Page 44 of Up All Night

“Sure we should.” Denver wrapped me tightly in his arms like I was his personal body pillow. I was powerless to do anything other than doze until a meaty aroma crept into my dreams.

ChapterTwenty

Denver

I’d cooked in one-room cabins, ski lodges, diners, pizza places, hotel restaurants, and plenty of cheap rental kitchens, but I’d never cooked a romantic meal before. Hell, I’d never wanted romance, had run from any whiff of it, and I continued to think Sean’s idea that we should date was laughably idealistic. And yet, here I was, wide awake while Sean snoozed on, making a post-sex meal for two, humming softly to myself while I worked.

I could have easily scrambled some eggs or offered some chips and hummus, but I wanted to impress Sean and do something nice for him. Romantic bribery? Oh, he said he wanted to keep me around and wanted more than sex, but trust remained in short supply.

“What’s that amazing smell?” Sean sat up in the bed and stretched. He looked delightfully rumpled, skin flushed, hair messy, faint beard burns here and there, and kiss-swollen lips. The temptation to rejoin him on the bed was strong.

“A snack. Too early for dinner, too late for lunch.”

“Tapas or happy hour?” Sean suggested in a goofy voice. “Happy for me, at least.”

“You’re cute, all sexed-out. Doesn’t take much to make you happy.”

“I’m a simple guy. Easy to please.” Sean left the bed in favor of padding naked to the small dinette set where I’d set the food. Working with what I had in the fridge, I’d made some chicken skewers, small meatballs, spiced potato wedges, a couple of dipping sauces, and some cut-up vegetables. “Serve me meat, fuck me silly…” Sean took a seat, only to make another happy noise. “Oooh, is that peanut sauce?”

“Yeah.” My skin heated. His obvious appreciation was both gratifying and unfamiliar. “Working at the diner, I don’t get as much chance to experiment as I’d like.”

“Outside of your favorite customer.” Sean waggled his eyebrows at me as I handed him a plate.

“You always do present quite the challenge.” I faked a stern tone. In reality, he was right that he was incredibly easy to please. He liked whatever food I put in front of him, liked whatever I dreamed up in bed, and liked spending time outside of it too. Could I be enough for him? The thought was as uncomfortable as his compliments, but if there was anyone on earth I could make happy, Sean might be it.

“And you like me.” He served himself some of each of the dishes I’d presented.

I did like him, far too much. “Maybe.”

“I see the sex didn’t improve your mood much.” Sean dropped his gaze to my black boxer briefs. I knew better than to cook totally naked, but Sean’s obvious appreciation made me wish I’d skipped the underwear and T-shirt. “Perhaps we need to try it again?”

“You wish,” I teased as I sat opposite him and helped myself to some food. “Later. Us old guys need recovery time. And fuel.”

“Hey, you’re younger than me!”

“My point stands.” I gave him a firm look, but inside, I was smiling. I liked that Sean seldom acted his age around me. It was nice to be able to provide a break for someone who had taken on a ton of responsibility young. “Eat.”

“Speaking of eating, what do you want to cook with the kids this week?” Sean asked between bites of the chicken satay. His tone was very offhand, like we had this routine now and merely had to sort out logistics. “I was thinking of teaching them some pasta basics like carbonara, but you’ve got me thinking stir fry now or something we could put more of this peanut sauce on.”

“Everyone should know how to make rice.” I stretched, unable to shake the tightness in my back. “And Wren will enjoy chopping practice, but…”

“But what?”

I sighed and set my potato wedge back down on my plate. “I don’t want to give the kids the wrong idea.”

“The idea that you’re a nice guy who’s a great cook and good teacher?” Sean gave me a pointed look. “Or the idea that you and I are dating?”

“Both. They’ve had a lot of loss. I don’t want them thinking I’m sticking around.”

“Admirable, but I think you’re really talking to me. The kids understand dating, and besides, I’m only a family friend, honorary uncle type. You don’t wantmegetting the notion that we might have a future.”

Sean was right, and I hated that he was right. “It’s not that I don’t want to date you. It’s that I don’t want to hurt you. I’ve got terminally itchy feet.”

“There might be a remedy for those.” Sean grinned like my fears could be solved as simply as a pair of shoe inserts.

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.” Sean rolled his eyes, then squinted. His chair faced one of the front windows, and he stood, crossing the room to peer out the window. “Hey, what’s that sign out front?”