Page 34 of One Quick Obsession

“Is that a quiche? Or the beginnings of one?”

I snorted. “I’m not Theo, or that fancy. But it’s a scramble. Everything will be cooked, you won’t die of salmonella. At least I don’t think so.”

“That makes me feel safe.” She paused, and I knew she was wrestling with similar thoughts to my own. “I would love breakfast. Thank you.”

“No problem. Do you want that coffee?”

“I can get it. Are the mugs near the maker?”

“They are.”

“Would you like me to top you off as well?”

We met gazes, even though the unintended innuendo lay heavy between us, and I nodded. “Yes please, I don’t need cream or sugar.”

“I’m in the mood for all of the cream and sugar if that’s okay.”

“I don’t have any of that fancy creamer stuff, but I have half-and-half. I think.”

Her lips twitched. “I can make that work.” She paused. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to keep thanking me.”

“Would you rather me yell at you? For old time’s sake?”

“It would feel normal, but come on, let’s get you fed. And then we can go on a ride.”

I had been thinking about that for hours and knew it was probably the best thing to do. I loved riding my bike in the mountains and couldn’t for half of the year. But now that the snow had melted in some of the passes, we could wind around a couple of small towns and have lunch. And yes, the idea of her legs wrapped around me as we rode had entered my mind, but I wasn’t going to mention that.

“Excuse me?” she asked as she poured nearly half of the container of half-and-half into her cup.

“I’m going for a ride and you’re coming with me. It’s your day off, isn’t it?”

“It is. Which I’m glad it is since I slept so late. I haven’t slept in ages.”

“You needed it,” I said with a shrug.

“Maybe, but it makes me feel lazy.”

“You are the least lazy person I know, and I have Aston and Isabella and Blakely in my family,” I said dryly.

“I suppose that is true.” Her lips twitched. “And you want me to ride your motorcycle with you. Like a date?”

I paused in the act of scraping the rest of the scramble onto two plates before letting out a breath.

“Not really. It’s just a ride.”

“Okay.” She blinked as she said it before taking a sip of her coffee. “Good coffee.”

“Okay, as in you’re fine it’s not a date? Or okay, as in you’re coming with me.”

“You didn’t really ask. You told me I was, and though I don’t tend to take orders, a bike ride sounds lovely. I’ve never actually been on the back of a motorcycle before.”

That made me smile. It was odd. Ever since losing Michelle, I hadn’t smiled often. It wasn’t that I still loved her. I had fallen out of love with her long before she died, but there hadn’t been much to smile about. Then the Cage kids started to be born, and who wouldn’t smile around babies?

And of course there was Scarlett. When she wasn’t making me want to rip my beard off, she was making me laugh.

I did not know what was up with that.