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Max turned off the eggs and poured something on them before he put the fire back on. It was a white substance. “What’s that?”
He lifted his eyebrows but didn’t look up at me, instead stirring the eggs with his spatula. “A sauce I’ve perfected over the years.”
“What’s in it?”
He smirked. It was adorable. How did men do that? If I smirked, they’d call me bitchy. Well, I knew how they did it, but I was too tired to deal with all those reasons at the moment. I needed more sleep to smash the patriarchy.
He said, “I’ll never reveal my secrets.”
“When did you make sauce? You’ve been out here for two minutes.”
He turned his back to put the container back in the fridge. “I make a lot of stuff on Sundays. Some for the restaurant, some for my personal use. I store it in the fridge if I don’t bring it in to work. It’s my prep day. Helps me feel very…prepared. I always have my favorite sauce on hand.”
“And you’re not going to tell me what’s in it?” My mouth already salivated.
He turned off the stove top and spooned the eggs onto two plates, passing me one before he got out a fork for both of us. “Try that. I’m going to make some toast too.”
I took a bite and then closed my eyes. The moan that I released wasn’t purposeful, it just happened. “Wow, that is good.”
When I opened my eyes, he grinned at me. “It never gets old. When people like what I cook? It never ceases to be the best part of any day.”
“What did you put on these? Plus, they’re so light and airy!”
As we spoke, he moved about the kitchen, taking bites of his own eggs, toasting the bread, and pouring more coffee. Henever seemed to have to look at anything as he did it, as if he knew exactly where everything was without needing to check. The whole thing was impressive and ridiculously sexy. “Thank you on the eggs, and the sauce is my version of what they’d call a Greek bechamel.”
I’d never heard of it. “How is yours different from a traditional Greek version?”
He leaned onto the counter, smirking at me. “That is my secret.”
I sipped my coffee, suddenly feeling full and happy. Good food did that to me. There was a euphoria to eating like this. “Thank you for breakfast.”
Max leaned farther toward me and stole a kiss. “You’re welcome. Finish your coffee.”
I took a long drink of it. I never left coffee unfinished.
We rode together to my apartment in my car. Max leaned back and stared at the front seat, where my security had shut themselves behind a barrier and couldn’t hear us. Or so they said. Maybe I read too many spy novels. I doubted everything these days.
“So they just follow you around and drive you where you want to go?” He pointed at the front seat. “These two?”
I yawned. “Mostly them, but obviously no one can be with me all of the time. They trade out with two other people, but I know them the best. They are my most constant guards.”
“What does having that kind of security cost, just out of curiosity? I know someone who does this for a living. He works for a security firm. We served together. I know he’s earning a fortune doing it, and honestly, it’s perfect for his personality. Good fit for him as a job.”
I shook my head. “That’s a good question. My brother-in-law pays for security for all of us. My sister Bridget, his wife, Layla, and myself. He would cover Justin too, but he’s in Russia withmy father.” Thinking of him made me check my phone. Nothing from Justin. Why had he reached out if he didn’t want to start a dialogue? Why send me that one thing and nothing else? “Zeke is very generous with us. I’m not sure…” Well, truthfully, he was someone else I didn’t know how to pay back. These sorts of problems were adding up in my life.
Max shifted in his seat. “What kind of danger does he think you’re in? Like you could get stolen off the street or gunned down in the car? Or they just want to drive you crazy until your father does whatever it is he has to do?”
“They pulled my sister off the street and kept her for several days until Michael Li, who runs our security, got her back. I guess they feel the same could happen to me.” I rubbed my face. I hated talking about all of it. “They’re working on putting a stop to this and then the security can stop. I’m grateful for the help.”
“Ah, yes. I’m sure you are.” He shook his head. “But your tone tells me that you have multiple feelings about it.”
I startled, turning to look at him. “Am I that easy to read?”
“Little bit.” He took my hand. “But enough about your guards. They hate me. The looks they shoot me? I get what they see. You’re young, gorgeous. They think I’m some lecherous bastard bothering you.”
I laughed, which surprised me. “Because you’re ancient?”
“Right. Well, next to you I am, Hope. I’m going to be forty on my next birthday.”
