Page 83 of The Chase

He gave me that lopsided grin. “Okay, baby. I want that too. Missed you every night when I was away.”

I laughed. “Wow. I think I bewitched you. That’s not something play boy TJ Desjardins would say.”

He grinned. “Yeah, you and that sweet pussy did me in.”

I gave him a playful glare. “Stop! That’s not it.”

He ran a hand down my face and stroked his thumb across my lips. “Or maybe it’s this sweet mouth. Or your awesome tits.”

I shook my head at his antics, but I knew what he was doing. He was trying to get me to laugh and lighten the mood.

He gave me a quick kiss. “Or maybe it’s because you’re my better half.”

My heart did cartwheels in my chest at the sweet, corny words. Who would have thought I’d ever hear them from this man in particular?

He gave me that naughty grin. “But mostly, it’s your fantastic tits.”

I playfully slapped his arm, but I laughed, and when he gave me that naughty grin again, I knew everything would be okay. For now.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

TJ

“Dude, what’re you doing?” Benny asked as he caught me looking through the cookbook he kept on the counter.

We got back from practice a little bit ago, and I had big plans for me and Maxine tonight.

“Maxine’s coming over for dinner, and I want to make something for her,” I explained.

Benny stroked a hand across his beard. “Does she like Mexican food? Most of that stuff is my abuela’s recipes, but we could modify it for her.”

“Right, I don’t know how to cook vegetarian food.”

He furrowed his brow. “Maybe we should call Dinah.”

We both looked at each other and laughed. Despite coming from a big Italian family, Dinah wasn’t much of a cook. When Noah moved in with her, he came to realize that sometimes she ate snacks for dinner because she didn’t feel like cooking. I swear, despite their eight-year difference, Noah was the adult in that relationship.

Benny rolled up his sleeves and walked over to the kitchen. He flipped through the book but eyed me from over it. “You seem nervous.”

“I’ve never made dinner for a chick before,” I admitted.

Benny shook his head at me. “I do it for your sister all the time.”

“That’s different. You’re whipped.”

He punched me.

“Ow! Dick!”

“Do you want help or not, asshole?”

“Help!”

“Hmm, okay…” He stroked his beard while he flipped through a couple pages, and then he put his finger on one. “Let’s make tofu sofritas tacos.”

I raised an eyebrow at him.

He pulled out a pad of paper and started jotting down a list of ingredients. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you. What’s the occasion?”