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He caught her hand and met her stare. “I’ll help you when you’re ready.”
She smiled as if to say, this is just more crazy behavior you can expect.
But she wasn’t crazy—just unexpected. And he was coming to suspect that solid explanations hid under all her quirky behavior. He awaited the day she might open up to him about herself again.
He held up the Tupperware. “Chicken cutlets. They’re still warm.”
“Yum.” She took the container and he pressed a kiss to her lips as he entered the house.
Every time he came over it looked different. A cold draft cut through the living room and he stilled. “You’ve got the windows open?”
She cracked open the container and picked up a cutlet, sniffed it. “The cigarette smoke. I’m trying to air it out in here.”
He took a deep breath. It did smell better.
She took a nibble of the breaded chicken. She shut her eyes and let the flavor sink in. “This is delicious.”
He loved watching her eat. It was rare to find someone with such a simple pallet. Erin had yet to try half the foods his family lived on, and he was excited for her to sample all the delicious dishes his Nona could make.
They sat on the sofa as she ate. He told her about the argument he just had with his parents and she told him about her day. She’d emptied the hall closet and driven a few boxes of her dad’s coats and shoes to Goodwill.
She’d been handling things really well since their talk a few nights ago, and he was glad to see her up and about. They hadn’t slept together again, but he’d been perfectly content to give her some physical space.
Now, however, as she sat cross-legged in those tight little pants, looking ten kinds of delicious while eating his grandmother’s chicken, he was rethinking his stance.
“Did I ever show you my watch?” he asked.
She chewed another bite of a cutlet. “Uh-uh.” The toasted breadcrumbs clung to her lips and he wanted to lick them away.
“It’s like a crystal ball.” He gave his wrist a shake, pressed the face of the watch to his ear, and gasped. “It says you’re not wearing any panties.”
She laughed then tsked. “It must be broken because I’m definitely wearing panties.”
“Damn.” He scowled at the watch and gave it a couple of taps. “This stupid thing’s an hour fast again.”
She laughed. “Buh-dump-bump.”
“I’m here all night, folks. Try the shrimp.”
Her eyes creased with a smile. “If you stick around, your prediction might come true.”
He leaned in and bit the piece of breaded chicken pinched by her fingers. “I plan to.” He toppled her to her back, kissing the breadcrumbs off her lips and tickling his cold hands under her shirt until she giggled.
“Give me time,” he whispered, plucking the elastic waistband of her leggings and letting it snap back against her skin. “My magic watch is never wrong.”
She arched and softened under him, her fingers forking softly through his hair. “I don’t doubt it.”
He bit her lips and she gripped his shirt, holding him close and kissing him slowly. The container of chicken fell forgotten onto the floor. It took less than an hour for his prediction to come true and Erin’s panties to come off, but soon her tension also returned.
“Let’s shut out the lights.”
“The lights aren’t on.” They were literally sitting in the dark, a small glow of light spilling from the kitchen.
She fidgeted, her hands covering her breasts as he kissed her neck. He slowly plied her arms away. “Relax.”
“I can’t.”
“Try.”
