Page 34 of Love Like Ours

When he shut off the water, her eyes popped open.

“Let’s dry off and head to the bed.” He helped her out of the shower and covered her with a towel before grabbing one for himself.

When they were dried off, they headed into the bedroom.

“I like what you’ve done with the space,” she said, suddenly sounding nervous.

“The place was furnished,” he said, pulling her close to his chest. “Second thoughts?”

She shook her head quickly. “You?”

“Hell no.” His eyes moved to her lips. “If you do change your mind, let me know,” he said before kissing her softly. Her response told him all he needed to know.

“I came over here tonight for this. For you,” she whispered as he laid her down on the bed. She wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him closer.

Before he slipped inside her for the first time, he thankfully remembered to slip on a condom. He’d never in his life been so consumed by someone that he’d almost forgotten. Never had this many deep emotions or been overcome by want as he was now with her.

His chest hurt whenever he thought about her. His head and body ached when he went too long without seeing her face or hearing her voice. He chalked it all up to the fact that he’d had the flu a few days ago. But in truth, he was afraid that his feelings for Sophia were deeper than he’d ever had for anyone else.

Love wasn’t something he had experienced before. It was something he had never imagined he’d have in his life. He didn’t know how to go about showing or telling her his feelings.

So, for now, all he could do was make sure she enjoyed every moment he was with her.

Feeling her body tighten around his was the catalyst that set his entire body on fire, causing it to explode.

When he lay there, breathing her in, hearing her heartbeat, feeling her body cooling next to his, he knew he had to find a way to show her what he felt. Soon.

Loki’s whines shattered his peace a while later.

“He’s hungry,” he said, rolling out of bed.

“I’m a little hungry too. I seem to remember a promise of dinner?” she said, sitting up.

He smiled at her and then pulled on some gym shorts. He grabbed a pair of sweats and a T-shirt for her to wear. “We’ll wash your clothes,” he said, heading to the bathroom to grab them.

“Don’t bother. I really do have a change of clothes in my car. But these will do for now,” she said, pulling on his shirt and sweats.

He handed her the soiled clothing he’d taken off her, and she followed him back into the kitchen, where Loki was sitting patiently at his bowl, whining.

“I’m getting it,” he said with a chuckle. “This model of dog didn’t come with patience,” he joked as he mixed the dog’s food. “There, now that he’s fed, how about I make something for us humans?”

Sophia leaned against the counter, watching as he moved around the kitchen with practiced ease. “You cook too? What other hidden talents do you have?”

Palmer smirked as he pulled open the fridge. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. Let’s see… how do you feel about pasta?”

“Pasta sounds amazing,” she said, crossing her arms as a small smile played on her lips.

“Great. I’ve got some fresh basil and tomatoes I picked up from the farmer’s market the other day. I’ll whip up a quick marinara sauce.” He grabbed a few ingredients from the fridge and pantry, setting them on the counter before reaching for a cutting board.

Sophia moved closer, peeking at the ingredients. “Fresh basil, huh? Fancy.”

He chuckled, pulling out a knife. “You’ve got to make the effort for the good stuff.” He gestured towards the cabinet near her. “Can you grab me the box of linguine?”

She found the pasta and handed it over, then leaned back against the counter as he started chopping tomatoes. “This is impressive. I was expecting takeout.”

“Well, I do make a mean call for delivery, but I figured I’d step it up tonight.”

She laughed, the sound filling the small kitchen. “Step it up, huh? Should I be flattered?”