Page 22 of Beautiful Noise
“Keep on and I’m gonna fuck around and drop your ass. These floors are hard as fuck. The builder told me you could drop a tank on them and they wouldn’t so much as crack. Imagine what a crash landing on these shits would feel like.”
I groaned as he traveled down the hall to the kitchen where he gently lowered me to my feet.
“You’re in the kitchen now. Might as well sit and let me fix your plate.”
He turned his back to me, crossing the kitchen en route to the cabinets where he removed plates. I contemplated going back to my…hisroom but decided to wait it out. Watching him fumblearound in the kitchen was amusing. Especially when he began the process of arranging food I’d cooked onto plates.
I cracked a smile which dropped the second he slid my dinner across the island. His plate landed across from mine but Ezren turned away once more, searching for what I realized was a bottle of wine and two glasses. Lastly, he gathered silverware and napkins which he separated between us.
The man seemed awkward moving around his kitchen, mostly because his big body and less than graceful movements presented a huge contrast to the modern, elegant kitchen.
Once he was settled across from me, and both our glasses were filled, he extended his long arms in my direction with his palms turned up. I frowned and he muttered, “Grace.”
Oh, wow.
After aligning my hands on top of his, attempting to ignore the zing of warmth that traveled up my arms, he blessed our food. Immediately following, I snatched my hands from his and took possession of my wine, swallowing a larger than necessary gulp. Eccentric watched me, chuckling as he lowered his head and began slicing through his steak.
“Garden herb butter?”
“Yes.”
“My mom sent her recipe?”
I flinched because he knew.
“Maybe.” I shrugged, watching as the first piece found its way to his mouth.
“That’s cool. I’ll let her know you didn’t fuck it up.”
“I can cook.”
“Never said you couldn’t.”
“No, but you did assume I’d over season your precious steaks.”
His fork eased into his mouth once more and glided across his lips after the meat landed on his tongue. I was granted thevisual of a few slow erotic chews—yes chewing could be erotic—followed by a smug grin.
“Not because I assumed you couldn’t burn in the kitchen but mostly because people always fuck up steak by over seasoning it. Sal’s is the best. It doesn’t need much but a good sear.”
“And garden herb butter?”
“Definitely that.” His smile expanded. “So…” Deep brown orbs gently shifted their focus to me and I felt my stomach clench. I knew what was coming…
“You wanna tell me about the nowhere to go thing?”
“No…”
“Why not?”
“I don’t like you and you don’t like me either. Why would I voluntarily hand over my life story?”
He smirked and shrugged. “You obviously told my mother.”
“You’re not your mother. Not even close.”
“Good to know because I love her and all but being Gwendolyn Shaw wouldn’t help my career, at all.”
I laughed as an image of Eccentric on stage wearing a wig matching his mother’s tresses popped up in my head. “Oh no, that would not be cute but that’s not what I mean and you know it.”