Page 109 of Checkmate
It should have been the end, but as though in sync, they each reached for their own squeezy bottle, attacking each other with syrup. Soon she had soaked him in sticky honey, and he smothered her in smooth syrup. Their laughter filled the kitchen, a sound not heard there for a long time.
The fight only ended with the puff of air from the now empty squeezy bottle. Their heavy breathing was the only sound as Erica tried one more time to squeeze out the last of the syrup.
He grabbed her wrist. “Don’t you even think about it,” he warned, tugging her closer. She giggled, her head tilted towards him. She bit her lip, her eyes darkening. His eyes were glued to her mouth, watching as her tongue flicked over her lip.
Kiss her!
It was an overwhelming demand. One he was desperate to listen to. He leaned towards her. She swayed towards him.
And then a clatter from a precariously placed spoon falling to the floor broke the tension. He released her with a chuckle, and surveyed the mess of his kitchen. Still giggling, Erica reached her hand out to him. “Truce?” She asked, panting as she caught her breath.
“Truce,” he agreed. He took her hand and shook it, his laughter dying in his throat. She looked up at him from beneath her lashes, the very air around them seeming to still as they became locked in the moment.
Oh, not again.
He couldn’t do this again.
He cleared his throat and broke the spell, chuckling awkwardly. She smiled up at him and released his hand. “Sorry I ruined breakfast,” she said, cleaning their mess.
“You’re kidding, right?” He moved into action, the two of them working together to reverse the mess they had made. “That was the most fun I’ve had in this kitchen in forever.”
“Well, I appreciate the thought,” she said. “Breakfast in bed, I mean. I don’t think I’ve ever had the pleasure.”
Never had breakfast in bed?
It may not be today or even the next. But at some point in the not-too-distant future, Marcus planned on righting that wrong.
“Are you prepared for today?”
He glanced over as Erica scrubbed the countertop and nodded once. “I’m ready. How about you?”
“Nervous,” she said, rinsing the sponge. “Really fucking nervous.”
Well, of course she was. Today, they planned to swing by Alex’s place and pick up a few things of hers. With no idea what they were going to walk in on, he was also apprehensive. The fact he was more than likely going to run into Sophie made him nervous, too. But he was determined to be strong so that Erica could draw strength from him.
With the agreement that could stay with him for as long as she needed, it was time she had her own belongings.
“You know I’ve got your back,” he promised, kissing the top of her head without thinking. She didn’t even flinch, and it occurred to him just how comfortable they’d become with one another.
In fact, this entire morning was a series of incredibly intimate moments. Not in the traditional sense, of course. But the playful fight, her dressed in only his shirt, was intimacy on another level. Domestic bliss, one could say.
Smiling at the thought, he pulled a clump of batter from her hair. “You should probably shower before we do anything. You’re a right mess.”
She giggled and shrugged, leaning back against the counter. “You’re no better, mister. Worse, in fact, ’cause I’m a better aim.”
“You wish,” he said, narrowing his eyes on her. She giggled again, and to his complete surprise, his stomach flipped with nerves. Every time she laughed, he wanted to make her laugh some more. “How about we get cleaned up and I take you for breakfast before we head to Alex’s place?”
Her eyes met his, a smile lingering on her lips as she captured her bottom lip between her teeth. “I think I’d like that.”
She squeezed his arm as she passed, confirming where the clean towels were before she left. No, seriously, what was that? He didn’t imagine that look. The coy, flirtatious smile.
Did he?
He was no fool. He had a feeling where this was leading. But up until this point, they had been careful not to let things go too far. Alex, Sophie, timing. They were all valid excuses. All good reasons not to complicate things further.
So why was he so desperate to join her in the shower?
Chapter 29
