“Yeah,” he managed, not letting go of her until he’d planted a kiss on her forehead. Thank you, he thought. But what he said was, “I’ll go foraging for snacks.”
She chuckled as she made for the bathroom.
He retrieved his boxers and jeans, liking the sound of Dani in his space. The vast majority of the time when he’d been with a woman, it was at her place. Only rarely had he brought someone home. And he couldn’t even remember the last time. Sean hadn’t thought he’d avoided that on purpose, but now he wondered. Maybe if he opened the door to having someone here, it would feel worse when he was alone again? Because having Dani here now? Hearing her moving around and sharing his space? It felt good. And he knew it was gonna suck when he got better and she wasn’t coming around as much anymore.
Well maybe you should put yourself out there and let her know you’d like her to come around even after all this is over.
Fuck. Standing there staring off into space, he scrubbed a hand over his face.
Finally, he pulled an old, comfy T-shirt from a drawer and tugged it over his head, grimacing as his chest protested the movements. Dani hadn’t been wrong—it had hurt to carry her up the steps. But the fact that she’d let him get away with doing it had been too fun for him to care. He’d withstand pain for her every fuckin’ day if it meant that she’d be with him like this.
Something uncomfortable tweaked inside his chest that had nothing to do with the injury he’d sustained.
His head was in the pantry when she joined him in the kitchen.
“Tell me you have some snacks because I’m munchy now,” she said.
“Oh, I got snacks all right,” he said, pulling things out and setting them on the counter. “Pretzels, chips, some cheese popcorn but no more caramel.” He held up a container of cashews. “Deez nuts.”
Dani chuckled, and fuck she looked beautiful standing in his kitchen, her cheeks still a little flush, her lips soft and puffy from their kisses. “Yes to all of it.”
“Good choice.” He winked. “I made you work up an appetite, I see.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever, Riddick. Sometimes a woman just needs snacks.”
Sean grinned. No way was he buying that. “Uh huh. Suuure. Whatever you need to tell yourself, D.”
Without missing a beat, she threw the container of nuts at him, and he burst out laughing despite the fact that he barely caught it before it nailed him in the chest.
Her eyes went wide. “Oh, my God, Sean. I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”
“You’ve got a fuckin’ arm on you,” he said, still chuckling and having no idea why she was apologizing.
“I’m really sorry.”
Cashews now securely in hand, he grabbed two bottles of water for them. “Why are you apologizing?”
“Because if that had hit your chest, I would’ve really hurt you.” Distress and regret were clear in her expression.
There she went again, knocking him flat on his ass. Just by caring. “Hey, I’m good. Okay? And we’re good.”
She twisted her lips. “No blood, no foul?”
He winked at her. “Exactly. Now, come on.” They scooped up the buffet of snacks, made their way downstairs, and set everything out on the coffee table in the basement. Sean rubbed his hands together. “You’re going to like this one.”
“Is this our eighth movie?” she asked.
“Yep.”
“And how many are there again?”
He slanted her a look. “Just go with the flow here, woman.”
She laughed. “Just tell me.”
At this point he wasn’t telling her just for the fun of it because, unlike back at the beginning, he now believed she truly was interested and enjoying the movies. “No. I’m giving you Chris Hemsworth. Be grateful.”
Giggling, she shook her head. “You know I could just Google it.”
“Yes, but you won’t or you would’ve done it by now.” He pressed Play.
A few seconds later she whispered, “How many?”
“Sshh.” He bit back a smile, but man he dug when they spent time together like this.
They both stretched for the popcorn at the same time, then they both sat back at the same time, and then they both reached again. “Oh my God, it’s like we’re teenagers. Here.” She put the metal tin in the crook of her lap. “Now we can both reach it.”
Sean gave her a look but couldn’t hold back a smirky grin. “Are you inviting me to eat from between your legs?” He tossed a few kernels into his mouth.
Dani batted her lashes at him. “Sean Riddick, as good as your mouth is, you can eat from between my legs every day and twice on Sundays.”
He nearly choked as he started coughing, and was both laughing and tearing up by the time she pushed a bottle of water into his hands and told him to drink.