He reddened and ducked his head. “Uh, yeah. I might remember something about that.”
“If you need a reminder, I’m happy to reenact certain events after you eat.”
He drew back. “This isn’t just for me, is it? Because making breakfast isn’t really on the casual hookup checklist.”
“Nah, of course not.” I cracked two eggs into a mixing bowl and beat them with a fork. “But we’re roommates too. I was hungry, and you’ve got all this food you never have time to make, so why not, right?”
“Why not?” he echoed, moving past me to pour a mug of coffee.
“Can you grab the milk for me? And a BEASTmode?”
Aiden set his coffee aside. He retrieved a carton of skim milk and one of my energy drinks. “I don’t know how you drink this crap. It’s toxic.”
“Yum, yum.” I took it from him, cracked the top, and took a big gulp. “Thanks.”
“Sure. Do you need help with anything else?”
I considered. “Not really. You work so much, Angel. Just relax and let me take care of it.”
He scoffed. “Like you don’t work a lot? I’ve seen you out there hacking weeds just about every morning.”
“You spying on me?” When he blushed, I doubled down. “Angel, you stalker!”
He laughed. “Shut up. I notice things, is all.”
I mixed milk and cinnamon in with the eggs, then reached for the bread I’d soak in the mixture. “Guess you had to keep an eye on me to know when to avoid me, huh?”
He ducked his head, gazing into his coffee with a frown. I hadn’t meant to make him feel bad.
“It’s okay—” I started.
“It’s not easy for me,” Aiden said, waving his hand between us. “This, I mean. I’m leaving at the end of the year, and I fucked up everything last year when I let someone who didn’t even matter get me all twisted up, so Ihaveto stay focused on my goals. This is my chance to fix it.”
“What happened?” I asked.
He carried his coffee to the table and took a seat in one ofthe folding chairs. “I took my eye off the prize. I can’t do that again.”
“Well, this doesn’t have to go down that way. No muss, no fuss, right? A little eggs and bacon won’t change that.”
“You’re right. Thanks for cooking.”
“No problem. I’m looking forward to eating all your groceries.”
Aiden laughed, and some of the tension in the air dissipated. Good. I’d love to ask what went so wrong last year and who this someone was who didn’t even matter—but that wasn’t exactly casual hookup territory and Aiden was skittish enough as it was.
Besides, he wasn’t wrong. This was about enjoying each other, nothing more. I’d given love a shot, and it’d kicked my ass. Aiden was nothing like Puck, but if anything, that was more intimidating. Because Puck and I had at least been on even ground. Aiden was miles out of my league.
I focused on finishing the French toast and getting the scrambled eggs started in a saucepan with lots of butter, diced jalapeños, cheese, and red pepper flakes. It required attention to avoid overcooking them.
Five minutes later, everything was done. I pulled out the bacon and plated up our meals. Aiden grabbed the syrup out of the pantry, and we sat down together at the table.
My bottle of Tabasco was already in the center of the table because I poured it on just about everything I ate. I picked it up and gave my eggs a liberal coating.
“This is really good,” Aiden said as he cut a bite of French toast. “You know your way around the kitchen, huh?”
My chest warmed. Aiden wasn’t just plowing through his food without breathing as Puck had always done. He was savoring each bite. Really appreciating it.
That was such a turn-on. It made me think of the way he’dsavored my body last night. He was eager and passionate, but also focused on enjoying every moment.