Page 75 of Meant to Be
He rolled off and Sydney immediately missed the physical contact. He grabbed the two T-shirts he’d picked up earlier that had been discarded on the floor, tossing one to Sydney and pulling the other one on. She slipped it over her bare skin, noting the Charlotte Tavern Police Department emblem on the front. While he pulled on a pair of sweatpants, she got up, intending to search for her panties. Just as she got to the bedroom door, he stopped her, pressing her against the doorjamb.
“You look good in my shirt, Doc.”
It was the first time he’d used the nickname since college. She’d called him counselor. It didn’t seem right to do it now, since he’d gone into law enforcement instead of law.
“Are you going to frisk me, officer?”
“It’s detective.” He grinned, his hand sliding under the shirt that came mid-thigh on her. “Let’s eat so the frisking can begin again.”
She followed him up the hall. He went to the kitchen, while she went in search of her panties. They lay by the front door, where all her clothes were strewn about, except for her bra, which hung on the ceiling fan, where it landed when Mitch tossed it over his shoulder.
She grinned. This was why it paid to live to the fullest. The old Sydney would be horrified to see her delicates on the ceiling fan.
“You okay?”
Mitch stood in the doorway of the kitchen. His gaze followed hers upward. Then he laughed, a deep laugh that had her looking at him, wanting to see the unguarded joy she hadn’t seen in him since college. He reached over and flipped a switch, and the fan began to spin.
Within a few gyrations, her bra flew off, landing on the back of his recliner. She looked at him again and grinned. Who knew an affair could be so fun?
Mitch watchedSydney for a moment before heading back to the kitchen to finish heating their dinner. He felt good. Better than he had in a long time. It made him nervous. He’d known Sydney was dangerous because old feelings and memories were powerful and could cause him to let down his guard. But it wasn’t old memories causing him problems. It was the new ones being made.
Sydney was different now. He liked the new adventurous Sydney in bed. He hadn’t been kidding when he told her she’d robbed him of his finesse and bedrooms skills. The first time he’d attributed to built-up desire. Despite his reputation, it had been a while since he’d been with a woman. And since Sydney’s arrival in town, his hormones had been in a constant state of wanting her. He supposed, despite his attempts to avoid her, it was only a matter of time before he fell in bed with her.
The second time they’d rushed through sex because Sydney took charge. He’d led in bed when they’d been together before. She was always willing to go where he wanted sexually, although, he’d sensed her reserve and never pushed her too much. This new Sydney took the lead, and he was helpless to control his need. How far could he go with their sexual exploits now? His body responded just thinking about it.
The third time they’d made love, he hadn’t been thinking about anything but ridding himself of the guilt and shame consuming him. He couldn’t believe he’d told her about Brian. Very few people knew about that day. He had felt compelled to tell Chelsea because Brian was her brother. She encouraged him to tell his family, which eventually he did, but after that, he planned to never talk about it again. So why had he told Sydney? It had to be those latent feelings, because at one time, he and Sydney shared everything. Thankfully, she didn’t look at him like he was a failure, or worse, a monster. Even so, he’d need to work harder to keep their conversations from veering too deep.
He pulled the defrosted macs and cheese from his microwave and served it in two bowls. He took a moment to push the pain away before bringing the meal to the dining area.
“Want me to set the table?”
Sydney stood in the doorway. Her question was tentative as if she’d known he needed a moment.
“Sure. Want wine or shall I pull out your moonshine? I’m not sure how much is left.”
She shook her head. “No. I think I’m off moonshine for a bit.” She entered the kitchen and opened a few drawers until she found the one with utensils.
“Wine then.” He set their dinner on the table. He frowned, thinking the table needed candles and maybe he should dim the lights. He shook the thought from his brain. No romance.
Sydney entered with spoons and paper towels for napkins. He went back to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of wine and two glasses. That wasn’t romantic. It was just a beverage.
Within a few minutes, they sat at the table, barely dressed, satiated from sex, eating comfort food guaranteed to give them the fuel to go again.
“To good food and even better sex.” Mitch held up his wineglass.
“I’ll drink to that.” Sydney clicked her glass with his. After sipping, she stared at him. “Better than the food or better than before.”
One bronze brow lifted.
She waved her hand. “Never mind.”
He laughed. “I suppose I’d have to say both.”
She nodded. “Another way we’ve changed.”
“Huh?”
She hesitated as if she hadn’t meant to say her thought out loud. “We’re different than…well, when we knew each other before.”
