Jayden: Not really. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?

Me: Anything I can do?

Jayden: Nothing that won’t compromise my virtue.

Me: Wouldn’t want that.

Jayden: I would love a taste of your mouth.

Me: I’m just a door knock away.

Jayden: Don’t tempt me.

Me: It’s my job.

Jayden: I have to handle my roommate. See you tomorrow.

Me: That doesn’t sound good. Hope it gets better. See you then. X

Jayden: You’re good for me. Night, beautiful.

I stared at my phone in complete agreement that the same was true for me. And that night as I dressed for bed, I walked into the bathroom, noting my reflection was all teeth and gums. If my mother could measure this smile, I was pretty sure I would get her stamp of approval on Jayden.

Standing at the helm of the grocery cart with Jayden in front of me, I was completely undecided on what to cook. I’d offered several times to whip something up, but he insisted on cooking for me again. I kept my amusement to myself over his confusion as it weighed heavy over his features. Staring at his perfect ass in his snug fitting jeans, I imagined for the hundredth time what it would feel like to be beneath him. Today he wore a simple, gray, V-neck t-shirt and I noted the words on the back of his right bicep that read, “In the end the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

A chest tug alerted me to the fact that I was completely enamored by him. He looked at me then and must have seen something in my expression because he smiled before asking under his breath, “How long would you hold it against me if I called my mother now and asked her a question?”

“I can’t help?” I pushed out through a laugh.

“Forget it,” he said, throwing a package of tenderloin he’d been studying for five minutes into the cart.

“Jay, call her. I don’t care really. I do it all the time.”

“Cool.” He smiled as he grabbed his phone. I motioned that I would be an aisle over, and he nodded then started the conversation with his mother. I left him to it. Clearly, he had something particular in mind, and who was I to criticize since the last thing he cooked me was now a craving?

I made a mental note to raid his mother’s recipe box if I was ever in the position to.

I spent a few minutes picking out things for my apartment when I felt Jayden encase me in his arms, his hands on the cart on top of mine. He began walking us forward, mimicking my steps so we stayed close.

“Miss me?”

“That and I really don’t want any other man here seeing your ass in those jeans. You are definitely a woman to be jealous over.” My sighing heart fluttered around in my chest, reminding me how good it felt to be coveted. His smell surrounded me as I leaned into him.

“I love that line,” I said, turning to the side to kiss his cheek.

“Monroe original,” he said, slipping his arms around my middle before he squeezed me briefly before letting go.

Monroe. I chuckled. Great, if I married this guy, my initials would be H. A. M. Hilary Amanda Monroe.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, his lips still close to my ear.

“Nothing,” I said, surprised I was even thinking about trivial shit like that. I’d just learned his last name and I was already picking out a china pattern.

Get a grip, Hilary.

I felt the loss of him as he busied himself shopping for the rest of his ingredients.

Back at his apartment, he set up an electric fondue pot on his coffee table and opened a bottle of wine.

“You like fondue?”

“God, yes, I love it. But you have to let me help you prep.” He seemed to think about it for a long moment before saying, “I guess that would be okay.”

“Really, Jayden, that much deliberation on a little help?” I poked as he looked at me in all seriousness.

“I’m particular about a lot of things.”

“I can see that,” I said with amusement as he poured us each a glass of wine.

I busied myself slicing vegetables for the skewers as he prepped the filet for the fondue pot. I caught him looking over my shoulder a couple of times and looked at him in puzzlement when he lingered over me a little longer than necessary.

“Something I can help you with, Jayden?”

“Like this,” he said, scooping up a mushroom and pulling the stem off. I looked at the pile of mushrooms I’d already cleaned then back at him.

“Sorry,” he said, rushing off into the living room with his wine, clearly embarrassed his OCD was showing.

Shaking my head, I laughed and resumed my prep, doing it his way. When I emerged from the kitchen, I damn near dropped my tray of veggies. Several candles had been lit all over his living room while The Beatles serenaded us softly. He dimmed the lights a bit and walked over to refill my wine before taking the tray out of my hand.

“This is...awesome,” I noted as I took in the feast before us. He smiled, seeming pleased with himself as I sat down on a large pillow he’d laid out for seating next to the large coffee table. He built a few skewers of meat, putting them into the pot along with a few of the vegetables. I watched in awe as he sat back, sipping his wine, watching his handiwork boil in the hot oil and bouillon mix.

“Why are you single?” I hadn’t meant for the question to come out. He seemed taken aback by it ,and I tried to recover with another question. “I mean, when was your last relationship?”

“It’s been a long time,” was all he gave. He pulled a piece of cheese and fruit from one of our trays and popped it into his mouth then leaned over and offered me the same. I leaned in after chewing and swallowing and pressed my lips to the side of his mouth gently.

“Her loss.” Jayden looked at me then, his eyes growing warmer as we clinked glasses and drank on our silent toast.

“I could ask the same about you,” he said in a low whisper.

“I decided not to settle a long time ago. I’m still single as a result of it.” It was a good answer, short and to the point. I wasn’t worried about how he would interpret it. He had his list; I had mine.

“Three years ago,” he confessed as he pulled a skewer from the boiling fondue pot. “How do you like your steak?”

“Medium rare. A year.”

He grinned. “Me too.” I was suddenly confused with our overlapping conversations. We were sitting close, but in that moment I had to have more. The wine, the music, the candles, just the...man. I wanted him and I needed him to know it. Setting my glass down, I carefully shifted to straddle his lap.

“Hil—”

I cut him off with my mouth as I swooped in, lips wet, imagination on fire, and clear need in my kiss. His hesitation vanished as he wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me tighter to him as he kissed me back, full force. Our tongues tangled in a hungry conversation as our bodies aligned perfectly. I pulled back on a plea. “Jayden.”

“God, me too,” he conceded as he pushed me down beneath him, only pausing to take out the vegetables that were cooking and replace them with new skewers. I chuckled up at him as he grinned down at me.

“Multitasking?” I cooed as his eyes turned hot on me.

“Didn’t know I was capable until this moment,” he said as his lips descended, covering mine. A soft moan escaped me as his hands traveled and explored underneath my t-shirt. I writhed beneath him as my lips whispered a confession to his that I wanted this with him and I never wanted it to stop.

He continued kissing me as I slipped my hands under his shirt to let my fingers explore his impressive chest. My gasps became more frequent as he lifted my shirt, pulling down my bra. Soft lips and tongue covered every inch of my chest as his hand slid beneath my jeans and into my panties.