He's nervous. He has to be.
Finally, I spot Flavor magazine. This month’s edition has a gorgeous bowl of pasta on the front, with fresh tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese. I flip to the contents page, running my eyes down the list until I see his name, Dariel Gershon, page seventeen.
I'm too nervous to read it here, so I buy a couple copies and bring them with me to the restaurant. As I stand outside, a part of me wants to read it with Monroe, and a part of me wants to read it here and now, just in case it's not good.
After a few seconds, I decide I can't read it on my own. I walk in and head straight for the kitchen. There are multiple things going at once on the stove. A giant pot is boiling, the steam is rolling up toward the air vent like smoke from a fire. A pan is sizzling with onions and peppers, and there's handmade rigatoni in a bowl on the counter.
Monroe has his back to me, tossing locally grown green beans in a lemon sauce. “Hey,” he says. “I'm glad you're here. Can you pass me the garlic? I've kind of got my hands full right now.”
“Me too,” I say, causing him to glance back. I rock the magazine back and forth in my hands. “It's out.”
“What does it say?” he asks casually, turning back to the stove.
“I don't know, I haven't read it yet.”
“Well, let's hear it.”
“You want me to read it out loud?”
“Yeah, rip the band aid off. What does he have to say about The Backyard?”
I turn to the page and there's a giant picture of the front of the restaurant. The sign is glowing in that pretty blue light making it look so inviting. Clearing my throat, I start reading out loud.
“To some, The Backyard might be a local spot, to others it's a place they pass and just never take the chance to step inside. We all know that the city is full of small-time pizza places that will blow your taste buds away, and high-end restaurants that can leave you broke. The Backyard is neither. . .” My voice fades as my heart starts to sink. I'm not sure this is going to be good.
Monroe cocks his head, tilting his ear in my direction. “Go on, keep going,” he says.
“With its small dining room and low-key décor, it lends all its credit to the food. For me, The Backyard is a testament to what real food is all about. Monroe Martisse is not just the owner and head chef, he's the son of a national legacy, Jacques Martisse. A man who started with a small hole-in-the-wall and built something so great its name still gives me chills, The Roost. Monroe not only captures the feel of his father in his food, but he also embodies the very man himself. Bold flavors and creative combinations will leave you wanting more.”
Monroe's shoulders lift and he abandons the food to come to my side. “He loved it,” he says. “Holy shit, he actually loved it.”
“He loved it,” I repeat.
He sweeps me off my feet, lifting me up high and spinning me around. “I couldn't have done this without you, Arisa. Oh my god, I'm so happy,” he says with a big smile on his face.
I cup his cheeks and give him a kiss. “You did this, Monroe, you're an amazing chef and you deserve to be recognized for it.”
“No, we did this.” His eyes steady on mine. “I love you, Arisa.” The words fall out of his mouth easily.
“I love you, too.” I don't even have to think about it. I love this man. I love him for everything he is and will ever be. He's my rock, and I can't imagine my life without him.
We kiss. His lips are gentle, smothering mine with such need and love I can feel it all the way into my bones. I'm not sure what tomorrow will look like, or next week, or next year, but I know that as long as we have each other, I'll always be happy.
My love of cooking has met its match, but my love for him has no ceiling. I'd walk to the end of earth for this man. I'm his. He has my mind, body, and soul. Together, we'll be unstoppable, no matter what we do.
Two people who love each other. Two people who find joy in each other. Two people who can't live without each other. Sprinkle in some hot sex and you have the whole package.
It's the perfect recipe for happy life.
Epilogue
Monroe
One Year Later
“No peeking,” I say as I open her door and reach in to take her hands. Guiding her out of the car, I help her up the sidewalk. “A few more steps. All right, stop right here.”
“I don't like when you do this. I'm starting to think you get off on having me blindfolded.”
I smile, even though I know she can't see me. “You're not entirely wrong, but it's not the blindfold, it's the suspense. I love watching the way your lips curve and your teeth nibble on your bottom lip with a nervous excitement. I love the way your hands bind together, and your breathing gets heavy. It's sexy as hell.”
I'm right behind her. I wrap my arms around her waist and nuzzle my chin into the small crevasse of her neck. Her skin is soft and warm. I place light kisses up the side of her neck, making her giggle.
“I love that you think I'm sexy.” Arisa leans her head back against me and places her hands over mine.
“You're the sexiest woman on earth, and I'm the luckiest man alive.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, which. . .” I say, drawing out the last word as I unfurl myself from her body and take her hands again. “Is the whole reason we're here.”
“And here is where exactly?”
“You're about to see.” I release her hands, taking a few steps away from her, and positioning myself. “Okay, you can take off the blindfold.”
She pushes the wrap up her forehead, blinking her eyes a few times to adjust to the sunlight. Her eyes dart around, unsure, and slightly confused. “What am I looking at?”
“This is our new restaurant.”
Her eyes grow big and her mouth falls open. “What?”
“Our new restaurant. I was thinking we could maybe call it Arisa’s. What do you think? I think it has a good ring to it.”
“You're joking. Are you being serious right now?”
“Very serious.”
Tears bubble up over her eyes as she throws her hands to her mouth. “Holy shit, Monroe, we have a restaurant. A place that's ours.”
“That's the plan. The Roost was my father's, The Backyard is mine, but this, this is for us. I want a place we can build together. Something that's not just mine, but yours too.”
Arisa bounces in place, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I can't believe you did this. I'm shocked.”
“You deserve this. You've worked so hard, and I think we can make magic together.”
She flaps her hands in front of her face, trying to dry her eyes. “I don't know what to say. Thank you, thank you so much for believing me in.”
I grab her around the hips and yank her in. I wipe her tears away with my thumbs, and give her a kiss. “You want to go inside?”
“Can we?”
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the keys and dangle them in the air. “Absolutely.”
She jumps up and down, clamping her hands together in front of her chest. “Let's go!”
“You do the honors.” I pass her the keys and she takes them eagerly.
Arisa darts to the front door and jams the key in the lock. “This is insane, Monroe. I can't believe you did this.”
“It's going to be our project. We can decide on the theme, the menu, the décor, all of it. I want to see you in this place, too.”
She pulls the door open and steps inside the abandoned the restaurant. The bones of the building are great. The outside is a gorgeous stone, but the inside is rundown, dusty, and looks like it hasn't been updated since the seventies.
There's a dirty brown and orange carpet with circular designs all over it in the main entrance. The bar looks like it came out of the basement of a cabin in the woods. Everything is dark, made of cheap wood and paneling I haven't seen since my grandmother's house when I was a kid.
But I can see the potential. This place is in a busy spot of the city. Th
e foot traffic will give us constant exposure, and we're close to several big businesses. None of the aesthetics really matter because we're going to redesign from the inside out.
“What do you think?” I ask her.
“I love it.” Her eyes are huge and bright as she spins around the room. “This place is perfect.”
“It will be once we're done with it.”
Arisa slinks her way back to me and curls her arms around my torso. “I can't thank you enough. You're too good to me. How did I get so lucky?”
“You? How did I get so lucky? I mean look at you.” I take her hands and push her back, looking her up and down. “I'm lucky I even get any work done with you around.”
She smiles with thin lips, stepping back in close to me. “You and me both. You're a hard man to resist.” Her fingers dance across the top of my jeans, dipping in slightly and pulling me closer. “Especially right now, I'm a little turned on.”
“From me or the building?”
“The building of course, I mean look at this place. The sex appeal is just too much.”
We both laugh. I grab her roughly by the hips and pull against my chest. The tip of my nose tickles hers. “It's all the wood, isn't it?”
“You got me. A good hard wood makes me so damn wet.” Her voice lowers, turning to a sultry coo. “You should feel just how wet I am.” She pulls one of my hands off her hips and slips it down the front of her pants.
My finger slips between warm, wet lips. She's soaking, dripping with arousal. “You are really wet.”
“You do that to me, Monroe. You make my body beg for you.”
A thick growl spills out from the back of my throat as I dip my finger in her heat. Fingering her, Arisa's eyes roll back in her head and she moans. Her juice drips off my finger as I pull it out.
I suck her sweet flavor off my finger with a groan. “Mm, you taste like candy. So sweet, so delicious.”
“I don't want you to taste me, I want you to fuck me,” she says. Her hands tug at my jeans, popping the button free. “Take me right here and now.” Her breathing is picking up as she wraps her fingers around my cock and pulls it out.
“I thought we could talk about names and dishes for the menu, but this works too.”
“That stuff can wait, we should really claim this place as ours.” Her mouth grazes mine, and she runs the very tip of her tongue across my bottom lip. “Don't you think?” She strokes down my length, tickling my balls with her fingers.
“I couldn't agree with you more,” I say as she exhales across my cheek.
She places soft kisses over my jawline, following it all the way up to my ear. Her teeth gently pluck at my earlobe, making me groan. I love this woman. Everything about her drives me crazy.
I slip my hands up her back and into her hair, taking fistfuls and tugging hard. “You make me so damn hard,” I say, jerking my cock in her hand.
Her thumb swirls over my tip, smearing the drop of precum that's dangling on the edge. “You're already so excited.”
“I can't help it. You're so fucking sexy.” I palm her tit, pinching her nipple and rolling it between the pads of my fingers. “I'm the luckiest man alive.”
“I feel the same way,” she says, her voice a whisper.
Her lips find mine, and she kisses me hard. I can feel her breathing, and the pulse in her neck as I free my hand from her hair and cup the side of her face. Her heart is racing, beating against my thumb.
I caress the throbbing vein, drawing firm circles. My tongue drives into her mouth, stealing every piece of her I can. Her taste. Her breath. Her existence. She's mine. Mine to hold, to enjoy, to love and please. I'll do anything for her to make her happy. Even if it means going to the end of the earth.
My hands keep moving down her body until I find her button. Ripping it open, I work her pants down her legs. Arisa steps out of them, barely letting her lips break free of mine. I grab her under her ass and lift her off the ground.
Her legs wrap tightly around my waist, clenching against my sides as she lines my cock up with her entrance. My dick sinks easily into her pussy, her body coating me in warm silk. I groan as she lowers herself all the way down and my cock disappears inside her.
I'm holding her up, digging my fingers into her ass. Arisa starts to bounce, using her thighs to hold on. She grinds her pussy against me, rubbing her clit against my lower stomach. Her arousal smears all over me, making my cock thicker and harder.
“Mm, Monroe,” she moans, curling her arms around my neck. “Fuck me, fuck me like it's the last time you'll ever fuck me.”
“I can't,” I say, thrusting my dick inside her as her hips rock. “Because I'll never not have you. I can't go without you. I'll always need you.”
“And I'll always need you.” Her eyes hold steady on mine, and her fingers gently tease the ends of my hair on the back of my head. “I love you with everything I have.”
“Me too,” I say, kissing her. “Me too.”
Arisa rides my dick hard and fast. Our bodies slap together, the sound echoing through the open, vacant room. She nuzzles her face into the crook of my neck and bites me. The sharp edges of her teeth grab my skin, sending a rush of tingles down my arms, and through my chest.
The feeling spreads like fire. Long tendrils of heat crawl across my ribs and down my sides, coalescing in my stomach. My muscles tighten and my stomach tumbles like a tsunami hitting the shoreline.
Her smooth pussy glides up and down my shaft as her tits bounce in my face. They're hidden in her shirt, but I can see her beaded nipples. Hard, tender, begging to be licked and nibbled.
I bite them anyway through the fabric, coaxing another moan from deep in her chest. Her head drops back and her mouth falls open. She looks so beautiful with her skin tinted pink, and her goosebumps peaking all over her skin.
She whips her head back up, her blond hair falling over her face as she moans louder and with more intensity. Her thighs tremble against me as she clenches my waist as tight as she can.
I piston my hips up vigorously, fucking her as she grinds down. Every thrust makes my balls draw up and her pussy walls squeeze around my shaft. She's milking me, her body doing all it can to keep me inside.
She doesn't want to let me go. She wants to keep me inside her forever. I can feel it. I can see it on her face, and hear it in her moans. It's in her fingertips and her lips as she kisses me. It's in her breathing and the way she swallows.
We're not just two people anymore. We're two people who are choosing each other. Willing and ready to share the world together. And I couldn't ask for more.
The tremble in her thighs spreads through her body. She drives her face into my shoulder and bites me even harder than before. But I don't feel it. I don't feel the pain of her teeth. I only feel the orgasm, the pleasure, the euphoric sensation as it sizzles in her muscles and heats her to the core.
I can't contain myself any longer. My cock thickens as hot cum spurts from the tip. Pump after pump of cum fills her pussy. It's the best feeling in the world. Being inside her. Feeling her come. Feeling the way her pussy pulses and throbs.
My arms move up her back and hug her against my chest. Her legs are coiled around me, and she's breathing heavy. I set her down gently, holding onto her until I know she has her balance.
Arisa smiles up at me. “Now we can call it ours.”
“I guess there's no better way to claim something as yours than fucking in it.”
She tugs her pants on, and giggles. “Oh, I almost forgot, I have a surprise for you, too.”
“You do? What's that?”
She bites the tip of her tongue as her smile widens. “Here,” she says, handing me a folded piece of paper. “I wanted to come up with a clever way to tell you, but I don't think there's a better time than now.”
“What is this?” I ask.
“Open it up and see.” Her eyes are twinkling with tiny stars, and I can see the excitement on her face.
I purse my lips and give her a
side eye glance. Unfolding the paper, I let my eyes fall from hers. “What is this?” I ask. I spin the small square paper around, but I have no clue what it is I'm looking at. “It looks like an x-ray or something.”
“It kind of is. It's an ultrasound, Monroe.”
“An ultra—” I cut myself off as the realization sets in. “Are you—are we. . .” I can't get it out.
“Pregnant,” she says shaking her head yes as she smiles.
“You're having a baby. Holy shit, we're having a ba—b. . . baby.” My voice cracks as so many different emotions flood my system. “A baby. Holy shit, I can't believe we're having a baby.” I lunge forward and hug her.
Arisa grins and laughs as tears trickle down her cheeks. “I love you,” she says, her voice soft and tender. “You're going to be a daddy.”
“I love you.” I drive my lips onto hers and kiss her like I've never kissed her before.
This woman is giving me the greatest gift ever. She's carrying my child. I drop to my knees and kiss her belly. “And I love you too, little one.”
I thought my life couldn't get any better. A wonderful girlfriend. A new restaurant. I couldn't imagine needing anything else.
Until right now. Until this moment.
Love isn't a strong enough word to describe what I feel for Arisa and the life she's carrying inside her. This isn't the happy ending to our story. . .
It's just the beginning.
* * *
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