Sacked (The New York Nighthawks 1)

Fifteen minutes ago? That seemed odd. I could’ve sworn we’d been working for longer than that. Then again, I had a feeling that I would lose all sense of time whenever I was with Naomi. She captivated me and consumed my mind.

By the time we finished looking through things and talking strategy, evening had fallen. “Are you hungry?” I asked.

“Yes, but I’ll eat when I get home.”

“I’m going to make you dinner,” I replied, not even acknowledging her comment about going home. I took her hand and helped her to her feet, then laced our fingers together and led her to the kitchen.

“Wow,” she gasped as she walked through the door. “This kitchen is amazing.”

I smiled and guided her over to a big island in the center of the room. “I’m glad you like it. Do you enjoy cooking?” Without asking permission, I grabbed her around the waist and lifted her onto one of the tall chairs.

Naomi wrinkled her nose, and I laughed. “I’ll take that as a no.”

She giggled, then sighed. “I don’t mind it actually, but what I really love is baking. My mom and I used to do it all the time, and it’s one of my favorite ways to relax.”

“Hmm,” I murmured in her ear. “Perhaps someday you’ll let me taste some of your sweets, baby.” I assumed she’d picked up on my double entendre because her skin flushed all the way down past the small amount of cleavage bared by the scooped neck of her sleeveless blouse. I vowed to find out just how far down that pretty blush went very soon.

“Can I infer from this kitchen that you’re a fan of cooking?” she queried.

I shrugged as I made my way to the refrigerator. “My mom made sure her boys knew enough not to starve. But after my initial rookie-stupid years”—a musical laugh slipped from between her lips, and I almost forgot what I was saying—“um, I knew that if I wanted a long career, I had to make every effort to be as healthy as possible. So I learned how to cook more than spaghetti and scrambled eggs.”

“Impressive,” Naomi teased, her blue orbs twinkling with amusement.

“Hopefully,” I replied with a grin. “Now I enjoy the challenge to be creative so I don’t get bored with my cooking and run out for a cheeseburger.”

She gasped and put her hand to her heart dramatically. “No cheeseburgers? How have you survived?”

Having retrieved all the ingredients I needed, I began to put together a pasta salad that I particularly liked. “I didn’t say I never go off the wagon.”

Naomi giggled, and I winked at her as I washed vegetables in the large sink in the island. “What else do you like to do?”

For the next half hour, we volleyed back and forth with questions, getting to know each other. With every minute we spent together, I was more and more convinced that she was the one for me.

When our dinner was ready, I dished up a plate for each of us, then took the seat next to her. I waited a little nervously until she took a bite. Her hum of approval gave me a sense of satisfaction, but it also turned the semi I’d been sporting into a rock-hard erection.

“This is amazing,” she said with another moan after she swallowed her second bite. Fuck. “How does it taste so good when the ingredients are so simple?”

“It’s all about the spices and the quality of the ingredients that make it so delicious. When I don’t have time to get to the farmers' market, I have a service that sends me the fresh ingredients I request every week.”

Naomi burst into a fit of giggles, and I cocked my head to the side, wondering what had tickled her funny bone. “What is so funny, baby?”

She popped a bite of her meal into her mouth and shrugged, pointing at her lips.

“Nice try, Naomi,” I muttered with a chuckle as I pulled her plate out of reach.

After she swallowed, she giggled again before explaining. “It was just the image of this big, sexy, intimidating football player at a farmers' market. I’m guessing you don’t exactly blend in.”

‘’Sexy, huh?” I replied with a wide grin as I swiveled my chair to face her.

Her cheeks stained with pink as she realized what she’d said. “Is that all you heard?”

I fucking loved making her blush. She was so gorgeous, and I wondered if that was how she would look after I made her come. Flushed with passion and satisfaction.

“I hear everything you say, baby,” I told her softly as I turned her chair so our knees were touching. “I was simply choosing to focus on the fact that you find me sexy and irresistible.”

Naomi scoffed, but she was fighting a smile. “I didn’t say anything about irresistible.”