“The Brussels sprouts,” she said and held up the bowl she was holding. “I’m going to roast them with the seasonings. It will be delicious. Trust me.”
“I’m sure everything you make is delicious,” I said. “Just like you.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” She winked at me. “Joke, it will get you nowhere.”
“Damn it.” I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her towards me. “I want it to get me any and everywhere.”
“Sorry about your luck.” She giggled as she wriggled away from me.
“Oh yeah?” I leaned down and nibbled on the top of her ear as I brought her ass back up against me so she could feel my hardness.
“TJ, I’m cooking.”
“So?” I laughed and kept my arms around her, moving them up to her breasts and gently squeezed them. “Didn’t you know that kitchen sex was good for you?”
“Oh?” She giggled again and she moaned as I squeezed her nipples.
“Yeah, it’s like a workout before pigging out. Burn those calories early.”
“Hmm, are you calling me fat?” she said and then laughed as I froze. “Got ya.”
“Mila,” I murmured, laughing with her as I turned her around to face me. “I don’t care how fat you are.”
“That’s not a good response.” She made a face at me and I leaned down to kiss her long and hard, sliding my tongue into her mouth. She tasted sweet and she melted into me, kissing me back eagerly. Her hands flew to my hair and I held her face, caressing her cheeks as we kissed. I felt happy, calm, and like this was how it should be. The moment was everything that I’d never thought I could ever have. It was the stuff of fairy tales and, while I knew fairy tales were fiction, I wasn’t going to ruin the moment. I was just going to live in it. The nightmare would be here soon enough.
Right then my phone beeped and I grabbed it from my pocket to see who was texting me. The text was from my dad and it made my heart freeze.
“I need an update. Chinese want the deal to go through ASAP. Do you have the power of attorney papers?”
I deleted the text quickly, put the phone back into my pocket and held Mila close to me again. Hell on Earth was going to be here sooner than I’d hoped.
Chapter Six
Mila
I walked down the street with a wide smile on my face. I wasn’t sure why I was so happy. Maybe it was something about the day. The sky was a deep azure blue, with nary a cloud to be seen, the sun was out and shining warmly, the trees were tall and proud and the fall colors of the leaves were beautiful: warm reds, deep browns, dancing yellows and secretive greens beckoned to me. I smiled again as I saw two birds flying from one tree to another, seeming to take the same path down the street as I was. My heart felt full and I was happy.
I knew that most of my happiness stemmed from the fact that I was on the way to meet TJ for dinner. It was scary how excited and happy he made me. And I didn’t even have to be with him. Just the knowledge that I’d see him soon was enough for me. I just liked being around him. That was all I needed to feel warm and content. I didn’t even have to talk to him or touch him. Just knowing that he was there was enough for me. He filled my heart and spirit in a way that I didn’t understand.
It scared me, in a way, knowing how much power he had over me. I didn’t want to think about what would happen when I no longer got to spend so much time with him. I didn’t want to think about not being with him.
Even though our relationship—well, engagement—was fake, it didn’t matter to me. It didn’t matter because I was still getting to know him better. I was still getting to see parts of him I’d never seen before. His vulnerabilities, the things that made him hurt, pause, think. There was a side to TJ that I’d never known existed. I’d always thought he was this tough, handsome guy. Full of life and vitality. A guy who took everything in stride. Nothing ever got him down. That’s what I used to think. I mean, I knew that his dad wasn’t the most paternalistic figure in his life. I knew that had to have affected him in some way. And the fact that his mother had died when he was so young. I’d thought about it, but had never really placed any real emotion or depth into those thoughts. Now, I wondered just how much his childhood had affected him. Who was TJ Walker behind the fa?ade? I was still trying to figure that out.
He was darker inside than I’d thought. There was a barrier there, some layer of hurt, some deep emotion hidden inside of him. And it fascinated me. I wanted to know his full story. And I wanted to fix him. I wanted my love to fix him.