Page 29 of Worth Every Game
The fact that I’m feeding him must occur to both of us at the same time, because Jack’s eyes shoot up to mine and lock on, alarm erupting in his gaze, but it vanishes instantly, replaced with a look that says,‘I know what you were thinking, and it was dirty’.
Heat rages through me, but I force my features into stillness, refusing to acknowledge his expression, which wipes clean in response. He pulls back, an almost respectful look on his face as he chews on the food. “That’s surprisingly good,” he says after he swallows. “Is there more?”
I nod at the hob, where I’ve left a big pot full of stew and the other dishes. “Plenty.”
He gets up and walks over to the worktop, hesitating as he notices all the pots and bowls of dishes I’ve made. “Holy fuck, you’ve made a mess. You hosting a dinner party?”
I blush. “Nope.” I want to tell him I did it for him, but for some reason, I can’t bring myself to. “I… I like cooking.”
Ugh, that sounds pathetic.
Hehmmmsin the back of his throat, but before he can comment on the sheer volume of food I’ve prepared, the doorbell rings. Jack freezes, his focus shifting inward as if he might be able to determine who’s at the door through the use of some inner sense. “You sure you aren’t expecting people?”
“No.”
His lips turn downward and he heads out into the hall, and I strain to listen. The door opens with a creak and an excited female voice announces, “I brought sushi.”
The silence that follows is a beat too long, and my heart drops for the duration of it, plummeting down what feels like a ravine of emotion. I should have known Jack Lansen would have plans.A date. A woman. Sushi.
I’m such a fool.
“For me?” Jack replies, surprised, and at the tone of his voice my heart starts the slow climb back up. He’s as shocked by this arrival as I am.
“For us. It’s from that place you said you liked.”
For us. That sounds...cosy.
There’s a shuffle of feet and the click of heels on the wooden floor. Whoever is out there is coming in, and I’m pretty sure Jack didn’t actually invite them inside. Not vocally, at least, but then he’s a master of body language...
Jack clears his throat. “I wasn’t expecting—”
A breathy giggle cuts him off. “I told you I’d get some for you.”
A lengthy pause follows. “Right. Well, maybe you should come in then.” Jack sounds incredibly reluctant, but very polite. If it was me out there, I’d be backing right back down the front steps around now.
A moment later, Jack’s in the doorway, eyes wide and apologetic, a bag of what I assume is sushi in his hands.
“Hey, Ja-ack,” the woman calls, turning his name into two sultry syllables. Jack swings back towards the door, and I follow the motion.
Lydia appears in the doorway, and her trench coat falls open, revealing lacy black underwear that leaves very little to the imagination.
I nearly choke on my mouthful of food just as Lydia catches sight of me, letting out a deafening scream as she quickly pulls the coat closed, but not before I’ve got an eyeful. She has an absolutely killer body, and she’s clearly here for sex.
“Oh, shit,” I mutter, ears still ringing on account of Lydia’s epic screech.
“You didn’t say you had company,” she says, addressing Jack as if I’m not here, a pinch of breathless annoyance in her voice.
“You didn’t say you were nearly naked under there.” Jack covers his mouth with a fist. His expression is hoveringsomewhere between entertained and appalled. I suspect he’s suppressing a smile, and it makes me want to laugh. In fact, the urge to giggle is so intense that I’m not sure I can keep it inside. When mixed with the self-recriminations that it was foolish to cook for Jack on my first night, the sensation is discombobulating, as though I’m a balloon that’s being both inflated and deflated at the same time.
“You remember Elly,” Jack says, gesturing to me, and I rapidly swallow my amusement.
Lydia nods, her arms tightly crossed over her chest. “The waitress.”
Jack tilts his head as though he’s contemplating contradicting this. “She’s my housemate,” he clarifies.
Lydia’s eyes widen. “You live together?”
“We do,” I confirm, aware I sound like I’m staking a claim. Jack’s eyes flash to mine and the delight on his face tells me he hears it too.