Happiness beamed from his dark eyes as he smiled at me. “And I’d be happy to make it for you every morning for the rest of mine.”
Butterflies swirled in my belly whenever Hale said things about our future like that. He never tried to hide that he wanted our relationship to work and was willing to put in the effort to make sure that happened. “I don’t know…you still haven’t given me the chance to wow you with my waffles. They’re fluffy and golden brown, and I top them with strawberries and whipped cream. Once you taste them, you might insist that I’m the one who makes breakfast instead.”
He shook his head. “Not gonna happen.”
I gasped in mock outrage, loving when we got into little squabbles over nothing because the way we made up afterward always blew my mind. “Are you trying to imply that I can’t cook?”
“Not even a little bit, sweetheart.” He leaned across the table to capture my lips in a passionate kiss that took my breath away. “I’m just saying that I like spoiling you too much to have you be the one to cook all the time, and my skills in the kitchen are pretty much limited to breakfast, sandwiches, and grilling.”
Thinking about the chicken dish he’d made for dinner a couple of weeks ago—that had turned purple because of the red wine he’d used…and so had the peanuts he’d tossed into the pan—I grimaced. “Good point. I’ll save the waffles for special occasions, like your birthday. I can bring you breakfast in bed.”
“Only if you give me what I really want to taste first.” His eyes heated as his gaze drifted down my body.
The sensual promise in his voice—and the intimate knowledge of just how good he was with his mouth—sent a delicious shiver down my spine. I winked and suggested, “How about now?”
“Hold that thought for five minutes, and I’ll have you screaming my name in no time at all.”
His eyes stayed locked on mine as he got up and started to clear the table. I knew better than to try to help because he’d made it clear on more than one occasion that he liked taking care of me any way he could. Plus, he was a bit of a neat freak, which I found to be terribly cute.
My mind was on what we were going to do when he’d finished cleaning up the mess he’d created while making our delicious breakfast. So I wasn’t paying as close attention as I should have been when I opened my email to catch up on my messages.
If I had been, I never would’ve clicked on the message from a sender I didn’t recognize. The one asking me if I had any comment on the op ed piece they’d pasted into the message so I didn’t have to click a link or open an attachment. It was a smart move, ensuring that I’d see what was being said about me. How Hale could do a lot better than me since he was a famous wide receiver who could have any woman he wanted. That we were faking our relationship to improve our odds of winning Dance, Magic, Dance! And if that wasn’t all bad enough, apparently, I had looked better as a blond during my first season and never should’ve gone back to my natural hair color. Because if I hadn’t, it would be easier to believe that Hale might actually be interested in me instead of pretending.
Demonstrating how he paid close attention to me no matter what he was doing, Hale strode back over to the table and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Apparently, we’re faking our entire relationship.” I turned my phone toward him so he could see the screen. “Because I’m not hot enough for you to be interested in.”
“Anyone who believes that shit is blind as fuck. You’re drop-dead gorgeous, and our chemistry practically sets the stage on fire every time we dance together.”
I knew he was right, but seeing what people were saying about me still stung. My laugh held no humor as I shrugged. “At least if the sex tape that jerk got of us was out there, everyone would know we’re for real. There would’ve been no missing how much you want me.”
“Yeah, but then I’d be in jail for killing the bastard,” Hale growled, a muscle ticking in his jaw at the reminder of the guy who had violated our privacy in a big way.
My lips curved into a smug grin as I thought about the trespassing charges Hale’s friend had pressed against the guy. “I much prefer him being the one behind bars.”
“Me too, sweetheart.” Hale pulled my phone out of my hands and set it screen side down on the table before sitting down and pulling me onto his lap. “I thought we both agreed it was best if we ignored whatever they were saying about us. When it comes to our relationship, the only people who matter are you, me, and the people we love. All of whom are fucking thrilled that we found each other.”