef.” I got to the cutting, and when I was done, I stood beside him as he poured two eggs he had whisked into the pan and watched as the eggs circled the pan, filling every inch. Then he added the tomatoes, slices of salami, and shredded cheese before carefully blanketing the omelet.
“Grab that.”
I reached for the plate he was pointing to, gave it to him, and then he carefully laid the egg onto the plate and handed it back to me. “You do it so lovingly,” I said to him as I looked at the egg in awe. My stomach grumbled.
“See? I told you your girl was complaining.”
I went to the breakfast nook and sat down. He soon followed with a plate in his hands and then with a tray with coffee and coffee items. We ate in comfortable silence. I was enjoying the egg. It tasted better than anything I’ve eaten at all the restaurants he’s taken me to lately. Maybe he was that good. Or maybe food tasted better when he made it and was eating it with me.
“Thank you,” I said.
He raised his head as he poured coffee into his mug. “You’re welcome.” His smile was so infectious.
“I meant this.” I gestured around us.
“You’re welcome.”
“I meant you. Being here and letting me into your life. I know at some point this is going to end, and I want to thank you now in case I forget later.”
Tyler put the coffee jug down and dropped his shoulders. “What if I do not want it to end?”
My heart slammed against my chest.
“What if we let it turn into what you and I want it to be?”
