“Stay,” she says.
“All right.”
“I just meant…you said you didn’t want a relationship, but here you are.”
“And…?”
“And…we’ve seen a lot of each other in a short time. Doesn’t that make us…something?”
I rub my jawline. “It makes you my girlfriend, Skye. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“Girlfriend?” Then she shakes her head. “You saw the comment on my Instagram post.”
“I did. I’ll ask again. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“I don’t know what I want, honestly. I only know I want more than a purely sexual arrangement.”
“Which is why I’ve agreed to date you.”
“Then let’s date.”
“Isn’t that what we’re doing right now?”
She looks down at her feet. “No. I don’t normally date in bare feet and sweats. Why are you really here, Braden? Because I’m absolutely sure it’s not to eat my leftover beef stew.”
“Do you even have to ask?”
She gulps. “Yeah. I have to ask.”
“I’m here to fuck you, Skye.”
Her knees wobble. Only slightly, but I notice.
“Then I definitely need to eat.”
I smile. Almost. “So do I.”
She motions to the small table. “Have a seat. Dinner will be ready in a minute. Can I get you a drink?”
I remove my suit coat, hang it on the back of a chair, and sit. “Wild Turkey.”
She smiles. “I always have that.” She pulls the bottle out of a top cupboard, grabs a lowball glass, and pours me a double. Then she adds one ice cube and hands me the glass.
I take a sip. “Going to join me?”
“Not tonight, no.” She dishes up the stew, slices a baguette, and sets it on a plate. She pours two glasses of water and brings everything to the table.
“Dig in,” she says.
I nod, spoon up some stew, blow on it, and taste it.
She watches me intently, clearly waiting for my approval. It’s fragrant and meaty with a spike of thyme. The meat isn’t ground beef, though. It’s round steak or chuck, cut into chunks. They’re braised to perfection and melt in my mouth.
Funny. This is a hundred times better than my mother’s stew, yet I find myself missing hers. At the same time, I’m delighted that Skye is a good cook.
“Delicious,” I say.
She lets out a breath, nods, and takes a bite herself. “Bread?”