“Or—and hear me out here—we could, I don’t know, actually make it work. Sure, we’d still fight, but just think of all the makeup sex we could have.”
She slams her mouth closed. Opens it.
Her wheels are turning. I just can’t tell if she’s thinking about what I’m saying and taking my proposal seriously or trying to find a way to let me down easily.
I’m too scared to find out.
“Winston, I—”
“Let’s not talk about it, okay? Let’s just enjoy the rest of the night. We have more pumpkin shit to eat and I want to enjoy it without you gaping at me like I have two heads.”
For a moment, she looks like she wants to argue.
But it never comes.
Her eyes flit to my cock.
“Well, you do technically have two heads.”
My lips tug up at the corners. “Shut the hell up and come on.”
* * *
“Holy fuck,” she mutters, coming down from her high.
I pull out of her, not wanting to leave her warmth but knowing I need to before I fall asleep on top of her.
“I think I just came so hard I pulled something in my back. It feels like I’m being stabbed.”
I laugh, rolling away and flopping down onto the bed beside her. “I mean, you’re welcome.”
She reaches back to massage her injury.
“Wait, nope.” She pulls something out from under her. “It was just a binky.”
“I’m still taking credit.”
“Not fair. It was literally a binky. You saw it.”
“It’s dark in here. You could have planted it after the fact.”
She huffs. “Whatever. I’m going pee.”
She rushes off to the bathroom and I let my eyes fall closed, trying hard not to fall asleep, but it’s a difficult feat because I am officially worn out.
We didn’t talk about us again the rest of the night, just enjoyed the Fall Festival.
Despite our bickering and Drew having a hard time seeing a future in us, it was still easily one of my top five nights of all time.
And that’s not including the incredible sex we just had.
Being with her and Riker, getting to spend time with them doing silly shit…it fulfills me in a way I didn’t realize I needed.
It makes me feel so…alive.
I could see myself doing it for good, not just while Drew’s staying here.
The light in the bathroom clicks off and Drew tiptoes her way back to the bed, crawling in beside me with her cold feet.
She must think I’m asleep, because she doesn’t say anything, just snuggles into me like she was made to fit beside me.
“Why can’t it always be like this?” she whispers to herself, so quietly I almost wonder if it’s all a dream.
If so, I don’t ever want to wake up from it.
Slice Seventeen
Drew
The last few weeks have flown by, and I’m sad my time in the Slice kitchen is coming to an end after my shift today.
When Simon asked me to cover for one of the chefs who had taken a four-week internship in Italy, I jumped at the chance.
I knew the hours were going to be brutal, but the experience would be worth it.
All it has done is solidify my conviction that the kitchen is exactly where I am meant to be. It’s my happy place.
“You’re a damn natural in here, Drew.” Simon stands next to me, watching me wield the knife in my hand like a pro, a proud glint in his eyes. “I wish I could keep you around.”
“Then why don’t you?” I beg him with my eyes to do just that.
“You know I can’t, kid. I’d love to, but you need the training, the certifications. Everyone else here has them, and you need them too. It’s the rules of my shop. And, really, it’ll help you in the long run. You don’t have to have any sort of professional training, but you’ll be better off if you do.”
“I know.” I sigh. “I just have no idea how I’m going to swing that with working and taking care of Riker all on my own.”
“It’ll be tough, but I know you’ve got it in you. Besides, you already know you have a job waiting for you when you get out. That’s the hardest battle.”
“That’s true.”
“And then, when you get a couple years of experience under your belt working here, I’ll write an incredible recommendation for wherever you choose to go.”
“Leave you? Never.”
“You better,” he says. “I don’t want you wasting your talents.”
“But I love it here.”
“I love it here too, but this isn’t your end all, be all like it is mine. Slice is just a stepping stone for you, and that’s perfectly okay.”
“Do you really think I could make a career out of my culinary skills?”
“I guarantee that with a decade of true experience under your belt, you could start this town’s first five-star restaurant and thrive.”
I grin. “That sounds like an amazing dream.”
“Then make it happen, kid. Only one who can do it is you.” He winks at me. “Speaking of making things happen…I don’t know what’s going on with you and my son, but whatever you’re doing, whatever motivation you’re feeding him, keep it up.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, peeking up at him.
“It’s almost like we have the old Winston back, that guy he was before the accident—the one who was way less of a jerk.” He looks at me. “Pro parenting tip: it’s okay to call your kids jerks. Sometimes they need to hear it, especially from you.”
“Noted.” I laugh. “I’m really glad Winston’s turning his shit around, but I don’t think it has anything to do with me. I haven’t even been pushing him to do anything extra. I’ve just been worrying about my own crap.”
“I think that’s it, though. I think he sees you struggling and not falling apart and it’s giving him the kick in the ass he needs. Plus, I think he’s trying to impress you.”
My hands, which have been steadily chopping since Simon walked over, falter for the first time, and I pray he doesn’t notice.
As much as I’ve tried not to think about the conversation Winston and I had at the Fall Festival on Sunday, it keeps pushing its way into my head.
Like now.
Simon isn’t wrong. His son is different lately, and I’m starting to think I am the reason.
Winston Daniels, the man I hate, likes me…and not just in the bedroom.
When he dropped the bomb that he doesn’t detest the idea of us being together, I was shocked, because I thought I was the only one whose mind that thought had crossed.
If I’m being completely honest with myself, I like Winston too.
But the thought of telling him and giving him the power to hurt me…it terrifies me.
Winston could either love me for a lifetime or shatter me in two.
There is no in-between when it comes to us, and that’s one hell of a gamble to take.
“Impress me?” I scrunch my nose, trying to play it off like I have no idea what he means. Nobody other than Sully knows about Winston and me, and I’d like to keep it that way until I can figure out just exactly what’s going on between us. “What for?”
He pins me with a don’t bullshit a bullshitter look. “You know exactly what for. That boy has a heart-on for you.”
“Ah, so you’re where he got that term from.”
“Actually, it was his mother. She used to say it all the time to freak the kids out because it sounded so much like hard-on.”
I grimace.
“See?” He laughs. “That’s the exact face they’d make.”
“For a good reason.”
“Anyway, I’ve been around long enough to know a heart-on when I see one. He might not be the world’s greatest employee and he’s a huge pain in my ass, but he loves harder than anyone else I’ve ever met.” He looks at me meaningfully. “Just something to keep in mind if you’re ever at a point where that’s something to take in
to consideration.”
“I’ll, uh, keep it in mind,” I say.
He grins, only it doesn’t look natural. It looks too much like an I’m onto you kind of grin. Ominous.
If I didn’t know any better, it almost sounds like Simon knows there’s something going on between us.
But that can’t be the case. We’ve been careful.
I mean, there was that one time Winston snuck a kiss on my cheek in the hallway and I ripped him a new one, but nobody saw us.
They couldn’t have.
“If you need someone to help you look at culinary programs, I’d be happy to help.”
I blink up at him. “Huh?”
“You know, for the certifications we were discussing,” he explains. “Geez, kid, you lose your head that fast?”
“Sorry.” I give myself a shake. “Brain is all jumbled.”
“Right. Well, I don’t want to distract you too much. We only have thirty minutes until open and there’s still plenty to do. Just think about what I said.”
What he said? Which part?
The one where he implied that he knows there’s something happening with me and his son, or the one where he offered to help me create the future I want for myself?
Either way, they both feel earth-shattering.
* * *
It’s evening by the time I drag my tired feet out the door of Slice. I am in no mood to make dinner when I get home, so I stop at Grab ’N’ Grocery for something quick and satisfying.
The lights are turned down low when I finally push open the door of Winston’s house.
“H-Hello?” I call out cautiously.
“In the kitchen,” Winston answers back.
The weird just keeps on coming, because the kitchen isn’t a place where he typically hangs out. In fact, I’m not so sure he even used it before I started living here.
I kick off my shoes, setting my purse down on the table by the door, and pad into the kitchen, bracing myself for something strange because it seems to be the turn this night has taken.
When I cross the threshold, I’m glued into place.
Winston’s sitting at the dinner table, Riker beside him strapped into his boppy chair, looking like a mini adult sitting on his own as he’s fed some disgusting-looking green mush.
From the looks of it, Riker isn’t the only one getting fed.
The placemats, which I’m sure Winston had to rip the tags off of, are adorned with heaping plates of pasta.
It’s nothing over the top. There are no candles or flowers or anything romantic.
It’s simply dinner.
“What’s all this?”
“Food.”
“Yes, I can see that,” I say, making my way to the refrigerator to stash my goods from the store. “But why? What’s the occasion?”
“There isn’t one. I knew today was your last day pulling doubles and I figured you wouldn’t be too pumped to make dinner tonight, so I took charge and made something.”
“You made something?”
“With my hands? No. But with my credit card and ordering capabilities? Yes.”
Chuckling, I brush my hand over my son’s head, bending to give him a quick kiss. “Mommy missed you today, little angel. I hope you were good.”
I look to Winston for the answer, since he was the one who took over babysitting duties for the day.
“We had loads of fun. Lots of naps for some reason.”
“It’s the teething. It’s wearing him out.”
“It’s wearing me out.”
I wince. “I’m sorry about that. I’ll be around to help out more now that I’m done with the doubles.”
“No need to apologize. As weird as it is for me to say, I actually enjoy spending time with him. It’s neat getting to see him learn new things every day. Kind of like this.”
Winston shoots his brows up, and Riker, though he takes a few seconds to register it, mimics him.
I laugh and whip out my phone to capture the moment. I make Winston do it over and over, getting it on video and snapping a few pictures.
“When he wasn’t napping, that was basically all we did today.”
“I love it. I’m kind of sad I couldn’t be here to watch him do it the first time.”
“Don’t do that, Drew.”
“Do what?”
“Guilt yourself for having a life. You won’t always be there for every moment and that’s perfectly okay. When you’re not there, I’ll be there. Between the two of us, we’ll capture it all.”
His words sound so…permanent.
So…real.
So right.
Simon’s words from earlier ring in my head.
He loves harder than anyone else I’ve ever met.
His words…his promise…sounded a whole lot like what someone in love would say.
Does Winston…love me?
I clear my throat, pushing the thought away, trying to not get my hopes up because the likelihood of Winston loving me is pretty damn slim.
“Thank you for dinner,” I say, picking up my fork and digging in. “You read my mind on getting something easy. I actually stopped by Grab ’N’ Grocery on my way home, figured we could just have frozen burritos or something. This is much better than my idea.”
“We’ll do burritos tomorrow then.”
“Two days of laziness?” I mock gasp. “How bold.”
“Bold or just ingenious?”
“Yes.” I laugh, taking a bite of the pasta. “Holy crap. This is delicious.”
“Wish I could take credit, but it’s all my father’s cooking.”
“You were at Slice today?”
“Nah. I had it delivered. Figured it was easier than loading up the kiddo and taking him in. Plus, I knew if you saw him there, you’d get distracted and fawn all over him.”
The kiddo.
Not your kiddo.
He says it like Riker is his too.
It’s odd…but it doesn’t feel wrong.
“Another smart move.”
“What can I say? I’m on a roll today.”
I scarf down my dinner like I haven’t eaten all day, and I realize then I haven’t had anything since breakfast.
“Damn, someone was hungry.”
“I forgot to take a lunch.”
“You forgot? How the hell does that happen?”
I shrug. “I was busy. Your father offered to help me look into local culinary programs and we spent my lunch break doing that.”
“You’re thinking of going to school?”
“I think so. I mean, I kind of have to, right? If I ever want to move on from Slice. As much as I love the pizzeria and get a kick out of whatever craziness your dad cooks up for a new pie, one day I’d like to be able to create my own menu.” I peek over at him. “Do you think I’m crazy for wanting to go to school with everything else I have going on?”
“Crazy? Yeah, a little. I see how stressed you are as it is, but I also think it’s a pretty brilliant idea to set yourself up for a future you really want. I know right now might seem like an insane time to do it, but it might be smart too, since you have the help.”
“The help?”
“Living here.”
“Winston…” I grumble. “We’ve been over this. I can’t stay here forever.”
“We’ve also been over that you can. You just don’t want to hear that part.” He pushes up from the table, grabbing his empty plate and mine. “But that’s fine. You’ll hear it when you’re ready to.”
“I’ll listen to you when you listen to me about going to the doctor about your shoulder. How’s that for a deal?”
He works his jaw back and forth, annoyed at my bargaining because he doesn’t want to go back to the doctor.
He’s too scared to hear that he and he alone screwed his shoulder up for good.
“That’s what I thought,” I say, grabbing Riker from his chair. “I’m going to give him a bath while you stew.”
“I don’t stew!” he hol
lers after me, but judging by the muttering, he knows he doesn’t sound the least bit convincing to either of us.
I take my time bathing my son, enjoying my alone time with him.
When he starts to struggle to hold his tired eyes open, I click on the Slayer mobile and tuck him into his crib, grabbing the baby monitor on my way out.
Walking through the living room, I spy Winston out on the back deck, cigarette in hand.
I don’t have to be standing next to him to know he’s thinking about my comment. I can see it in the way his muscles are tightened, the way he’s angrily flicking his ashes into the tray.
He’s staring out at the water, letting the sounds of the waves drown out whatever’s going on in his head.
Except it’s not working, because deep down he knows I’m right.
I like Winston, and he clearly likes me.
But we can’t push this thing between us another step forward until he addresses the thing that’s holding him back.
Himself.
I force my feet to move, heading into the kitchen to grab the treat I bought to console myself after my last day in the kitchen.
Winston sends me a glance over his shoulder when I slide the back door open.
“Hey,” I say quietly.
He grunts in response.
“Here.” I slide a pint of ice cream toward him. “Thought you could use this.”
He looks down at the offer then back at me. “Do I look like a basic white girl?”
“Excuse me? Pumpkin ice cream is the best ice cream.”
He chortles. “It is pretty damn good.” After popping the lid on the container, he holds out his hand. “Spoon me, woman.”
“Spooning leads to forking, you know.” I waggle my brows, handing him a utensil.
“Is that a promise of what’s to come tonight?”
“Maybe.” I smirk. “I wouldn’t be opposed.”
It’s been four days since we last had sex, which is practically a dry spell for us.
I’ve just been so tired when I come home from work that I fall right into bed after taking care of Riker.
“I’m being serious, Drew—if you want to continue staying here while you go to culinary school, you’re more than welcome to. It’ll help cut down on expenses, allowing you to work less and focus more on school. Plus, between me and Sully, we can keep Riker out of daycare to cut costs there too.”
I Knead You Tonight Page 17