Page 35 of The Deadbeat DILF
“I’ve got a big appetite,” he said.
I chuckled. “Makes sense, after you’ve been working hard all day.”
“You have too,” he said. “Using your brain burns calories, you know.”
We ate in silence for a bit, and the pizza was delicious. Robert devoured his slice in a few seconds, then took a generous sip of his wine. He set the glass down, a crease between his brows. “Should I leave?”
I almost choked on my pizza slice. “What?” I asked, after swallowing.
He looked down at the table. “Because of last night.” He sucked in a breath. “You were emotional, and I… and I understand if you’re not comfortable with having me here—”
“Robert,” I interrupted. “I didn’t kiss you because I was emotional. Yes, that was part of it. I was upset.”
His expression shuttered.
“But,” I continued, “that’s not the only reason why. To be honest… I’ve wanted to kiss you for a while.”
His gaze flitted up to meet mine, his stare intense. “Really?”
I blushed. “Please don’t go. Unless... unless it made you uncomfortable. I know I made the first move. In fact, I practically begged you to stay.” Thinking about it now made myblood run hot. Shit, what if he thought I was some needy woman, desperate for company after my crazy family made me cry?
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
“So, you’ll stay?”
He smiled at me, but this time it was different from his usual playful grins. It was... shy.
“Yeah. I’ll stay.”
I smiled back at him, and we returned to eating dinner. I sipped on my wine, feeling a massive weight disappear from my shoulders.
“So, is meat lovers your favorite kind of pizza?” I asked after a few minutes.
He shook his head. “Actually, I like the spicier toppings, but I wasn’t sure if you liked spicy food.”
“Sure I do. I’m not the one who choked on wasabi.”
He laughed loudly, remembering our first meal together at the sushi restaurant. “That’s different.”
“Uh-huh,” I said, with mock skepticism.
Just like that, the tension between us faded away, and we were back to teasing each other. Sure, I felt a pang of pain every time I remembered my parents’ anger and disappointed faces. But with Robert right in front of me, it was easy to push those memories to the back of my mind.
After dinner, we settled into our usual nightly routine. We cleared the dining room table and worked on our laptops. I needed to do some research in preparation for tomorrow.
“What are you doing?” I asked, after taking a break in reviewing statutes.
“Doing some paperwork,” he said. “I’ve got to update my health insurance details for my job.”
I nodded. “What company are you working for?”
“Clark and Co. Building,” he said, eyes remaining on his screen.
I hesitated. “You used to have your own construction company, right?” I asked. “I think I remember Mike mentioning it, back when we were in college.”
Robert stiffened ever so slightly. His gaze didn’t shift from the laptop. “I did,” he said in a neutral tone. “I don’t work there anymore, though.”
“Why not?”
