“What if I said I was going to make you coffee and dessert?”
He shrugs. “Thirty-five, sixty-five.”
I smile as my eyes hold his, our pinky fingers still linked. “We could spoon on my lounge again and you could kiss my neck as you cuddle me.”
“Seventy, thirty.” He raises his eyebrows.
I bite my lip and smile. I like this game. “We could take a shower,” I whisper. “You could wash me, I’m feeling very dirty.”
His eyes darken. “Ninety, ten, your way.”
I smirk. “I could wear my white nightie again and you can run your hands all over me as I tell you how much I missed you all day,” I breathe.
He smiles broadly as his eyes twinkle. “Were you on the debating team?” he asks as he cocks his head to one side.
I smile mischievously as I bite my bottom lip, feeling very proud of myself.
“You give a very good closing argument Miss Marx.” He raises a brow.
I smile as I pull back from his grip. “Yes and it was the white nightie that won me arguments back then too.”
“I don’t doubt it. See you in twenty.” He releases me and hits the lift button and the doors open.
I race home like a lunatic to try and smuggle in before he gets here my new clothes that I bought in my lunch break. I drop the groceries in the kitchen and throw the clothes into my wardrobe still in their bags. I run around and make my bed like a maniac. I thought I would have had time to come home to straighten the house up before I went to the hospital tonight but I got snowed under at work. I rush to the kitchen to wash up my breakfast dishes. It sure doesn’t pay to be slobby. I am just finishing the last dishes when I hear the key in the door. I smile, what a lovely sound that is.
Joshua walks in and smiles warmly at me. “Hi,” he says quietly as he puts his keys on my side table.
I smile shyly. “Hi.” Why does he make me feel so nervous?
He walks into the kitchen and over to me where he cuddles me from behind, kissing my neck. I put my hand up and on his cheek.
“How are you?” he asks softly.
I close my eyes in comfort. “Better now that you’re here,” I whisper.
“Hmm,” he sighs.
He pulls back and picks up the plastic bag of groceries on the floor. “Do you want these put away?” he asks.
I nod and smile. “Yes please.” I continue wiping up.
He puts a few things in the fridge and then he asks. “Why do you have this? Do you like protein now?” He frowns as he holds up a large jar of protein powder.
I shrug self-consciously. “I just thought you might like to stay for breakfast tomorrow … I mean, that’s if you’re not busy.” I look down at the floor in embarrassment. Do I sound as desperate as I feel?
He pulls my face up to his as he smirks. “Did you now?” He kisses me gently on the lips and I feel myself melt.
He takes out his phone and texts someone and then walks around and flicks the kettle on. “Would you like a cup of tea?” he asks.
“Yes please.” I smile. This is going well, so domestic. I sit on the lounge and flick the television on. I curl up on the single lounge that I always sit on.
He fusses around in the kitchen for a moment and he comes in carrying two cups of tea. “Why are you sitting over there?” he frowns as he sits on the double lounge.
I smile again. Let me rephrase that, this is going really well. Maybe he didn’t mean a word he said in the restaurant last night. I stand and move over to the chair and sit next to him, he pulls my feet onto his lap and he kicks off his shoes and takes a sip of his tea.
“Do you like your new job?” he asks as he blows on his tea.
I shrug. “It’s ok, I suppose.”