“Fine. Tomatoes, grilled jalapenos, onions, aioli, and pickles, please,” I said, stepping back. “Am I allowed to grab two beers from the fridge for us, or is that crossing some imaginary line you’ve set?”
Duke’s lips twitched. “I’ll allow it.”
“Oh, good. I’m glad to know where you’ve drawn the line.”
Walking back outside, I stopped at the plain white appliance Lukas had affectionately dubbed the beer fridge and grabbed two from inside. Duke was already headed outside by the time I made it to the picnic table.
He placed my plate in front of me, giving a dramatic bow when I took my seat. “Your dinner is served.” Then he took the seat opposite of me as I slid his beer toward him.
Duke watched me nervously. I couldn’t help it. I moaned the moment I took a bite. The flavors were unreal, and the aioli was the perfect touch of searing heat.
“Oh my god,” I mumbled. So what if I spoke with my mouth full? He deserved every ounce of praise. “This is the best burger I’ve ever had in my life.”
Duke picked up his burger, hiding his smile behind his food. “You don’t have to kiss my ass. I already cooked for you.”
“It’s not kissing your ass if it’s true.” I took another bite. “Like seriously, Duke. I didn’t know you could cook like this. Where’d you learn?”
“Would you believe me if I told you I was self-taught?”
I shook my head. “There’s no way. It’s too perfect.”
“Better believe it, honey,” he said, putting down his burger. “I knew the basics coming out of college. Mostly because Lukas couldn’t be trusted not to burn toast.”
“No, I remember he literally set the carpet on fire when we were kids. He was trying to make eggs for our dad and set a paper plate too close to the burner.”
“Exactly,” he laughed. “So, you can see why I needed to beable to take care of the basics. We would’ve starved if I hadn’t taken over. And then it just kind of evolved from there. Sarah didn’t cook much. Harper was a picky eater, so I had to get creative at dinner time. Turns out I like it. It’s a rare moment during the day when I can be by myself.”
I leaned forward, resting my chin on my palm as he spoke. Duke didn’t talk much about himself. The fact that he was giving me this much didn’t go unnoticed. I didn’t want to miss a single detail, determined to soak up as much from him as I could.
“Charlie was the same. Always picky, I mean. Grady was more of the cook in our household. I’m ashamed to admit I’m not much better off than my brother.”
Duke grinned. “Maybe I could give you a lesson or two.”
“I think I’d like that. At the very least, I need to be able to make this burger again.” I grinned. “Now that I’ve tasted it, I’m not sure I could go back to anything else.”
And I wasn’t just talking about the food.
How the hell was I supposed to walk away from this? From him? It was nearly too much to bear.
I reached for my beer, taking a swig before the moisture lining my eyes could fall. Out of all the conversations we needed to have, I wasn’t ready for that one yet. I wanted to live in bliss for a little while longer.
DUKE
After dinner,I cleaned up the kitchen, washing all the dishes and putting away the leftovers. Olivia had been downright pissed about it, insisting that she should be the one to clean since I’d done the cooking, but I refused.
I was enjoying the brief glimpse of what domestic life would’ve looked like with her. It wasn’t flashy or over-the-top, but rather simple. She enjoyed reading books and going for walks in the pasture. And at night, as I was informed only moments ago, she enjoyed soaking in a bathtub when her schedule allowed.
Walking down the hall, I pushed open the door to Olivia’s bedroom. I followed the scent of rich amber and vanilla into the bathroom, finding her already neck deep in bubbles with a glass of wine sitting on the standing tray near her head. Her hair was up, piled into a messy bun.
I was immediately taken back to the night I’d watched her through the cracked door. When she’d dropped the towel and given me my first glimpse of her.
My cock hardened at the memory. Especially knowing she was naked beneath all those bubbles right this very moment.
“Kitchen’s clean,” I said, resting my shoulder against the doorframe. “Even wiped down the counters for you.”
Olivia grabbed her wine, taking a hearty sip. “You didn’t have to do that, you know.”
“I wanted to.”