I nuzzle my face against his chest. "Fucking you is just as incredible."
He kisses my forehead, the touch light and tender. It's the stark opposite of his kisses earlier when they were needy and intense, his teeth as aggressive as mine. The bite mark on my shoulder is lingering proof of the strength of his desire.
"I want to show you something." He arches his back off my bed. "I'll be right back."
"Where are you going?" I ask past the sudden knot in my stomach. "Are you leaving?"
"I'm putting my pants on." He steps into one leg of his jeans. "I don't want to step out of your bedroom in the nude and scare your roommate."
Sophia wouldn’t be scared. She'd thank me if she caught a glimpse of Tyler naked. I can attest to that as I stare up at his body. His back is turned to me. The man's ass is solid, his back evidence of time in a gym.
"Don't move, Cadence. I'll be back in a flash." He leans both hands on my bed as his lips sweep over mine. I taste myself on his lips before he pulls away.
***
"How long have you had this?" I stare down at his tablet.
"This particular one?" he asks as he tugs my back into his chest. "I've had it for six months, but I've been jotting down recipes for more than ten years."
I'm stunned, not by the fact that he has such an extensive collection of recipes, but that each has notes, and pointed details about the preparation of the dish.
I'm essentially looking inside his brilliant mind. There are recipes on this tablet that I know would blow the culinary world away, yet not one of them is on the menu at Nova.
"Why aren't we serving this?" I look into his face. "This sounds incredible, Chef."
He glances at the tablet's screen and the recipe for seared duck breast. "I'm not completely happy with that. It needs some tweaking."
I scan the list of ingredients. It's extensive, yet it's obvious that each adds a complementary element to the dish. "I'd love to taste this."
"We can cook it together." His hand glides up my bare thigh. "You'd be the first person, besides me, to taste it."
He can't know how much that would mean to me. I know he views me as a junior chef who works for him, but I want more. I want him to see my talent for what it is. I want him to value my opinion as much as I value his.
"Keep this for a day or two, Cadence." He taps his finger on the edge of the tablet's screen. "Choose a few recipes you want to cook with me and then we'll do that, together, just promise me that you won't share it with anyone."
I smile as the room is engulfed in a comfortable silence. This is it. This is the moment when I know he trusts me as much as I trust him.
CHAPTER 24
I'd woken in a state of bliss. I'd fallen fast asleep after we'd made love again. It had been intense and slow. Tyler had tugged the tablet from my hands after I pointed out three recipes I wanted to cook on the spot.
He kissed me as his fingers ran over my cleft. I'd fallen into his touch, and under his spell, as he brought me to orgasm before we fucked slow and easy. Our lips touched, our breath mingled. It was beautiful, softer than the other times and when I was drifting off to sleep he told me we make a good team.
"I'm proud of you, Chef," he said as sleep pulled my eyes closed, tugging me deeper.
I'm awake now. I stare at the wall under heavy lids. It's not dawn yet. My bedroom is still engulfed in darkness. I pull the curtains that cover the window into place when I want to block out the light and the world. I hadn't done that last night. I can see the city beyond the glass. It's still lit, but dimmed. The sky behind it is a dark blanket.
I drop my gaze to the floor in search of Tyler's clothes. There's nothing. He left without a word, or a kiss.
The ache between my legs as I move to stand is a reminder of last night. His eager hands, the scruff of his beard on my thighs and the stretch deep inside me as my body accommodated his.
I walk into the bathroom that is adjacent to my bedroom. I don't turn on the light. I know the harshness will only wake me fully and I'm tempted to fall back into bed and into another round of dreams.
I brush my teeth, trying to chase away the dryness that settles there when I sleep. I lean my hand against the counter as I rinse my mouth, closing my eyes.
Once I'm done in the bathroom, I turn toward my bedroom and spot a patch of light in the darkness. It's my phone, the screen lit as a new message comes in.
I pick it up when I reach it.
"Hello," I answer quietly.
"You're awake?" It's Sophia's voice, soft and gentle. "I was going to leave you a message."
"Where are you?"
She giggles. "I'm in the kitchen. I have to go in early today. My boss is leaving for Europe. He's briefing me before his flight."
"Did you make coffee?" I ask as I reach for a robe.
"There's enough for you."
I don't reply. I tie the sash of the robe around my waist, run my hands through my hair and tuck my phone in my pocket.