Page 33 of One Pucking Secret
“Chloe?” Wyatt’s voice filters through the door, laced with confusion.
“What are you doing here, Wyatt?” I call through the door, eyes darting around to make sure nothing of Jasper’s is in sight.
“I brought you dinner,” he replies, the warmth in his voice making me feel all kinds of guilty.
“I thought you were in Connecticut?”
“I was,” Wyatt says, a soft chuckle following his words. “When I texted you, I was actually laid over in Denver. Come on, open up.”
I glance around the living room. No shoes or backpacks. No toys, except for the T-rex under the coffee table, but that’s easy to fix. I clear my throat. “How nice of you. Give me a second. The house is a mess.”
He laughs softly. “It’s fine, really.”
I sweep the T-rex under the couch with my foot, a twinge of guilt tugging at me as I do a quick check to make sure nothing gives away the fact that a child lives here. I haven’t told Wyatt yet, but I will.
Thankfully, I’ve been redecorating, so the photos are down. After one last look around, I take a deep breath and open the door again.
“Come in,” I say, trying to sound casual.
Wyatt steps inside, the scent of marinara wafting from the takeout bag. His gaze sweeps over me,taking in my comfy clothes, and he smirks. “Cute look.”
“I was under the impression I’d be alone tonight,” I quip, stepping aside to let him pass. The familiar smell of his cologne washes over me as he moves through the doorway, wrapping me in a warm, comforting cloud.
“I wanted to surprise you,” he says with a grin, heading toward the kitchen. “I actually showed up at your workplace first, but you’d already left. Luckily, I ran into Lainey, and she was kind enough to give me your address.”
“Oh, she was, was she?” I shake my head, making a mental note to thank—or scold—Lainey later. I follow him into the kitchen, where he’s already setting up the takeout containers on the counter.
“I figured you’d be too tired to cook,” he continues, his tone casual as if he hasn’t just dropped in on me unannounced.
I glance nervously around the kitchen. No sign of Jasper. Thank God. “Well, I was just contemplating my dinner options,” I say, sliding into a chair at the table. “Apparently, ice cream was on the menu.”
Wyatt chuckles, setting the food down and giving me a playful look. “Chocolate ice cream for dinner? That’s one way to adult.”
“Hey, I’m allowed,” I reply with a grin. “What did you bring?”
“Pasta,” he says, pulling out two containers. “Figured it’s hard to mess up pasta.”
We sit down, the clink of silverware filling the quiet between us. The ease in his presence washes away some of my earlier stress, though my heart still beats a little faster than it should.
“So, what made you decide to drop by tonight?” I ask.
Wyatt leans back in his chair, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. “I just needed to see you. I had a rough day. Everything seemed to go wrong, from a broken skate blade to getting stuck in traffic. I guess I figured seeing you might be the only thing that could make it better.”
I bite my lip, his words pulling at my heart in ways I hadn’t expected. “Well, I’m glad you came. I needed this too.”
His gaze locks on mine, and for a moment, the weight of everything we haven’t said hangs between us. “Can I stay the night?” he asks softly. “Just to make sure nothing else goes wrong?”
My eyes flick down to his lips, then back up to his eyes. It would be easy to say yes, but thesecret I’m keeping looms over me like a dark cloud. Still, I nod slowly. “I’d like that.”
“Great. Anything I can do to help out tonight, just tell me. Hell, I’ll even do the mountain of dishes in the sink for you.”
My heartbeat quickens at the reminder that Jasper’s kid utensils are most likely piling up somewhere in that mountain. I place one hand over Wyatt’s. “You don’t have to do that. Just being here is enough for me.”
He breathes out a laugh. “If you say so.” He moves in closer and gifts me with a kiss. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
I grab my fork, ready to dig in. “Me too.”
For a few precious hours, the problems of the world fade into the background, replaced by the shared warmth of food and Wyatt’s laughter.
