Forever (Always & Forever 2)

Maybe it wasn’t Robert in there after all. Could be a housekeeper. That thought slowed his steps. Disappointment lanced his heart. Maybe Robert had left earlier and gone back to wherever he was staying… He scrubbed a hand down his face. He was an idiot. He wasn’t thinking clearly. His heart was making decisions, which meant his brain wasn’t thinking logically. He needed to find a new place to stay. Robert was back in DC, so of course he’d want his place back.

Landon pivoted on his heel to head back upstairs, his decision made. A male voice stopped him mid-step. His heart sped as he listened to Robert Adams quietly singing along with Shinedown’s “Breaking Inside.”

He lingered at the base of the stairs and listened to the sexy doctor singing the all too real words to the popular tune. He too loved that song. His earlier freak-out had taken a backseat to his sudden eagerness to see Robert singing in person. Landon headed for the kitchen.

He rounded the corner to find Robert elbow-deep in sudsy water. It looked like he was washing his last dish. Several pans lined the cooktop and held a variety of what looked and smelled like a smorgasbord of delicious breakfast dishes warming on the stove. There was so much food and no one else around, at least he didn’t think anyone was around. The normalcy of the whole scene struck him. Well, except for the amount of food and the doctor washing dishes.

The sight of the rich, highly educated man actually doing dishes after cooking a meal—correction, enough food for his squadron—made his heart do stupid things. Domesticity was something he’d never have thought Robert Adams did so easily. In fact, the doctor looked amazing, and just for a split second, he let himself get lost in the image.

“Good morning,” he finally said. The dish in Robert’s hand dropped back into the water, causing the suds to bubble over the side of the sink as he reached for a hand towel. Robert dried his hands as he moved toward Landon. The intensity in the doctor’s eyes held him still as their gazes connected and that deep want spread selfishly through him. He wasn’t sure he’d even blinked as the domesticated doctor stepped into his personal space and crowded him.

Landon closed his eyes seconds before their lips touched. Robert gave him a sweet good-morning kiss before attempting to pull away. Landon wasn’t near done, so he cupped the back of Robert’s head, holding him in place, and pressed into the kiss. Robert hesitated, putting a hand on his chest, keeping a little distance between them.

“I’ve been sampling our breakfast.”

“Mmm…” He nipped at Robert’s lips and said, “And you taste amazing.”

He locked his casted arm around Robert’s waist and drew the suddenly shy man back to him, certain he’d never get enough of moments like these. He deepened the kiss, and Robert finally gave in, surrendering to him. Landon was growing to really like that move. No one had ever made him feel so wanted. He slid his tongue over Robert’s lips and made himself break from the kiss before their breakfast could grow cold.

“It smells great,” he managed, tilting his head toward the stovetop.

“I’m a little rusty, and I got carried away. I’m just really happy this morning,” Robert replied with a sexy, sheepish grin.

Landon shifted, keeping Robert close as he glanced over at the breakfast selections.

“Looks like you made enough to feed an army. What all do we have?”

Robert moved with him, staying close as he explained.

“Let’s see. This is a recipe my father made while we were still eating meat. It’s an Italian bread with brie, prosciutto, eggs, tomatoes, and topped with a secret-recipe olive oil blend. It was my dad’s favorite. Over here I made something we would eat every time we traveled to Australia. It has a zucchini base. It’s delicious, and I made some for you with the different cheeses. Then I remembered a crostini, pear, and honey snack I used to love. I made that too. I got carried away.” Robert reached for the oven door and pulled out a stack of photo-worthy pancakes. “I kept waiting for you to wake so I made lemon-blueberry buttermilk pancakes. And started a pot of spaghetti sauce for later. The dough for pasta is doing its thing in the refrigerator.”

“Wow…I…thank you. How long did I sleep?” he asked, giving Robert his best grin before reaching for the prosciutto, egg, and cheese deal for a small finger sampling. He popped the bite in his mouth, the savory flavors flowed over his taste buds. His eyes rolled at the aromatic blend of ingredients. So good.

“Not long at all.”

“You cook like this all the time?” Landon asked, breaking from Robert’s hold to reach for one of two plates sitting nearby. He wasted no time in carefully picking at a hot piece of bacon lying on a paper towel.