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I had only taken a couple of bites by the time he returned. His gaze switched back and forth between my plate and me before he asked, “Is it not good? I’m not much of a cook, but it’s pretty hard to screw up grilled cheese.”
If possible, he looked even more handsome while admitting a possible shortcoming. While I doubted the man couldn’t master anything he attempted, I said nothing. Just picked up the sandwich and took another bite. The truth was that my nerves and the pain were causing a riot in my stomach. I didn’t want to eat in the first place, but he was being so insistent.
“Take these.” He handed me two pills, and I threw them in my mouth without even looking at them.
“Thank you, Andrew. For everything. You really didn’t have to go through all the?—”
“I absolutely did. We’ve been over this already. I feel responsible for you falling and wouldn’t have felt right driving off while you stood there injured.” He sat on his stool and turned to face me. He swiveled my seat to face him and bracketed my knees with his. “I’ll take you home when you’re finished if you’d like.” He studied me before admitting, “But, baby, I’d really like you to stay.”
This directness was so refreshing. I wasn’t sure if it was his certainty, or experience, or what gave him the confidence to be so blunt, but it was so different from guys my own age.
And he called me baby again.
I had never been a big fan of pet names. In my family, the nicknames were abundant, but I’d never had one from a partner. Something about the way he said the simple term flooded me with warmth and arousal at the same time. He stared at me like he expected a reply, so I swallowed and smiled softly.
“Does that smile mean you’ll stay?” he asked with the hope of a little boy.
My voice was husky when I managed to say, “Yes, I would like to stay if it’s not too much of a burden. I can sleep on the couch, no problem.”
He tilted his head to one side, reminding me so much of Hannah’s husband, Elijah. Except Andrew’s hair was trimmed close, so there was no messy tumble of hair when he did it.
Just sharp, angular facial features and a gaze so intense, I felt like I’d combust in the middle of his kitchen. Maybe I wasn’t woman enough to handle this guy. Feeling inadequate was a serious flaw of mine. Situations like this were fuel to my insecure fire.
When my twin and I were infants, Hannah, our oldest sister, was the victim of a kidnapping attempt in our neighborhood Target. After that, our parents went off the deep end protecting us. What it really turned into was sheltering us, so natural confidence just wasn’t something I had. I understood why they became so neurotic about our safety, but there were a lot of times I suffered socially because of it.
I didn’t really start dating until our senior year of high school. And really, I only did at that point because all the social norms were passing me by. Homecoming, prom, graduation parties, and the like usually required a date or interaction with boys. It didn’t help, once again, that I was the invisible twin. Shepperd had a personality big enough for both of us, and oftentimes I faded into the background.
All that introspection removed me from conversation with the alluring man right in front of me. A slow smile crept across my lips when I took in the whole situation. How the hell was I sitting in my professor’s kitchen, intermittently picturing him without his clothes?
“Where did you drift off to just then?” he asked, voice still deep and intense.
“Oh.” I laughed lightly. “So many places. My head is a busy, busy place, you see.”
“I imagine it is. I think you have so much potential, Maye. I hope this doesn’t make you want to end our summer arrangement.”
Why would he think that? Maybe he really saw me as a whimsical teen even though I was about to turn twenty-three. Maybe he thought I wouldn’t be able to separate a personal relationship from the one we had to uphold at school.
“How old are you?” I asked before I could lose the nerve. He physically recoiled at the question, though, and I instantly wished I could take it back.
“Does our age gap bother you?” he asked instead of answering my question.
“No, not at all. I’ve always gotten along better with people older than me.” I shrugged while trying to pinpoint why that might be. “I just relate better. Seem to have more in common.”
“I believe that,” he said after finishing the last bite of his sandwich.
Wow! He powered through that thing while I barely finished half of mine.
“You didn’t answer my question, though.” I looked at him skeptically. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice?”
“Wouldn’t notice the age difference?” he asked, and I thought it was his attempt at humor because there was a twinkle in his eye that wasn’t usually there. Normally, his eyes were dark and soulful, but now they were bright and lively.
“Cute.” I leaned toward him, my body subconsciously seeking more of what he treated it to before. “I meant the way you evaded my question.”
“No, baby, I knew it wouldn’t sneak past you.” He swept my good hand into his and placed it on his chest.
I sneaked a quick exploration of the toned muscle beneath my palm, and my blood pressure spiked again. Swaying toward him, I willed him to plant another kiss on me. I wanted it more than anything.
“Eat,” he insisted instead and casually stood and made his way back to the stove to clean up. I had to press my lips together to ensure the whimper he caused when withdrawing didn’t slip out. It could’ve been in response to the obvious bulge in his pants, too.
