“Hey.” He smiled sleepily and reached out a hand, and God help her, she went right to him.
She couldn’t help but respond to him. Hadn’t she felt that, from the first night they met? He made her want to be wild. From the beginning, he’d called to something in her, and she’d fought the response for too long. But now…
He pulled her down to lie next to him, holding her against his body. She could feel his erection against her thigh, but he just stroked her back and kissed her forehead, seemingly as content as she was to just lie there for a while.
“What time is it?” His voice was still scratchy from sleep, and it made her smile.
“Just past five o’clock.”
“Shit. That’s early.”
She giggled against his chest, her lips vibrating over his skin, and his cock jumped. Yes.
“Do you want to grab some breakfast?”
The question surprised her. She’d been expecting him to roll her onto her back, undress her, and slide inside her body again.
What did it mean that she was half flattered, and half disappointed that he was offering breakfast, instead? It felt like…a relationship. Was that what were they starting, here?
Would that be so bad?
Yes. No. I don’t know.
She was usually so much more cautious. Her rules demanded it.
She surprised herself when she nodded. “Sure. I’m playing for a wedding this afternoon, so I just need to get back to my place and practice for a while before that.”
He dropped a kiss on her lips. “Cool. I’ll get dressed too, then. We can go to the diner on the corner.”
They headed out of his apartment and onto the street, where a few short steps brought them to a small, retro-styled diner with red vinyl booths and Formica tables. A waitress approached, greeted Chris by name and seated them. He immediately leaned across the table to take Minh’s hand.
She barely suppressed a sigh of pleasure. “Do you come here a lot?”
He smiled, the expression making his face look younger, almost boyish. It was a smile she’d never seen on him before. A part of her hoped that he didn’t share it with just anyone, although she’d be a fool to believe that.
“Yeah, I don’t cook much. I’m in here almost every morning, even if it’s just for a cup of coffee. When Daria was staying with me, my kitchen was pretty well stocked. But now I’m back to grabbing whatever I can on the fly.”
“I can’t fathom living like that.” She grinned at him, her face and voice teasing. “I buy the same groceries every week, prepare the same meals, use recipes I’ve followed step-by-step since I graduated college…” A laugh escaped her. “I rarely go out for breakfast.”
He played with her fingers and looked up at her through his lashes. “Then I’m happy to be a part of your break from routine.”
He was obviously talking about more than just their meal. But this time, instead of taking offense, she found herself nodding in agreement.
“So what are you going to order?” He pushed a menu toward her with his free hand.
She didn’t bother to look at it, though. “Wheat toast and two eggs, sunny side up.”
He rolled his eyes, but there was no animosity in the expression. “Let me guess. That’s what you always get.”
“Well…yes,” she admitted.
He pushed the menu toward her again. “Come on. This is supposed to be a break from routine, right? Choose something you wouldn’t usually choose, but that you really, really…secretly want.”
Was it wrong to feel a thrill at the way he said that? Secret wants. Secret desires. And once again, she knew they were talking about more than just breakfast.
Should she take a chance? Break another rule?
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly on a smile, then picked up the menu. “Here goes nothing. I’ll have the battered French toast. With whipped cream, chocolate chips…the works.”
The very thought of such a decadent meal should have sent her in to a panic, but God help her, all she could do was grin at him when he nodded in approval.
After breakfast, he walked her to the bus stop. “Listen. I told Daria I’d go with her to Farmer’s market tomorrow. You want to join us?”
It was sounding more and more like a relationship. Was this a good idea? She wasn’t sure what to say. “Are you trying to distract me from my work? Because you’re doing an excellent job.”
He laughed. “Speaking of work, do you want me to get Vinnie and Shen to come over and move your equipment to the office? We could do that tomorrow before the Farmer’s market, and then have the rest of the day to play.”
The rest of the day to play…