Mal…"
He rubs me harder. Harder.
He kisses me like the ship is going down.
It's everything
But-—
There's some awful sound.
Oh fuck.
That's the smoke detector.
I jump back.
Mal goes to the stove and turns the burner down.
I find a plate and fan the air under the smoke detector.
His blue eyes light up as he looks back to me. "You're a fire hazard, baby."
"Speak for yourself."
His smile spreads over his cheeks. He motions come here. "Let's eat first."
I fight my desire to pout.
Mal chuckles. "Fuck, I almost forgot how much I like you wanting."
"Really?"
"Yeah." Again, he motions come here.
I take my place in the kitchen with him. He takes me through adding the oil to the pan, washing and tearing up the kale, pan-frying the salmon.
Mal is a patient and careful teacher. And he steals a kiss between every instruction.
God, the taste of his lips.
The brightness in his eyes.
All that joy in his expression.
It's been missing for too long and now it's here and it's mine.
And I'm crazy fucking in love with him.
"You're thinking something," he says.
I swallow the words. "Asking myself why I didn't plan some elaborate pasta dish."
He laughs. "You have a problem."
"Love of delicious food is a problem?"
He stirs the pot of greens and brings the spoon up. "This is delicious."